The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-08-31
ADMIRALTY OFFICE
GIVES OUT STORY
OF SEA fight
20 KILLED AND SO WOUNDED THE
PRICE BRITISH PAID FOR
VICTORY.
BATTLE OFF HELIG0LAND
WAS PERFECTLY PLANNED
Lieutenant Commander BarteIiot On
Destroyer Liberty kiIied-AsropIane
Sighted Ships And Gave Germans
Warning Of Approximations cruis-
ers Bear srunt Of Fight.

London, Aug. 31.-Twenty-nine
killed and 3S wounded was the price
in men paid by the British for the
naval action against the Germans in
Heligoland Blight Friday. The ad-
miralty today announced the casualties
as follows:
"The light cruiser, Arethusa lost
Lieut.. Eric Westmacott and nine men
killed, four men seriously wounded
and Lieut.. Robinson and IL men
wounded, but not seriously.
THE torpedo boat destroyer Liber-
ty lost Lieut.. Commander Bartellot
and six men killed; one man who since
has died from wounds, one dangerous
ly wounded, five seriously wounded
and five slightly wounded.
"The destroyer Laurel suffered 10
men killed; one has since died OF his
wounds, two men dangerously wound:
ed, seven seriously wounded and two
slightly wounded"
The Liberty, a British destroyer.
was hit by a shell, which shattered
her mast, tore away part of her bridge,
smashed her searchlights and killed
her commander, Lieut.. Commander
Nigel X. w. Bartellot and William
Butcher, his signal mar.
Accounts of the battle say it was
perfect in execution as well as in
plan. Led at dawn by fearless small
detachment the destroyers crept with
in the German lines between Heligo-
land and the German coast.
An aeroplane sighted them and gave
the news to the Germans, whose de-
stroyers came out. The British de-
stroyers lured the Germans to the
open sea, where other destroyers were
waiting, spread out in fanshape. A
small engagement followed, and then
the German cruisers came out. The
British light cruiser Arethusa, after
a sighting shot, got her range splen-
didly and hit the foremost gun of one
of the German cruisers, demolishing
it. The Arethusa then fired a few
broaCsides at the enemy. Her aim
was excellent. She hit German
cruiser, which at once burst into
smoke and flames, but soon afterward
a German shot did some damage to
the engine room of the Arethpsa.
The destroyers Liberty and Laertes
fought grand fight. A shell brought
down the mast of the Liberty. The
Laertes was hit amidships, hole was
shot through her funnel, her forward
guns were damaged and she received
also a shell in the dynamo room and
a shot aft which wrecked her cabin.
1t was hot work, but at that mo-
ment the British light cruisers and
battle cruisers appeared. 1t was the
moment for which they had been wait
ing. The first shot from one of the
British battle cruisers sank German
cruiser which had been battering a
destroyer.
The German fleet then turned and
Red in the direction of Cuxhaven, but
was pursued by British destroyers,
which did terrible execution with
their four-inch guns.
Many Of the Germans landed after
the battle from the British ships were
wounded by revolver bullets. 1t is
declared the revolvers were used by
German officers to prevent their men
surrendering to the British boats
which had put off to save their drown
ing opponents. Some of the boats
lowered to the rescue Of the Germans
it is said, weres fred on BY German
Icruisers. 81 J. q