Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1915-01-27
Running Nava|Fight
in North Sea.
BRITISH SQUADRON
SuSTA|NS DAMAGE
Two Other Teutonic Cruisers Are
Badly Battered.

London, Jan. 25.-An attempt by
a German cruiser squadron to repeat
the attack recently made on Scar
borough, the Hartlepools and other
British coast towns was frustrated by
the British patrolling squadron and in
running fight in the North sea the
German armored cruiser Bluecher was
sunk and two German battle cruisers
were seriously damaged.
The British ships suffered only
slight injury. So far as is known
only 1923 of the Bluecher's crew of 1856
were saved.
A battle also occurred between the
light cruisers and destroyers accom-
panying the bigger ships, but the re-
suit of this engagement has not yet
reached the admiralty.
The British were superior in ships
engaged, weight of armament and
| speed and the flight of the German
ships into the mine and submarine
infested field possible saved them from
further losses.
The Bluecher was a cruiser of 49,
$50 tons displacement. She was not
classed as battle cruiser, but was in
the next class to those formidable
fighters.
With her were the Derflinger, Ger
manys latest battle cruiser which had
just left the builders hands, and the
battle cruisers Seydlitz and Moltke,
the latter sister ship of the Goeben,
formerly of the German navy, but
now of the Turkish fleet, which re-
Gently was 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 off Helgoland last August, consist
ed Of the battle cruisers Tiger, Lion,
Princess Royal. New Zealand and In
domitable.
The first three Of these cruisers
mount eight 13.5!nch guns each and
even the New Zealand and Indomitable
carry 13-inch guns, which are equal
to those of the Derflinger, the only
one of the German ships that had bet
ter than 11-inch guns.
Official Report Of Battle.
The official report issued by the
press bureau gives the following &C.
count of the engagement:
EARLY Sunday morning a British
| o+r01 81 hot
and light cruisers, under Vice Admir-
al Sir David Beatty, with a destroyer
f1otilla, under Commodore Tyrwhitt,
sighted four German battle cruisers,
several light cruisers and a number
of destroyers steering westward and
apparently making for the English
coast.
1.-THE enemy at once aimed for home
at high speed They were at once
pursued and at about $3.50 a. m. &C.
ton was Joined between the battle
cruisers Lion, Tiger, Princess Royal
New Zealand and Indomitable, on the
one hand, and the Derhinger, Eeyd
litz, Moltke and Bluecher on the
other. A we'll contested running fight
ensued. Shortly after l p. m. the
Bluecher, which had previously fallen
out Of line, capsized and sank.
Admiral Beatty reports that two
other battle cruisers were seriously
damaged. They were, however, able
to continue their flight and reached
an area where dangers from German
submarines and mines prevented
further pursuit.
mo British ships have been lost
and our casualties in personnel are
at present slight, the Lion, which led
the line, having only eleven wounded
and none killed.
"One hundred and twenty-three sur
vivors have been rescued from the
Bluecher's crew of 1856 and it is pos
sible that others have been saved by
some of our destroyers. No reports
OF any destroyer or light cruiser fight
ing have yet been received at the ad
miralty, though some apparently has
taken place"