The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-26
BOTH SHIPS SUNK IN
ANGL0-TEUT0N FIGHT
German Raider, Going Down,
Fired Torpedo and Briton
Shared Her Fate.
ENGLISH TOOK 100 MEN

l.oNpoN, March ?5.-one Of the .ierces.
naval battles OF the war was fought on
February 80 las, In the North Sea be-
tween "A German sea raider and a Brit.
ish armed merchant steamer. Both ves-
sells were sun during the battle. but the
British captured five German officers
IND lis men u of "A total crew VI 800.
The British losses were five officers and
sixty-nine men.
TIL official announcement Of the fight
was made to-day. only because the de-
tails had reached tho German authori.
ties. so there was no longer any need
10 conceal the facts.
The German raider. the name Of which
was The Greif. was attempting to make
it, way through the British patrol. hav.
ing painted on its side the Norwegian
nag. TIL British vessel was the Alcan-
tara. OF 1890 tons, one OF tho Royal
Mail Steam Packet Company's fleet.
She was $40 feet long. built In Glasgow
in 1913 and has been IN war service
for some time.
The Admiralty issued the following
statement this afternoon:
An engagement occurred OH Febru-
AIRY 20 in the North Sea between the
armed German raider Greif. disguised
as "A Norwegian merchant vessel. and
the British armed merchant cruiser
Alcantara. Capt. r. ~. wardle. 1t re-
suited In the loss of both vessele. the
German raider being sunk by gun
fire and the Alcantara apparently by a
torpedo.
Five German officers and rs men
were picked up and taken prisoner M
OF the total complement. believed to
have been over 500. The British losses
F, TO five officers and sixty
nine men.
II should be noted that during the
whole engagement the enemy fired
over the Norwegian ~colors. painted on
the side Of the ship.
This news IL now published. as Il is
/ made clear by the receipt Of a German
wireless message hat the enemy has
learned that the Gre!f. "A similar ship
TO the Moewc. has been destroyed be-
fore she succeeded In passing our line
OF patrols.
There are three German steamships
called the Greif. or these the largest
is Of i.l65 tons, 235 fee. long. and was
constructed in 1912
II H. reportrd that the Greif attempted
to run the blockade the day the Mocwe
returned. Evidently Il was expected tho
patrol squadron would be engaged In
hunting for the Mlewe. but the Gordon
! OF auxi!!ar.es left no loopholc.
Seeing herself In a tight hole. the Greif
turned eastward, proceeding toward
home In a lcisu'eiy manner SO ar not to
attract too much attention when thc
sailed hy tho Alcautara.
The two shipS lay almost side by side
while the captain - the british steamer
inquired by megaphonc for particulars
OF the TRANCE vessel. which according
10 the official report had tho Nor
vegian colors PAINTED on her sides. but
which few no nag. The Inquiries from
tho Alcantara were answered in perfect
Norwegian. but the actions Of the raider
aroused the suspicious Of the British
auxiliary. She was lowering . boat to
send a searching party aboard when the
Germans opened fire.
The action 10 described rs ono Of the
hottest Of the war. recalling duels be-
tween evenly matched frtgates in the
days before the time OF ironclads- Ac-
cordirg TO the British account the Ger.
man raider WAS put out OF action by
a few broadsides and sank aftc. tvel,.
minutes
81. was followed to the bottom a few
minutes later Nv her victorious ad
Versay. which evidently Tell victim 10 a
torpedo launched from tho Grcirs tube
a moment before the raider disappeared
beneath the waves.
other British warships soon appeared
on the scene and rescued many members
of the crews 81 the two fighters.
The naval authorities state that The
Grief was as well equipped for raidinl
AZ WAS the No.Ne.