The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-12-11
German Reports Of Sea Fight
Off Falkland Islands
Say the Enemy Paid Well for
His Victory.
FOUGHT TO THE LAST man
The Kaiser's Squadron Was
Caught Between Two Fires.
Japanese Vessels Also Engaged
in the Battle.

Buenos Ayres, Dec. 11.-Gernan
reports received here today insist that
the British fleet which engaged anu
sank four of the vessels of AdmlraI
Won Stee's squadron off the Falkland
Islands, lost at least three ships.
They declare that the British losses
in the sea battle were. much greater
than they have been officially report
ed. 1t is admitted that the German
losses are 3,OOO.
The German fleet, according to the
latest version of the battle received
here. was caught between TWO ai.aeo
souadrons, the British and the jap
anese They fought until the last gun
was silenced. The Schornhorst, Ad,
miral Won Stees flagship, continued
firing until her guns were completely
submerged.
A number of British wounded are
now being t;ken to Montivideo.
The latest reports received here in
sist that the Dresden, the last OF the
German cruisers, has been sunk. She
is said to have been sent to the oottom
eight hours after the Nurnberg-
Additional reports of the engage
ment received today state that the
British fleet includes the second cruis-
er squadron, attached to the nome
fleet, composed of the cruisers Shan-
-
The sinking of the German cruiser
Nurnberg has been confirmed. The
Nurnberg was run down only after
chase and, refusing to surrender,
fought valiantly until sunk. The
Dresden met a similar fate eight hours
later.
Fought to Last Man.
The German reports declare that
Admiral Won Stee and the officers of
his fleet realized that they faced GER
tain destruction when they saw they
had been caught between the Japanese
and British fleets. The German ves-
sells Immediately spread out and pre-
pared to fight to the last man. The.
Nurnberg and the Dresden, being
light cruisers and the swiftest vessels
in the German fleet, managed to keep
up a running fight for hours.
The Chilean admiralty today re-
ports heavy cannonading yesterday off
the Island of Mocha, a possession of
that government This was believed
at the time to be the German cruiser
Prinz Eitel Frederick chasing a Brit
ish vessel. From Puerto Saavedra,
Chilli, reports also came today of an
unidentified fleet operating during the
night off that port. Their search
lights could be seen. Two shots were
heard.
1t is now reported. however, that
PrinZ Eitel Frederick.
The cruiser Karlsruhe and the con-
verted cruiser KrOn Prinz Wilhelm,
which were in this vicinity, have fled.
The British fleet, according to latest
reports, has captured and sunk the
colliers and supply ships which were
serving these cruisers.
The reports state that there were sew
eral of these supply ships, which were
left exposed and helpless when the
German cruisers fled. Their crews were
taken off and made prisoners by the
British and the vessels were then sent
to the bottom.
They Can't Escape.
If these reports. received by wireless
are true, it is believed that the Karls-
ruhe and the Kron Prinz Wilhelm as
we'll as the Prinz Eitel Frederick will
soon be rounded up by the British.
Deprived of their supply ships, the
cruisers will soon be rendered helpless
owing to a shortage of coal and SUD-
plies.
Confirmation of the reported British
losses from the Falkland Islands was
not received this afternoon. The British
have cut all communication from the
Islands to the continent. In the absence
OF British report of losses to their fleet,
it is believed here that the German
references to at least three vessels of
the enemy having been sunk must mean
that the Japanese fleet was actively
engaged and that Japanese instead of
British vessels were sent to the bot
tom.
The Achilles. Cochrane and Natal,
mentioned as included in the British
fleet. are sister hips. They have a
displacement of 1860 tons and an
average speed of 23.5 knots. Their
armament includes six 90 inch guns.
four rs inch guns and "a three
Founders. The Shannon is a cruiser
of 14,600 tons displacement with 22.4 4
knots speed. ard armament includ-
ing four 90 inch guns. ten rs inch
guns. sixteen 12-pounders
All four ships carry Lore than 700
men and We're built in 1903 and 1904