Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-23
ELEVEN GERMAN
WARSK|PS SUNK
IN GULF OF RIGA
Russians Also Send Four Teu-
tonic Transports to Bot I.
tom in Battle.
BATTLE CRUISER M0LTKE
TORPEDOED BY BRITISH
Two Cruisers and Eight Torpedo
Boats Add to Greatest Naval q.
Disaster to Kaiser. 4.
INVADING TROOPS DESTROYED
Cars Soldiers Capture Four Barges
After Their Occupants Perish in
Sea, Being Exterminated by
Muscovite Defenders.
BATTLE CRUISER M0LTKE
TORPEDOED BY BRITISH
INVADING TROOPS DESTROYED

LONDON, August 23, I2:I7
p.m.-The capitals OF the entente
allies are jubilant today over the
unexpected naval victory which
the Russians, according to their
accounts, have won in the Gull of
Riga. England had more than
sympathetic interest in the battle,
as British submarine accounted
for the German battle cruiser
Moltke, the loss of which, added
to the destruction of two cruisers,
eight torpedo boats and four
transports, constitutes the great
est naval disaster suffered by
Germany during the war.
Decisive Victory for Allies.
For the last week both Petrograd and
| Berlin have been sending meager re-
ports of naval operations in the Gulf
| Of Riga, which were interpreted to
mean that Germany was attempting to
land forces for the purpose of sup
porting the left flank of Field Marshal
Won Hindenburg in his efforts to over
| run the whole Of Courland and there
| by establish his armies along the coast
route to the Russian capital.
i The official Russian report. claiming =
decisive victory for the allies. together
with the expulsion III The surviving
units of the German naval forces from
the gulf, contains few details in addi-
ton to an enumeration Of German loss
es. 1t is assumed that. inasmuch as
Petrograd announced several days ago
| that her large warships had retired
from the gulf. the mosquito fiotilla
fenses. wreaked unexpected destruc-
tion on a part of the conveying Ger
man fleet and the transports.
The moral effect of this action on the
| to be great, as it probably will do much
to allay the depression incident to the
continued Russian retreat, which has
been arrested nowhere except in the
northern sector. from Riga to Kovno.
Officially Confirmed.
A dispatch to the Times from Petro-
grad confirms the announcement of NJ
Rodzianko, the president Of the duma.
of a Russian victory in the Gulf of
Riga and the sinking of the German
battle cruiser Moltke. The correspond
ent appended to his dispatch the fol-
lowing official communication.
confirmation of the naval victory in
the Gulf of Riga was conveyed to the
duma committees today by NJ Rod
zianko, president of the duma. the
members of the committees requested
NJ Rodzianko to congratulate the navy
on it's splendid achievement and to
convey to the minister of war their
compliments on the defeat OF the Ger
= hN, 1r,C1 lRHiaS
Among the German warships sunk
is the battle cruiser Moltke. Four huge
.barges filled with soldiers were cap
tured and the invaders destroyed.
"Petrograd indulged in pardonabIe
rejoicings this afternoon. The des-
perate efforts of the Germans to upset
our military plans s,hn;sn by epeaclns cnast have
sisnally failed. According tc the news
received today. they sustained heavy
losses during. the operations ions connected meet
with the forcing of the Gulf of Riga.
Aided by British submarine, we
were able from the shelter of the great
and little sounds to harass and cripple
and finally to drive the enemy out OF
s.The losses of the gallant Baltic fleet
were extremely small, in no way I'M
pairing it's efficiency, and so long as
this is preserved no serious danger
can Immediately threaten Petrograd."
Germans Exterminated.
A dispatch to the Central News from
Petrograd says:
The president of the duma has made
the following announcement:
I'm the Riga battle the Germans lost
one superdreadnausht. the Moltke.
three cruisers and seven torpedo boats.
THE German fleet has withdrawn
from Riga bay.
.AThe Germans tried to make a de-
fPerniPe1
east shore of the Gulf of Riga, some
thirty-flve 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 exterminated and the
barges captured"
Russian Naval Statement.
PETROGRAD, August %. via London,
1880 p.m.-The recent naval battle in
the Gulf of Riga is described as fol-
lows in a statement from navy head.
quarters:
1.-The German feet. August 16, renew
ed with large forces it's attacks on our
positions at the entrance to the Gulf
of Riga. Our ships, during the 10th
and 18th. repulsed the attacks Of the
entering the gulf had been favored sim
gularly by misty weather.
Taking advantage of a thick fog,
hostile forces of considerable size en-
tered the gulf on the 18th and our ves-
sells retired. at the same time contin-
uing to resist the enemy without los
ing touch with him.
'On the 18th and goth the enemy
in different directions, at
the same time keeping up a fight with
our ships. in which our torpedo boat
aotilla suffered material losses. On our
side we lost the gunboat Sivutch.
which perished gloriously in an un-
equal fight with an enemy cruiser
which was escorting torpedo craft and
came up to a distance Of 400 yards
from her. The Sivutch. enveloped in
dames.. continued to reply shot for