Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-31
ODDS TOO HEAVY
FOR BRITISH SHIPS
They Fight Till Overpowercd,
Then Seek Safety in
Flight.
STORY OF BATTLE AT SEA
Letters Tell How Good Hope
and Monmouth Were Sent
to Bottom.
STORY OF BATTLE AT SEA

and Monmouth Were Sent
to Bottom.
LONDON, January 3O.-Lotters from
ono OF the crew of tho British warship
Glasgow made public here contain the
following iirst-hand account OF the
desperate action Oft Coroncl. Chile No
vcmber l last. when the British ships
Good Hope and Monmouth were lost:
II. NJ. s. Glasgow. at Sea.
November .. 1914 q y. M).
1t has come at last, and with Il
vengeance. Yesterday tSunday) morn
Ing we came out OF Coroncl, and after
an hour or so stcaming. picked up Ills
Majcsty's ships, the Good Hope and the
Monmouth. and the auxiliary cruiser
Otranto. At about i:l5 we sighted
two large German cruiscrs-thc Scharn-
horst and the Gnciscnau believe they
call them--and one small cruiser, named
the Lcipzic. However. about o'clock
II. NJ, led by the vice admiral In the
Good Hope, then the Monmouth, We
went into action.
One OF the large German cruisers
fired salvo at the Good Hone, which
must have damaged the latter n good
deal. because she did not do much
firing afterward. Before / go any
further, 1 might say that upon getting
within gun range we discovered there
were three small cruisers, as well as
the two large ones. so the vice admiral
sent the Otranto away Immediately on
the opening round being fired For an
hour and hnlt shots were going
ut very rapid rate. until suddenly a
burst OF cheering took place on the
upper deck. and we heard that the
German flagship had been sunk. whilst
another was on fire. In the meantime.
we were engaged with two German
ships.
COULD SEE MEN BLOWN
HIGH INTO TIL: AIR
Shortly after tho cheering the truth
came out. and what truth it was! II
was the Good Hope that had been
blown slSyhigh. An explosion took
place amidships, and our chaps say
they could see men blown high into the
air. Then the Monmouth II was that set
on fire twice. and also she was making
water rather badly, So seeing the odds
were five to two, and one OF those In
Il practically helpless condition, we
began to run, and now we are being
chased by the whole of their squadron
we got a shell through tho captains
cabin, and it made n decent ''pot-mcss"
In there, L can assure you. Also got Il
hole through ono of the finncls, which
doesn't count; but We got one in the
lower bunker which Is allowing water
TO get in at 4 rate demonstrating pump-
ing. We have another cash i'm the
after-part, and that is all--and 1t could
DC worse. No one was Killed aboard
mere but we had about ten who were
injured, for the main part rather
trivial Five to three, and neither OF
our two large ones were as big rs
either of the two Germans
1t is jolly marvel that we got out
Of the action ut all. Toward the end
we had the whole five of them firing
at us, but the old, old saying, He that
fights and runs away lives TO hsht
another day" came in. so we nipped
Whether we get clear away or not, 1t
is hard to say. We are in very pccu-
liar position. 1t is a rough. moonlight
night, so the clements are unkind to
us don't know whether these Ger
man ships will follow US all the way;
but. If not, shouldn't he surprised 10
see us go to the Fall<lands
still. we'll wait ana see. That's what
were doing-waiting for the morning
to see IL they have given up tho chase
The good little Glasgow is doing her
twenty three or more knots. but she
really Is getting battered about to-
night I sincerely hope YOU didn't
think it cowardly OF us to run away
AS matter OF fact, the skipper wished
to stay, think; but he saw the abso-
lutte futility of doing So 1t would have
been certain suicide Fancy, at
o'clock tho Good Hope. with about 700
or 500 men on board, and the Mon
mouth. with about COLOGNE. Gone,
What a word; but what n meaning,
II Is hard to realize that we shan't see
those little cadets come alongside i'm
their ships picket boats any more. All
the bluejackets say it was awful while
ii lasted. The German ships had the
advantage in position. The thick.
heavy smoke from their tunnels was
blowing right on TO our ships. thus
obscuring their own from the eyes OF
our gunncrs.
Tuesday night. 9 o'clock-So far we
are safe. We have been stcaming
twenty-five knots for nearly two days.
ana have Just slowed down to twenty
knots. We believe we have left the
enemy well behind. The Canopus is
inside Of us. nearest the land. and the
Otranto is about eighty miles away
further out 10 sea. We expect to enter
the Straits of Magellan about o'clock
tomorrow morning. Whether We re-
main at Punta Arenas or not remains
to be seen.
WONDER HOW THEY ESCAPED
AS WE'LL AS THEY DID
When we think OF the action again
we all wonder how we go. away as
we did. The whole fire OF five ships
was concentrated on us. and only the
rolling Of the ship saved us from be-
ing riddlcd with the salvos which thew
were hring. We were the hast ship in
the line OF battle. and we had to tackle
Two Tor a start. and jolly soon we pur
one or them out OF action, hut she came
back again afterwards. only firing Que
gun The poor old Good Hope and the
Monmouth were subjected to terrific
fire. ana the admirars last words were:
Get nwlV 81 full spraI lint nnr ,l<;,