The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1914-09-12
NAVAL OFFICER SAYS SEA FIGHT
WAS NOT BATTLE, BUT MASSACRE

| tha -, e'oPhlC description OF
VIC naVai engagement of Helgoland,
III winch British vessels sank FIVE Ger.
man ships and killed 900 men. has
reached here in a letter to relatives
noni young lieutenant who was on
one OF the British torpedo boat de.
stroyers. 1t reads:
| As 10 our fight off Heligoland, |
tnink the home papers are magnify.
ing what really was but an affair of
outposts, We destroyers went In and
iured the enemy out and had lots of
excitement. The big fellows then came
up and Afforded some excellent target
practice, and We were very glad to see
tnem come; but you ought not to con.
siuer that we had a fight, because 1t
was massacre. not fight.
Just a Case Of Bombsrdment.
There was superb generalship and
overwhelming forces on the spot, but
there was really nothing for them to
10 except to shoot the enemy, even as
pa shoots pheasants.
| Have you ever noticed dog rush
In Oh flock OF sheep and scatter
them? He goes for the nearest and
parks and goes so much faster than
the Hook that 1t lunches up with its
companions. The dog then banks at
another and the sheep spread out fan.
wise, so in front OF the dog there ia a
semi-circle OF sheep and behind him
pone
Tells Of the Battle.
| That was much what We did at Z
a. m. on August 2S. The sheep we're
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 our Arethusa
and they had real heart to heart talk
while we looked on, and a few OF us
tried to shoot at the enemy, too
though II was beyond our distance.
I'VE were getting nearer Helgoland
all the time. There was a thick mist
and ! expected every minute to find
the forts on the island bombarding us
80 the Arethusa presently drew OFF
after landing at least one good shell
on the enemy. The enemy gave ever,
bit as good as he got there.
| I'VE then reformed, but a strong de
stroyer belonging to the submarines
got chased, and the Arethusa ant
Fearless went back to look after II
We presently heard hot actor
astern, so the captain In command o
the fiotilla turned us around and W,
went back to help. But they had driver
the enemy of and on our arrival toll,
US to form up on the Arethusa.
Cruiser Fires on Ships.
when we had partly formed an
were. very much punched togethe
making a fine target. suddenly out G
the mist arrived five or six shells fror
point not $50 yards away. We gaze
at whence they came and again five o
six stabs of fire pierced the fog. an
We made out four funneled German
cruiser OF the Breslau class.
Those stabs we're It's guns goin
of. We waited 10 seconds and tn
shots and noise of its guns arrive,
pretty well from so yards away. II
next salvo of shots went above US, an,
| ducked as they whirred overhea,
like covey OF fast cartridges.
You would suppose our captain ha'
done this sort OF thing all his life. II
went full speed ahead at once. upoi
the first salvo, to string the bunch gu
ard thus offer less target, The com
IN odore from the Arethusa made a sig
nul to us to attack with torpedoes. 81
we swung round at right angles ant
charged full speed at the enemy lik'
an hussar attack.
Catches Debris From Shells.
Our boat got away at the start mag
nificently and led the field, so all tn
enemy's firing was aimed at us for TIT
next ten minutes, when we got so clos'
that debris from their shells fell oil
board. Then we altered our course ant
so threw them out in their reckoning o
our speed and they had all their worl
to do over again.
Humanity speaking. our captain b!
twisting and turning at psychological
moments saved US Actually, | fee
that we we're IN Gods keeping tha
day. After ten minutes we got nea
enough TO fire our torpedo, Then WI
turned back TO the Arethusa. Mex
our follower arrived just where w
had been and fred its torpedo. and o
course the enemy fred at it instead
Of us. What blessed relief
After the destroyers came thu
Fearless, and 1t stayed on the scene
Soon we found It was engaging a three
mnneler, the Mainz, so OFF we started
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