Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-12-28
AIR FLEET ATTACKS GERMANS.
British Aviators Make Raid on Wa
Vessels Near hetaoiand.

British Aviators Make Raid on War
Vessels Near Heisotand.
London, Dec 2S.-ASsisted by light
cruisers. destroyers and submarines,
seven British naval airmen, plotting
seaplanes, made daring attack
Christmas day on the German naval
base of C,xhaven, at the mouth of the
Elbe. Six of the airmen returned safe
ly, but the seventh. Commander Hew-
lett, 1t is feared. has been lost, as his
machine was found of Helgoland
wrecked.
What damage was done by the
bombs thrown by the attacking party
could not be ascertained, but the
German report Of the affair says that
the raid was fruitless.
The enterprise of the British navy
in thus attempting to dig out" the
German feet, brought about a bat
tie between the most modern Of war
machines. The British squadron. in
cluding the light cruisers Arethusa
and Undaunted, which have been en-
gagged in previous exploits on the Ger
man coast, was attacked by Zeppelins,
seaplanes and submarines.
BY rapid maneuvering, the ships
were able to avoid the submarines,
while the Zeppelins found the fire Of
the cruisers too dangerous for them
to keep up the fight. The German
seaplanes dropped bombs which. ac-
cording to the British account, fell
harmlessly into the sea The Germans,
however, claim to have hit two de-
stroyers and their convoy, the latter
being set anre
The British ships remained in the
vicinity for three hours without be-
ing attacked by any surface war
ships, and picked up three OF : the
seven pilots and their planes. The
others were picked up by submarines.
hut their machines were: sunk. Com
mander Hewlett. it is thought. was
drowned.
Official Report.
The official press bureau gave out
the following statement regarding the
British raid on the German coast:
"On Friday, Dec. 25. the German
warships lying off Schilling Roads.
of Cuxhaven. were attacked by seven
naval aeroplanes piloted by Flight
Commanders Oliver. Hewlett, Boss
and Kilner, Flight Lieutenants Miley
and Edwards and Sub-Lieutenant
Blackburn.
The attack was delivered in day.
light, starting from a point in the
vicinity Of Helgoland. The seaplanes
We're escorted by a light cruiser and
destroyer force. together with SUBJ
marines. AS these ships were seen
by the Germans from Helgoland, two
Zeppelins and three or four hostile
seaplanes and several hostile sub
marines attacked them.
Ships Aid Airmen.
1T was necessary for the British
ships to remain in the neighborhood
to pick up the returning airmen, and
a novel combat ensued between the
most modern cruiser and the enemy's
aircraft and submarines. BY swift
maneuvering the enemy's submarines
were avoided and the two Zeppelins
were easily put to flight by the guns
of the Undaunted and Arethusa.
The enemy's seaplanes succeeded
in dropping their bombs near our
ships, but without hitting any Of them.
The British ships remained for three
hours of the enemy's coast without
being molested by any surface vessel
and safely re- embarked three out Of
seven airmen with their machines.
Three other pilots returned later and
were picked up by British submarines
which were standing by. Their ma
chimes were sunk.
Six Return Safely.
"Six out Of, the seven pilots re-
turned safely. Flight Commander
Hewlett is missing. His machine was
seen In a wrecked condition about
eight miles from Helgoland. and the
fate of the daring and skillful pilot
is at present unknown.
"The extent Of the damage by the
British airmen's bombs can not be es-
timated, but all were discharged at
points Of military Significance.
ION Thursday last. Squadron Com
mander Richard B. Davies, Of the
naval air service, visited, Brussels in
a Farman biplane, for the purpose Of
dropping twelve bombs at an airship
shed reported to contain a German
airship, Eight of these bombs, Of
which six are believed to have hit,
were discharged at the first attack;
the remaining four on the return
flight. Owing to the clouds Of smoke
which arose from the shed the effect
could not be distinguished"
SUGAR RATES ARE ATTACKED.
Federal Refining Company charues
Discrimination, in Rates "a, South.
Washington. Dec. 2S.-The Federal
Sugar Refining Company Of New York
began before the interstate commerce
onvSavSS~ainr. today "a ~owSo~ - ,,.~n>~a