Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-10
Positions Won BY French in West Haze Been Gea STRENGTHENED

z Z
berg Leipzig and Dresden were sighted
near tho Falkland Islands by British
q squadron under Vice-Admiral Sir Fred.
s. crtck Sturdee.
"An action followed. in the course
q OF which the Scharnhorst, flying the
flag OF Admiral Count Won Spec. the
IA Gnefeenau and the LeipEig were sunk.
d The Dresden and Nurnberg made OF
1 during tho action and are being pur-
sued.
two GOLFERS also were captured.
s The vice admiral reports that the
British casualties are very few In
number.
Some survivors have been rescued
fsom the Gneisenau and the Leipzig"
The announcement of the admiralty
fails to state what British ships wore
engaged. for fear Of Informing the
German admiralty of the whereabouts
< Or tho warships
BELIEVED BRITISH SHIPS
IN CONSIDERABLE NUMBER
1T is assumed that the British ships
were in considerable number. as the
Soharnhorst and the Gneisau had al
ready proved themselves formidable
and effective units.
London tonight Is aflame with en-
thusiasm over the victory. There is
a. general confidence that the British,
s on land and sea, are slowly gaining
the master hand over the Germans.
Admiral Sturdee's fleet has been on
theAwatch for the German fleet for sew
eral weeks, ever since the defeat of
the Cradock squadron. Reports re-
Gently received here were that the Ger
man ships were bound through the
straits in the Pacific en- route to the
African coast. 1t Is assumed here that
the fleet was delayed for some unac-
countable reason. and that Admiral
Won Spec was bound on this cruise
when he was attacked by the British
OF the Falklands on Tuesday morning
The almost unbelievably small list
of; casualties on the British ships in
d1cates to naval observers here that
the British gunners must have had the
s advantage from the firing of the first
salvos.
The lack Of damage to the British
ships also indicates that the Germans
were surprised. because the Scharn-
horst and the Gneisenau together car
ried sixteen 80 guns. superior In range
to any guns of the British ships OK
cept the 90. 1t Is not believed any
of the go guns figured in Tuesdays
fight If the British fleet had been
sighted out of range, the Germans
would undoubtedly have been able to
infiict considerable damage before the
six-inch guns of the British ships
could have been brought into effective
range.
WHAT PROBABLY HAPPENED,
ACCORDING TO EXPERTS
What probably happened. according
to naval experts. who tonight at
tempted to supply details not furnished
by the official statement, was that the
British ships. lying in port at Saliva
dor or in Falkland Sound, sighted the
Germans as they were approaching
from the westward, and ran upon them
in battle formation, gaining the adj
vantage Of the first hits by being
amply prepared for the attack
Vice-Admira1 Sir Frederick c. d.
Sturdee has been commanding the sec
ond cruiser squadron since 1912. He is
s fifty-flve years old, and has been In
the navy since 1871: He was promoted
to rear-admiral from captaincy In
1908. AS a lieutenant he served in the
Egyptian war. winning the Egyptian
medal. the Alexandria clasp, and the
Khedive's bronze star. Just before his
promotion to an admiral he served on
the Staff Of the King as IN aid He
commanded the British force in Samoa
in 1899. and for this' service tho was
decorated by the King.
The British squadron left England
WITHOUT the knowledge of the general
public. and until his name was men
toned. 1t was believed that Vioe-Ad-
miral Sturdee was. serving in home
waters. The fact that he was taken
from the post of chief of the war staff
is indicative OF tho determination of
the British government to clear the
Pacific and South Atlantic of German
Warships IT is believed, therefore.
that tho British commander Is at tho
head Of formidable squadron.
Ln.nddition to the Dresden and Nurn-
berg, only one German warship the
Karlsruhe. now Is unaccounted for In
those waters, although there may be
one or two armed merchantmen which
the allies have not rounded up.
The Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and
al
and Dresden, composed tho German
Pacific fleet which. in the engagement
with the British squadron under Rear
Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock. off
the British cruisers Monmouth and
Good Hope. with the loss of about 1900
men.
Since that trme thu British squadrons
have been Searching for the Germans
OF which little has been heard. Re-
cent reports from Montevideo. Uru
quay. were to the effect that the Ger
man fleet was believed to have rounded
the cape and entered the South At
1antic. but there has been no authentic
Information of the whereabouts Of
these vessels since the date of tho bat
tie with the British squadron.
The Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were
the largest vessels OF the German feet
They were sister ships, of 1900 tons
displacement, $50 feet on the water
line, and were rated at n mean speed
OF twenty-five and one-half knots
Each carried a complement of 755 men
and were armed with eight S.2-inch
guns, six siN-inch guns twenty-five
four-pounders, four machine guns and
four torpedo tubes.
The Leipzig had displacement Of
$3.50 tons. and carried 2S6 men. She
was 341 feet long on the water line,
had beam of fortythree and one
half feet, and was rated at twenty
three knots. Her largest guns, OF
which she carried ten. were 4.1-inch
She had also ten one-pounders, four
machine guns and two torpedo tubes
Admiral Count Won Spec, commander
OF the German squadron. was aboard
tho Scharnhorst, which was his flag
ship.