The Washington herald., 1914-08-31
CRUISER LED
in VICTORY
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE

was about to be attacked by two other
cruisers OF the German feet when the
battle cruiser squadron most oppor-
tunely arrived and pursued and sank
these new antagonists.
The armored protection. the speed and
fighting qualities OF this class Of war
chip have now been vindi sated- This is
especially satisfactory in 5iew Of the
fact that a large number Of thege valu-
able and uniIue vessels will Join the fleet
in the next few months.
1T must be remembered that the
armored cruiser had been only COM
missioned q few days before as on
emergency ship and that the officers and
crew were new to each other. Under
these circumstances the series Of actions
which they fought during the morning
Is extremely creditable and adds another
page 20 the annals of the famous ship.
Although only two of the enemy's de-
stroyers were actually observed TO sink.
most Of the eighteen or twenty boats
rounded up and attacked were we'll pun
ished and only saved themselves by
scattered flight.
Third Cruiser Sunk.
The superior gun power and the
strength Of the British destroyer war
ship conclusively demonstrated that the
destroyers themselves did not hesitate
to engage the enemy's cruisers both with
guns and torpedoes, with hardihoOd and
got knocked about in the process.
Intercepted German signals and other
information from German sources con-
firms the report of Rear Admiral Beatty
as to the sinking OF a third German
cruiser which now appears to have been
the Ariadne
The British destroyers exposed them
selves to considerable risks in endeavor-
ing to save as many as possible Of the
drowning German sailors. The British
officers present vouched for the fact that
German officers were observed firing at
their own men in the water with pistols
and several were shot before their eyes.
Under these peculiar circumstances
the destroyer was actually picking up
the wounded with her boats when driven
Off by the approach Of another German
cruiser and had TO leave two of their
b0ats containing one officer and nine
men behind.
II was feared that they had been made
prisoners. but happily a submarine ar
rived and brought the party home As
II was not possible to accommodate the
thirty Germans In the submarine they
were allowed TO return to Germany in a
boat under charge Of a first lieutenant
who was wounded.
The compliment OF the FIVE German
vessels known to have been sunk ag-
gregates about !. 2CO officers and men. all
of whom. with the exception of these
thirty and about 800 wounded and un-
wounded prisoners. perished.
Besides these is the loss which has
been severe on the German torpedo boats
and on the other cruisers which did not
sink
During the action the total OF the
British casualties amounted to ifty-nine
killed and wounded, among whom must.
however. be included in the killed two
officers OF exceptional merit. Lieut. Com
mander Nigel, X. ". Bartellot, and
Lieut.. Eric W. c. Westmacott
"All the British ships will be ft for
service in a week or ten days.
The first lord of the admiralty has teIe-
graphed TO the American Ambassador at
Berlin, requesting him to iliCTm Grand
Admiral Won Tirpitz that his son has been
saSsl sssSlr - wounded.