New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-27
Lion and Meteor TOwed
Into Port After North
Sea Battle.
HAD II MEN KILLED
AND 27 WOUNDED
Belated Admiralty State
ment, However, Denies
One Vessel Lost.
BERLIN SAYS AIRSHIP
SAW A CRUISER SINK
More Survivors from the Ger
man Bluecher. Which Went
Down in Fight, Landed.

London. Jan. 2b.-Ihe British feet
did not escape unscathed in the naval
battle on the North Sea on Sunday.
The battle cruiser Lion. which led the
British squadron into battle. and the
torpedo boat destroyer Meteor were
both disabled and had TO be towed into
port, and, in addition. one officer and
thirteen men were killed and three Of
ficers and twenty-six men wounded on
three of the ships, the Lion, Tiger and
Meteor.
This information is contained in An
Admiralty statement issued tonight
The statement denies German reports
that one British cruiser and two tor
pedo boat destroyers were sunk, by
saying that all the British ships en-
gagged in the action have returned in
safety 70 port. The Admiralty state
ment is as follows:
"All the British shir. and torpedo
boat destroyers engaged in Sundays
action have returned in safety 20 port
THE Lion, which had some Of her
forward compartments flooded By shells
below the water line, was taken in tow
by the cruiser Indomtsble. The de-
stroyer Meteor, which also was dis
abled. was taken in tow by the de-
stroyer Liberty. Both vessels were
guarded by strong escorts OF destroy
ers. Repairs to both vessels can be
spesdily effected.
British Lost Forty -one Men.
"The total number of casualties
among the officers and men reported 10
the Admiralty is: On the Lion, seven
teen men wounded; on the Tiger, one
officer and nine men killed and three
officers and eight men wounded, and
on the Meteor, four men killed and one
man wounded.
at is not believed that any other
casualties occurred, but, if so, they will
be Immediately published.
"As soon as Vice-Admiral Beatty's re-
port is received fuller account will be
given"
The statement adds that the damaged
British vessels can be speedily repaired.
The Lion was struck by German she'll
below the waterline. and some OF her
forward compartments were flooded.
The details of the damages sustained
by the Meteor were not announced.
The Lion, in leading the line, came
in closer contact with the Germans and
did most of the lighting, she being
largely responsible for the sinking OF
the German armored cruiser Bluecher.
The Meteor is one OF the largest and
fastest torpedo boat destroyers shoat.
She is one of thirteen of her class,
built under the naval estimates of 1913.
An additional dozen of similar boats
we're authorized in the estimates Of
1914.
Two hundred survivors OF the Blue
cher have been landed. They included
a few petty officers. Fifty survivors
were landed from two British torpedo
boat destroyers to-day at Leith, two
miles north OF Edinburgh.
Bluecher Survivors Land.
A contingent Of the Red Cross corps
was at the dock with ambulances TO re-
ceive twenty-three men who had been
wounded in the fight. One Of the
wounded Germans had died while on
the way 20 this port, but the body was
landed. Several Of the wounded were
terribly injured.
The prisoners OF war were taken IN
automobiles to Edinburgh Castle. The
men who had escaped unscstched
looked ft and were not downcast. They
watched interestedly the soldiers drill
ing on the parade grounds. The sur
vivors were dressed mostly in the blue
of the navy. Some still wore sea boots
and a few were in their stocking feet.
Berlin. Jan. % by wireless 20 Lon
dom Additional details Of the alleged
sinking Of a British battle cruiser in
the naval fight on Sunday are given
in the following statement issued here
to-day:
According 20 we'll informed German
sources, this cruiser suffered heavily
from the fire of our cannon, and was
then sunk by q German torpedo boat
by two well directed shots. The sink
ing was observed by German airship.
which followed the battle closely.
1.-Two British torpedo boats were also
sunk. The airship also observed the
serious damaging OF other British
ships"
In the absence OF further details o.
the naval battle in the North Sea the
newspapers eoniine themselves 10 com
ments about the great superiority and
strength of the British units engaged.
No credence is given anywhere here
10 the British Admiralty's report tha,
no British vessel was lost in the fight.
Much more space IS given in the
newspapers 10 the new orders Of the