The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-09-09
FIRST SEA fight
GERMANS LOSE FIVE SHIPS AND
3O7 MEN IN ACTION
ENGAGEMENT DESCRIBED

British Destroyers SheAkifg lyon
German Ships Are discovered bys
.aeroplane- Pursued BY Cruisers
and Destroyers They Decoy Them
Into Open Sea Where Fight Ended.
An official statement issued Sun.
day night at Londen ssss that ST
twelve hundred men comprising. the
crews of the five German warships
sunk off Helgoiand only $50, were
saved. Twehty-nine killed and tiir-
ty-eight wounded was the price in
men paid by the British for the naval
action against the Germans in the
Heligoland fight Friday.
The admiralty announced the cas-
ualties as follows: The light cruiser
Arethusa lost Lieut.. Eric Westmacott
and nine men killed, four men Sc
riously wounded and Lieut.. Robinson
and eleven men wounded. but net
seriously.
The torpedo boat destroyer Liberty
lost Lieut.. Commander Bartellot and
six men Killed, Che man VINO since
has died from wounds, one danger
ously wounded, FIVE seriously would
ed and FIVE slightly wounded.
The destroyer Laurel suffered ten
men killed, One has since died Of his
wounds, two men dangerously wound
ed, seven seriously wounded and two
slightly wounded.
Tie Liberty, a British destroyer,
was hit by a shell, which shattered
her mast. tore away part of hel
bridge, smashed her search lights and
killed her commander, Lieut.; K. W
Bartellot, and William Butcher; his
signal man:
Accounts Of the battle say it was
perfect in execution as well as il
plan. Led at dawn by a fearless
small detachments, the destr5tef:
crept within the German lines; BE
tween Heligoland and the GsrIiar
boats.
An aeroplane sighed them and gave
the news to the Germans, whose de
stroyers came out. The British de
stroyers lured the Germans to tht
open sea, where other destresef:
we're waiting spread out III ian shape
A small engagement followed AMI
then the German cruisers came out
The British light cruiser Arethusa
after a sighting shot, got her range
splendidly and hit the foremost gd1
Of one Of the German cruisers, de
Imolishing it. The Arethusa then fir
ed a few broadsides at the enemy
Her aim was excellent. She hit
German cruiser, which at once nurs
into smoke and hames, but SCOT
afterwards a German shot did som'
damage to the engine room OF th'
| Arethusa.
The destroyers Liberty and Laer
tes fought a grand fight. A shell
brought down the mast Of the Lib
erty. The Laertes was hit amidships
hole was shot through her funnel
her forward guns were damaged ant
she received also she'll in the dyna
mo room and a shot aft, whlcI
wrecked her cabin.
It was hot wofk, but at that MO
ment the British light cruisers ant
battle cruisers appeared. 1t was tn
moment for which they had beel
waiting. The first shot from one o
the British battle cruisers sank
German cruiser, which had been bat
tering a destroyed.
The German fleet then turned an
fed in the direction of Cuxhaven
but was pursued by British destroy
ers, which did terrible exception witt
their four-inch gths:
Many of the Germans landed afte
the battle from the British ship
we're wounded by revolver bullets. I
is declared the revolvers were use'
by German officers to prevent thei
men surrehdering to the British boat
which had put off to save thei
drowning opponents. Some Of tn
boats lowered to the rescue OF tn
Germans. it is said were fired on b
German cruisers.
| Another version says the attack OF
the German feet off Heligoland wa
initiated by British destroysrs, &C
cording to crews of the vessels which
participated. The destroyers got fair
ly close to the German ships befor'
| they were discovered. Then can
| nonade from the German ships ant
forts opened OH them, and they grad
ually drew the German cruisers to
| ward the sea.
For time the Germans were in
position which gave them the adyan
tage, British destroyers having tc
bear the brunt of the battle. Dur,
ing one Of the hottest phases of the
fight two British destroyers got in
between two German cruisers, which
feared to fire upon the Britishers
lest they hit each other, while four
other destroyers engaged third Ger
man cruisers and put her out o.
action.
Towards the end of the battle
some English pinnaces, engaged IL
picking up Germans who were strug
Cling in the water, were followed b!
the German squadron and had to re
treat. leaving the men to their fate
British cruisers and destroyers
some of them showing signs of th'
battle in which they were engaged
off Heligoland, have arrived at Har
wich, Chatham and Sherness. The.
had British and German wounded
aboard. The Germans were picked
up at sea after their ships went down