The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-01-25
GER MAN CRUISER
SUNK BY BRITISH
IN NORTH SEA
BIucher Sent to Bottom With 760
Officers and Men
TWO MORE SHIPS DAMAGED
Another Raid by Kaiser's Navy In
tercepted with Disaster to the
Raiders.

London, Jan 25-An attempt by q
German cruiser squadron to repeat
the attack recently made on Searbor
ough, the Hartlepools and other Brit
sh coast towns was frustrated yester
day by the British patroling squadron
and in a running fight the German ar
mored cruiser Bluecher was sunk and
two German battle cruisers were seri.
ously damaged, according to dis
patch from London at 10 p. m. The
British ships suffered only slight in
jury So far as is known, only 123
OF the Blueher's crew SS5, were saved
A battle also occurred between the
light cruisers and destrOyers accomp-
ing the bigger ships, but the result of
this engagement has not yet reached
the admiralty The British was SUI
perior in ships engaged, weight of
armament and speed and the fight of
the German ships into the mine and
submarine1nfested field possibly saw
ed them from further loss
The Bluecher was cruiser of l5,-
$50 tons displacement and although
commissioned in 1910 was completely
rerigged last year She was not
classed as battle cruiser, but was in
the next class TO those formidable
fighters. With her were the Derfing-
er, Germauy's latest battle cruiser,
which had just left the builder S
hands. and the battle cruisers Sey-
dit and Moltke, the latter sister
ship of the Goeben, formerly of the
German navy but now of the Turkish
fleet, which was recently reported
damaged by the Russians in the
Black sea
The British squadron, commanded
by Vice Admiral Sir David Beatty.
who also was in command at the bat
tie OF Helgoland last August. consist
ed of the battle cruisers Tiger. Prin-
cess Royal. New Zealand and Indomit-
ers mount eight 13,5-nch guns each.
and even the New Zealand and In
domitable carry 12-inch guns which
are equal to those OF the Derflinger.
the only one Of the German ships that
had better than l1-inch guns.
The official report issued by the
press bureau gives the following ac-
count of the engagement:
Early this morning a British pat
rolling squadron of battle cruisers and
light cruisers, under Nice-Admiral Sir
David Beatty, with destroyer fotilla
under Commodore Tyrwhitt sighted
four German battle cruisers and sew
eral light cruisers and a number of
destroyers steering westward, and ap
parently making for the English
coast The enemy at once made for
home at high speed They were at
once pursued and at about $50 a. m.
action was joined between the battle
cruisers Lion, Tiger. Princess Royal,
New Zealand and Indomitable on the
one hand and the Derhnger, Seldlitz,
Moltke and Bluecher on the other
A well-contested running fight ensu-
ed Shortly after ] o'clock the Blue
cher, which had previously fallen out
Of line. capized and sank Admiral
Beatty reports that two other battle
cruisers were seriously damaged
They We're, however, able to continue
their flight and reached an area
where dangers from German submar-
ines and mines prevented further pur
suit.
NO British ships have been lost and
our casualties in personnel. as at pres
ent reported. are slight, the Lion,
which led the line, having only IL
wounded and no killed. One hundred
and twenty-three survivors have
been rescued from the Bluechers
crew Of SS5, and it is possible that
others have been saved by some of
our destroyers. No reports OF any
destroyer or light cruiser fighting
have yet been received at the admir-
ATTY, though some has apparently TAX
en- place
Their lordships have expressed
their satisfaction to Vice-Admiral
Sir David Beatty"
Commodore Reginald Y. Tyrwhit,
who also took part in the battle off
Helgoland, commanded the light crui-
sers and desHoyers which accompani
ed Vice Admiral Beatty's battle cruis-
ers.
The Germans were observed some
time after dawn proceeding in the di-
rection of the British coast. When
they sighted the superior British feet