Evening star., 1917-01-24
SMALL WARSH|PS
IN NAVAL BATTLES
British Admit Loss of Destroy
er and Claim to Have
Sunk Enemy Vessel.
BERLIN REPORTS DIFFER

The German admiralty's report today
of the recent torpedo craft engage
ments in the North Sea declares only
one of the German craft. a torpedo
boat. which put in in distress at
Ymuiden. Holland. was more than
slightly damaged. The sinking of one
British destroyer is reported, while a
second British boat of this type was
observed in a sinking condition, after
the engagement.
The British admiralty yesterday re-
ported the sinking of a German de-
stroyer in an encounter Monday night,
and the torpedoing of a British de-
stroyer, with the loss of forty seven
men.
German Official Report.
BY the Associated Press
BERLIN, January "a, via London,
1906 p.m.-One British destroyer was
sunk and another was observed to be
in sinking condition in the North Sea
naval engagement, the admiralty an
nounces. One German torpedo boat put
in at Ymuiden in damaged condition.
The others returned with slight
damage.
Corpses Frozen to Deck.
LONDON. January 24-Special dis
patches from Holland give stories of
battles between German and British
destroyers in the North Sea, but the
details, which on some points are con-
ficting. are mostly and avowedIy de-
rived from hearsay and not subStan-
tiated. 1t seems, however certain that
the main engagement began about =
O'Clock in the morning and lasted until
about T. 1t was fought in intense
darkness, while the severity of the
cold can be judged from the fact that
eight corpses on the Vs. the German
nagship. were SO frozen TO the deck
when the boat arrived at Ymuiden that
they had to be hewn free with axes
Practically all the details of actual
to the ships refer to the V-69,
which. ii is stated, was rammed by a
British ship after being seriously bat
tered.
Many Vessels Reported Lost.
seven to ten German vessels were
sunk. but there is nothing confrma-
tory in regard to this. According to
one version the Germans started from
Helgoland with the intention of raid
ing the British coast. but were driven
back toward Flanders, where some took
refuge in Zeebrugge.
II Is confirmed that Commander
Boehm. on the V-6e, is alive, and.
according to one report. uninjured 1t
is stated that he superintended the re-
moval of the crew of the destroyer as
an examination of the ship proved the
fmpossibility of repairing her within
twenty-four hours. This, of course
implies an intention to intern but
nothing official is obtainable in regard
thereto A number of survivors of the.
sunken British vessel have arrived on
the east coast.
British Official Report.
The text of the official announce
ment last night says:
Last night, while our light forces
were patrolling the North sea not far
from the Dutch coast. they met a divi-
sion of enemy torpedo boat destroy
ers- A short engagement took place,
during which one OF the enemy tor
pedo boat destroyers was sunk and the
rest scattered. having suffered consid-
cradle punishment. Darkness prevent
ed the full results of the action from
being observed.
During last night there was also a
short, sharp engagement between en-
emy torpedo destroyers and our own
destroyerS in the vicinity of Schouwen
bank during TINS engagement one or
our torpedo boat destroyers was struck
by a torpedo, the explosion killing
three officers and forty-four of the
crew. She subsequently was sunk by
our own ships. Relatives of the vic
Tins have been informed. Our ships
suffered no other casualties"
Wounded Germans Landed.
MUIDEN, Holland. via The Hague to
London January 2i-An encounter oc-
CURED Tuesday morning in the North
sea between fourteen German torpedo
boat destroyers and British fotilla.
Sixteen severely wounded Germans
have been landed here by Dutch
steam trawler, which took them off the
badly damaged German torpedo boat
VS.. The torpedo boat was after
wards towed here with twenty dead
aboard.