The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-20
'KAISER'S SHIPS FIRED
TILL ALL HAD SUNK
Battle Between British I'm
daunted and DestrOyers Lasted
Hour and a Half.
ADOPT SWIMMING COLLAR
Special cable Despatch 10 The STU.

Special cable Despatch 10 THE suN.
LONDON. Oct. 1e-The light cruiser
Undaunted. Capt. Cecil Fox. and the de-
stroyers Lennox. Lance. Legion and
Loyal steamed proudly into the hsrbor
at Harwch yesterday afternoon bring
ing details of the naval engagement off
the coast of Holland on Saturday, when
they sent four German destroyers TO the
bottom and escaped virtually un-
scathed themselves.
The enthusiasm with which the in
habitants OF Harwich greeted the VIC
torious squadron was unbounded. Both
ashore and afloat the feeling ran high.
From every ship in port the British
nag was flung out and cheers were sent
sounding across the water as the IN
daunted led her cohorts to anchorage.
Sailors, soldiers and civilians swarmed
to the piers and filed every point of
vantage In windows and roofs and BAL
comics. The military hospital and tho
quaysidc were filled with rejoicing men
who themselves bore marks OF service.
From men who came ashore the fol-
lowing details OF the fight were
gathered:
The Undaunted. with the four British
dcstrOyers. was on patrol duty off the
coast of Holland when in the early
afternoon OF Saturday the lookouts on
the cruisers sighted four Of the enemys
destroyers steaming close together at
some distance away.
The utmost advantage was taken of
this piece of good luck and by fine sea
~
from the possibility Of running to safety
in a German harbor.
Thus forced to face the issue the Ger
mans. to do them full justice. faced the
odds bravely and fought with undI-
mnishcd courage to the end.
The Undauntcd opened the fight with
her six inch guns at range Of five
miles. Then the British destroyers
closed in on the enemy's quarter and
there began a running night. The
cruiser, protected from possible danger
by torpcdoes by her battling consorts
devoted her attention particularly To
two OF the enemy's ships.
Meanwhile the destroyers were
making fine practice against the other
two. The Loyal quickly shot away
the funnel Of one Of the German boa IS
and the wheel Of another. while the
Lance. Legion and Leunox. all showing
excellent craftsmanship. battered the
pair Unfortunately
The reply Of the German destroyers
was of vastly different character
Those who took part in the engagement
describe it "a a hot time" but the
encmy's gunnery was very poor. The
proof of this is the almost absolutely
unchanged condition of the British
fighters.
A was the case in the battle OF
Iielgoland the British contingent came
out of the action safely and when they
once got to close quarters tho result
was never in doubt.
After about half an hour of fighting
tho first Of the German boats sank
Then. at Intervals the others were dis
abled and sent TO the bottom, still fight
ing gamely. SO that at the end Of an
hour and half the battle was over
All those who talked about the affair
said that the enemy fought we'll and
displayed great pluck One observer
said that the boats kept firing until they
sank. This no doubt accounts for the
very small number of German sailors
picked up.
on the Loyal were three wounded
British sailors. including one officer
She also carried four wounded Germans
among them an officer, who succumbcd
to his injuries on the way to port. Tho
wounded were transferred t. the hos
pital at Harwich. while the prisoners OF
war brought in by the Undaunted were
sent to the barracks