Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-08-28

Interest in naval developments Of
the war has recently increased very
much with the battle Of Riga Gulf, in
which Russia and Great Britain claim
a signal victory over Germany. The
following official account Of naval
conflict concerning which little has
hitherto been published in America, is
timely. II is from the German view
point:l vi, 49, *
BERLIN, NE 16.-Months have
elansed since the battle and IN tnat
time nothing has developed necessi-
tating q retraction of previous state
ments. However, the large number
of publications on this battle have
now been sufficiently sifted so that
the yoluminous material from both
British and German sources permit the
conpilaticn OF more complete and re-
liable account. 1t might be stated In
advance that our first official reports
have been fully sustained and that
the results of the battle have been
Justly appraised in Germany We know
that England has tried and is still
trying to prevent the truth from leak
ing out and that in this case as in all
others we have endeayored TO judge
our own success with the greatest
brecaution.
After the appearance of British pa
val forces in the German bay on the
18th of January il was the task OF our
navy to clear the favored fishing
grounds on the Doggerbank, in the
midst of the German sea, and from
there to the mouths of our rivers OF
all the enemy's trawlers, as it had
been established that these boats were
mainly acting as a sort of naval guard
and were doing scouting duty. Natnr-
ally the enemy's light fighting units
we're also to be driven back and il
possible destroyed. In the main this
was work for torpedoboats and small
cruisers, but these had to have some
heavy battle cruisers as support. Ali
other accounts as to German purposes
eoncOcted by our enemies are invent
ed to create the impression that the
English coast had been saved from an
attack; this became the more neces.
sary, after the laurelS of victory, so
hastily bestowed upon the British ma
val forces, became sadly stripped OF
their foliage when the actual results
of the battle became known.
The Fleet Sent Out.
For the purpose above stated our
four armored cruisers Seydlitz, Moltke,
Derflinger and Bluecher started out on
January %, together with a torpedo
boat flotilla as vanguard, and on the
oath of January they arrived at the
Doggerbank ready to carry out their
orders. A moderate easterly breeze
was blowing and the weather was eY-
ceptionally clear, so that very early
on this winter day the enemy's ships
could be sighted. Shortly after 8
o'clock our guarding cruisers and flo
tillas reported an English cruiser and
saw west-southwest and north-north-
west heavy clouds of smoke. This
proved the presence of strong fighting
forces of the enemy at the Dagger
bank. Our units gathered at once on
q southeast course For this purpose
the Kolberg had to draw out of the
fight against the small cruiser of the
Aurora class. first sighted. The lat
ter had to turn to after receiving a
number of hits while the Kolberg reg
istered two hits, without effect upon
her excepting two of her crew dead.
The admiral of the first English bat
tle-cruiser squadron steamed toward
this firing at high rate of speed and
ordered his seven small cruisers and
26 torpedoboats to proceed in the
same direction. During the gathering
of the German forces the situation was
as follows: From their rear the enc
my's light cruisers and torpedoboats
are closing up, behind those are at
least eight big ships and to starboard
Ito the right-further back in west
erly direction five clouds of smoke
are approaching, which by $3.50 o'clock
are plainly recognized as the battle
cruisers Lion, Tiger, Princess Royal,
New Zealand and Indonlitable; in the
order as reported by the British adj
miral.
Therefore from west-southwest to
north-northwest there were at least
13 big English ships, seven small
cruisers and 26 torpedoboats. 1t is I'M
necessary to state that it would have
been foolhardiness for four big Ger
man ships, four small cruisers not
six, as the British report claims and
% torpedoboats to advance against
this overwhelmingly superior force.
The English report Intentionally con-
ceals the presence of the main Eng
fish fighting force; and their report is
restricted to the actual happenings of
the battle, in which their main force
could not take part. The only course
the German admiral could choose was
southeast; this would enable him to
fight q drawn-out battle and would
take him closer to his bases and give
him the possibility of reinforcement.
OF other courses not directly leading
into the enemy, the one more toward
the north would have led to Denmark,
and all southerly courses closer to the
English bases in the south. Highest
possible speed was essential, since it
offered the only chance of dividing the
enemy's ships, as such speed could