Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-08-23
sian naval victory may be Of large ef-

sian naval victory may be Of large ef-
feet on the German plans.
Italy's declaration Of war on Turkey
has not yet led, so far as is known
here. to results, but it is expected to
have a great effect on Roumania.
which hong has been connected closely
with Italy.
On the Frankie Belgian front comes
reports OF artillery duels unaccom-
panied by infantry activity.
British Submarine Participates.
The official Russian communication
descriptive of the naval battle in the
gulf OF Riga was forwarded from Pet
rograd today by the correspondent of
the Central News. 1t gives the Ger
man losses as one dreaSraught, two
cruisers and eight torpedo boats. The
statement follows:
'sIn the Gulf of Riga between Aug.
16 and 10. the Russian fleet sank or
damaged no fewer than two German
cruisers and eight torpedo boats. At
the same time a British submarine
sank one of the best German dread
naughts
''The Russian gunboat Sivutch was
sunk in a brilliant fight in the course
Of which she sank a German torpedo
boat while she was in flames and sink
ing
The following statement tallies with
previous advices except that the Ger
man losses were given as three cruis-
erS and seven torpedo boats
Petrogred Greatly Relieved.
Reuters news correspondent a..
Petrosrad telegraphed that the Rus
sian naval victory has come as great
relief to the capital after the strain of
the last week. The public celebration
lasted late last night. After gathering
in front Of the government buildings
crowds marched to the British en-
ba ssy.
Statement Tells Of Victory.
The announcement of the president
of the Russian duma follows:
'In the Riga battle the Germans lost
one battleship. the Moltke. three
cruisers and eight torpedo boats.
THE German fleet has withdrawn
from, Riga bay.
THE Germans tried to make de-
scent near Pernpvin (PernigeD, on the
east shore of the Gulf of Riga. some
thirty five miles north of Riga. Four
barges crammed with soldiers took
part IN the descent. They were re-
pulsed by the Russian troops without
the cooperation of artillery, the Ger
mans being annihilated and the barges
captured
Was Two Days Battle.
The battle at Riga. in which the Ger
mans lost so heavily, occurred Friday
and yesterday Thursday the Russians
admitted they were forced to take their
fleet within the gulf in the face Of SUI
perior numbers.
From all accounts It appears that
the Germans. in their determination to
capture Riga and thus aid land forces
which have been held off in their en-
deaver to swoop down on the Warsaw
line from the north went In pursuit of
the cars ships.
Germans Caught in Trap.
While there is no verif1cation, 1t Is
probable the Germans, confident Of
their naval prowess, were led into a
trap and suffered a crushing defeat.
That the battle was of a sanguinary
nature is born out to some extent by
the German report of yesterday, which
said that two Russian gunboats and
one Russian torpedo boat were sunk
and two other warships damaged
The report admitted that the Ger
mans lost one torpedo boat and had
two destroyers damaged
Carried Crew Of 1,1o7 Men.
The German battle cruiser Moltke.
lost in the battle Of Riga was vessel
of 90 900 tons and carried in ordinary
times complement Of 1,107 men. I.
was sister ship of the famous Goeben,
which became a part Of the Turkish
navy after the commencement of the
war and was rechristened Sultan
Selim.
The Moltke was $50 feet long and
was armed with ten eleven inch guns
and twelve six-inch guns and twelve
Founders. In addition, its
armament included four twenty-inch
torpedo tubes 1t was built in 1911 and
had q speed Of about twenty Eight
knots.
The Moltke was in the battle with
the British fleet in the North sea last
January, when the German armored
cruiser Bluecher was sunk.
In 1912 the Moltke was in the Ger
man squadron which visited the United
States to return the visit of the United
States battIeship squadron at Kiel
during it's trip around the world. The
cost Of the Moltke was about $4,000
900.