Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-22
GERMANS SINK
BRITISH SHIPS !
IN NORTH SRA.
First Great Naval Disaster Il
Britain Results in Destruc.
ton of Aboukir, Hoguo
and Cressy in North Sea.

LONDON. Sept a
Out of clear sky came the laoo.,.
announcement late this afternoon ,,.,
the Germans had struck another blow 4,
the British sea supremacy. Three orul,...
their value totaling $1e,OOO,ooo and ss.,,
ing complement of more than 2Ioo r,,.
we're torpedoed and sunk in the No,n'
Sea, Off the German coast by cerr,.-
submarines, essaying a raid similar f.
that In which they sent the scout p.,,o,
cruiser Pathfinder to the bottom,
These cruisers, the Abroultir. Has,.
and Cressy, have been reported AZ y,,,,
active In scouting close to the Halt.
land Bisht In an effort to locate ths
main German war feet Although tho a,
act location of the disaster, the sreat,s.
of the war to date from the British st,ra.
point, is withheld, there are evidence.
that 1t was not far from whsrs ,h.
British cruiser squadron struck i,s ar,.
real blow against the Germans In slnt.
ing three light cruisers and two IA.
stroyers.
Fortunately the loss of life Is not Nh.
solute. The Government saws thai =.
considerable number" of the crew wsrs
picked up by destroyers and trawlsrs
that hurried to the rescue. But the ernc+
number of casualties will not be Obtain.
able until the list of survivors can be com.
pleted. 1t is officially admitted, however.
that it will be large, and among the mum.
ber 1t is reported are most of the officers
of the three big warships
The announcement of the loss cams
just at time when the British pubio
was displaying impatience over the laclc
of activity against the Kaiser's naval
strength. This impatence. 1t was stated,
had been shared by certain of the high
officials of the Admiralty, who have be-
lieved that, as the Germans had refused
to come out and fight, England should
go in and draw their war craft into the
open. The disaster has simply augmented
that feeling. Demands for speedy venge-
ance are heard on all sides, and 1t Is likely
that before many hours have passed news
will come of important action by the
British feet.
Whether the submarines that caused
the disaster escaped or whether, like
the one which sunk the Pathfinder.
they have also been sent to the bottom
in their turn is not yet known. To
the excited throng that beset the Ad-
miralty asking for additional news the
word was sent out that there was moth
ing ''at present" to add to the an
nouncement of the war bureau
The latter organization simply stated
that the Aboukir while engaged in patrol
was torpedoed by n submarine that tho
Hogue and Cressy closed in to rescue tha
survivors then struggling in the water;
that they in turn fell victims to the
German submarines, and that part OF
the crews had been rescued by the de-
stroyers and trawlers who, witnessing the
tragedy from afar, had hurried to the
scene.
The three armored cruisers were each
of 1900 tons. The Cressy was built In
1901, had a speed of 20 knots, cost S3IN,W
Her armament consisted OF two 9.2 Inch
guns, twelve 6-inch and batteries or
smaller ones. The Aboukir and Hogue
were both built in 1902. The Abouklr had
a speed of Gig knots and the Hogue OF
22.6 knots Both carried armaments OF
two 92 guns, twelve 6-inch and batteries
of smaller guns.
The statement follows:
"The British ships Aboukir, Hogus
and Cressy have been sunk by suo'
marines in the North Sea. The Abouki'
was torpedoed, and while the Hogus
and Cressy were standing by to save
the Aboukir's crew, they. too Were
torpedoed A considerable number OF
seamen were saved by the snip Lowe
stoft, torpedoboat destroyers and other
craft. The casualties are unknown
The three sunken vessels were sister
ships. They were armored cruisers Oh
a comparatively old type, having been
built IA years ago."