The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1914-09-19

A@@S%~s
reached here In letter to relatives
from young lieutenant who was on
one Of the British torpedo boat de-
stroyers. II reads:
"As to our fight on Heligoland. !
think the home papers are magnify
ing what really was but an affair OF
outposts. We destroyers went In and
lured the enemy out and had lots OF
excitement. The big fellows then came
up and Afforded some excellent target
practice. and We were very glad to see
them come: but you ought not to con-
slider that We had . Tight because 1t
was . massacre. not hight
Just Case Of 8ombardment.
There was superb generalship and
overwhelming forces on the spot but
there was really nothing for them to
do except to shoot the enemy. even ~
p. shoots pheasants.
Have you ever noticed . dog rush
In ON . nock Of sheep ana scatter
theml He goes for the nearest and
barks and goes 20 much faster than
the hock that II punches mp with its
companions- The dog thea barks at
another and the sheep spread out fan
wise. % In front q tho dog there h =
semi-circle Of sheep and behind him
none.
Tells q ths Battle.
That was much what We did at Z
q m on August ~ The sheep were
tho German torpedo craft which fell
back ON the limits q our range and
tried to lure m within the fire Of the
Helgoland forts- But Q cruiser then
came out and engaged our Arethusa
and they had real heart to heart talk.
while We looked on. and few Of ~
tried to shoot ut the enemy. too.
though 1t was beyond our distance
We were getting nearer Helsoland
all the time There was q thick mist
and / expected every minute to find
the forts on the island bombarding us.
30 the Arethusa presently drew on,
after landing at least one good shell
on the enemy. The enemy gave every
bit as good as he got there.
We then reformed, but strong de-
stroyer belonging to the submarines
got chased. and the Arethusa and
Fearless went back to look after 1t.
We presently heard q hot action
astern. so the captain In command of
the notilla turned US around and we
went back to help But they had driven
the enemy on and on our arrival told
US to form up on the Arethusa-
Cruiser Fires on Ships.
when we had partly formed and
were very much punched together.
making fine target. suddenly out Of
the mist arrived FIVE or six shells from
point not $50 yards away. We gazed
at whence they came and again Eve or
six stabs of fire pierced the fog. and
we made out four funneled German
cruiser of the Breslau class.
Those stabs were its guns going
on. We waited Is seconds and the
shots and noise of its guns arrived
pretty well from 80 yards away. Its
next salvo Of shots went above us, and
ducked as they whirred overhead
like . covey Of fast partridges.
you would suppose our captain had
done this sort of thing all his life. He
went full speed ahead at once. upon
the first salvo, to string the bunch out
and thus offer less target. The COM
nal to W to attack with torpedoes. So
we swung round at right angles and
charged full speed at the enemy like
an hussar attack.
Catches Debris From Shells.
"Our boat got away at the start mag
nificently and led the field, 90 all the
enemy's firing was aimed at US for the
next ten minutes. when We got 30 close
that debris from their shells fell on
board. Then we altered our course and
so threw them out In their reckoning of
our speed and they had all their work
to do over again.
Humanity speaking, our captain by
twisting and turning at psychological
moments saved US. Actually, feel
that we were in Gods keeping that
day. After ten minutes we got near
enough to IRE our torpedo. Then we
turned back to the Arethusa. Next
our follower arrived just where We
had been and fred its torpedo. and of
course the enemy fred at It instead
Of us. What blessed relief.
after the destroyers came the
Fearless, and II stayed on the scene.
Soon We found It was engaging three
funneler, the MainsI 90 on We started
again, now for the Mains, the situa-
ton being that the crippled Arethusa
was too tubby to do anything but be
defended by Ms, it, children.
Draw Fire Of the Enemy. \
Scarcely. however. had we started.
when. from out Of the mist and across
our front. in furious pursuit came the
first cruiser squadron Of the town
class. the Birmingham, and each unit
Z match for three like the Mainx Al
We looked and reduced speed they
opened nre. and the. clear bang-bang
>~~~~~~~~~~->~-~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~-~
ST. PETERSBURG NOW
IS CALLED PETR0GRAD