The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1914-12-31
GERMANY ATTACKED
BY BATTLESHIPS
British Flyers Shell War Craft
at Cuxhaven.
zEPPELINS AID in FIGHT
Most Spectacular Battle In History o.
Warfare Occurs Near Elbe
RiVer--AVlator Lost and
Three Vessels Hit.

London, Dec. 2S.-The most spectac'
ular battle in the history of warfare,
In which land batteries, warships, sub.
marine boats, aeroplanes, hydroplanes
and Zeppelins were engaged, Is de-
sCribed in an official announcement
given out by the admiralty.
The battle Is that which resulted
when the combined British sea and
air fleets attacked the German naval
station at Cuxhayen, on the south bank
Of the Elbe's mouth, across from the
entrance to the Kiel canal.
The statement follows:
ON Friday, December rs, German
warships lying in Schillig roads, of
Cuxhaven, we're attacked by seven
naval aeroplanes.
The attack was delivered at day
light, starting from a point in the
vicinity of Helgoland.
Zeppelins Attack Ships.
The British seaplanes we're escort
ed by light cruiser and torpedo
boat destroyer force, with submarines.
AS soon as these ships were seen
by the Germans at Helgoland two
Zeppelins and three or four hostile
seaplanes. acting in conjunction with
several hostile submarines, attacked
them.
"A naval combat ensued between
most modern cruisers on the one hand
and the enemy's air craft and sub
marines on the other.
BY swift maneuvering the enemy's
submarines were avoided, and the Yep.
pelins were easily put to flight by the
guns OF the Undaunted and the
Arethusa.
The enemy's zeppelins dropped
bombs near our ships without hitting
any of them
The British ships remained for
three hours off the enemys coast, I'M
molested by any of the surface yes
sells and safely re-embarked three Of
the airmen with their machines.
Three other air pilots were picked
up later, according to arrangement. by
Arrangement
'Throe other air pilots were picked
up later, according to arrangement, by
British submarines which were stand
ing by, their machines being sunk.
One pilot, Flight Commander Hew-
litt is missing. His machine was seen
wrecked about ieght miles from Hell
goland, and his fate is at present I'm
known.
The extent of the damage done by
the British airmens bombs cannot be
estimated, but I'll the missiles were
discharged on points of military sig
nificance.
Berlin Issues Statement.
Berlin, via wireless to Sayyille, l..
l.. Dec. 28-An attack by British
cruisers, destroyers, and hydrCplanes
on the German naval base in the North
sea, of which Wilhelmshaven and Cux,
haven are important centers, is re-
ported in a statement from the admir-
atty here. The attacks were made
December rs.
The admiralty reports that on De
cember 25 eight British ships made a
dash into a German bay. Hydroplanes
conveyed by them advanced against
tho mouths of the German rivers and
hurled bombs at the anchored ships
there and gas tank near Cuxhaven.
without hitting them or doing any
damage. The hydroplanes were fred
upon and withdrew to the west.
German airships and aeroplanes re-
connoitered against the British forces
and hit with bombs two British de-
stroyers and one convoy. Fire started
Ola the latter. Fog prevented a con-
tinuation of the fighting" ..