Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-09-18
NAVAL OFFICER SAYS SEA FIGHT
WAS NOT BATTLE BUT MASSACRE

London.-A graphic description Of
the naval engagement off Helgoland,
in which British vessels sank i've Ger
a ships and killed 500 men, has
reached here in a letter to relatives
from a young lieutenant who was on
one of the British torpedo boat de-
stroyers. 1t reads:
AS to our fight off Heligoland, l
think the home papers are magnify
ing what really was but an affair OF
outpcsts. 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 we're very glad to see
them come; but you ought not to con-
slider that we had a fight, because it
was a massacre, not a fight.
Just a Case of Bombardment.
There was superb ge%neralship and
overwhelming forces on the spot, but
there was really nothing for them to
do except to shoot the enemy, even as
pa shoots pheasants.
Have you ever noticed a dog rush
in on a flock of sheep and scatter
them? He goes for the nearest and
barks and goes so much faster than
the flock that it punches up with its
companions. The dog then barks at
another and the sheep spread out fan
wise, so in front of the dog there is a
semi-circle of sheep and behind him
none.
Tells of the Battle.
THAT was much what we did at Z
a. m. on August rs. The sheep were
the German torpedo craft, which fell
back on the limits of our range and
tried to lure US within the fire Of the
Helgoland forts. But a cruiser then
came out and engaged u Arethusa
and they had a real heart to heart talk,
while we looked on, and a few of us
tried to shoot at the enemy, too,
though it was beyond Dur distance.
I'VE were getting nearer Helgoland
all the time. There was a thick mist
and I expected every minute to find
the forts on the island bombarding US,
so the Arethusa presently drew off
after landing at least one good shelf
On the enemy. The enemy gave every
III as good as he got there.
I'VE then reformed, but a strong de.
stroyer belonging to the submarines
got chased, and the Arethusa and
Fearless went back to look after It
We presently heard a hot action
astern, so the captain in command OF
the fotilla turned us around and we
went back to help. But they had driven
the enemy of 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 a fine target, suddenly out Of
the mist arrived FIVE or six shells from
a point not $50 yards away. We gazed
at whence they came and again five Oh
six stabs of fire pierced the fog, and
we made out a four funneled German
cruiser of the Breslau class.
Those stabs we're its guns going
Of. We waited 15 seconds and the
shots and noise of its guns arrived
pretty well from so yards away. Its
next salvo ci shots went above us, an6
/ ducked as they whirred overhead
like a covey of fast partridges.
You would suppose our captain hat
done this sort of thing all his life. He
went full speed ahead at once upoI
the first salvo, to string the bunch out
and thus offer less target. The com
modore from the Arethusa made a sig
nal to US to attack with t~orpedoes. 81
we swung round at right angles ant
an hussar attack.
Catches Debris From Shells.
"Our boat got way at the start mag
nifcently and led the field, SO all ths
enemy's firing was aimed at us for thu
next ten minutes, when we got SO Gloss
that debris from their shells fell OF
board. Then we altered our course an
so threw them out in their reckoning o
our speed and they had all their worl
to do over again.
Humanly speaking, u captain b.
twisting and turning at psychological
Il moments saved US. Actually, / fee
that we were In Gods keeping tina
day. After ten minutes we got nea
enough to fire our torpedo. Then w
turned back to the Arethusa. Mex
our follower arrived just where vi
had been and fired its torpedo, and o
course the enemy fired at it instea'
of us. What a blessed relief.
after the destroyers came thu
Fearless, and 1t stayed on the scene
Soon we found 1t was engaging a thre'
funneler, the Mainz, SO off we startet
again, now for the Mainz, the situa
ton being that the crippled Arethusi
was too tubby to do anything but b.
defended by us, its children.
Draw Fire of the Enemy.
Scarcely, however, had we started
when, from out of the mist and acros
our front, in furious pursuit came tn
first cruiser squadron of the tow
class, the Birmingham, and each uni
q match for three like the Mainz. A
we looked and reduced speed the,
opened fire, and the clear bang-bani