Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-18
Great Britain Loses Five
War Vessels and Two Car
go Craft; Seven Neutral
Vessels DESTROYED By Ger.
mans in North Sea.
REPORTS MENTION
NO ENEMY LOSSES

| LOHUON, Lee. lI.-One bI1ClSQ
and five neutral merchantmen,
Ia British destroyer and four
mine sweepers have been sunk
in the North sea by German
naval forces.
The losses were the result of
an attack on a convoy bound
from Scotland to Norway, Sir
Eric Geddes, first lord of the adj
miralty, announced today. The
total tonnage Of the lost mer-
chantmen was 5000.
Two neutral merchantmen
and a trawler were sunk off the
Tyne on December II by Ger
man destroyers, T. j. -MacNa-
mara, financial secretary to the
admiralty, announced in the
house of commons today.
APPROACH ENGLISH CHANNEL.
After penetrating the waters off
the mouth of the Tyne on Dscems Ger
! IL .taass Gesrlans earrsea tse IA Opss <
tions close to the English coast chat.
mel for. the first time recently, so far
as the Official announce ements have
shown. The Tyne flows through
northern England into the North sea
at South Shields.
1.-THE dispatches are not clear as 20
whether both announcements refer 20
the same attack or to different engage
ments However, il is presumed that
Mr.. McNamara's announcement has TO
do with separate battle, inasmuch as
he did not mention the loss of British
destroyed
LIKE FORMER ATTACK.
The raid reported by Sir Eric Ged-
des duplicates the successful enter
prise of last October carried out by
two German raiders which attacked
a convoy in the North Sea. They
sank nine neutral merchantmen and
two of the escorting British destroy
ers.
Five Norwegian. three Swedish and
one Danish vessels were sunk without
warning, three other merchantmen es-
Gaping. The raiders we're armed
heavily and succeeded in evading the
British watchers on the return as
well as the outward trip.
SECOND DESTROYER DAMAGED.
The merchant vessels were being
conveyed by the destroyers Partridge
and Pelew. The Partridge was sunk
and the Pelew was damaged.
Sir Eric said the circumstances OF
the wreck so far as established was
that the Partridge sighted four enc
my destroyers shortly before noon
and, with the Pelew engaged them
while the convoy scattered. The
Partridge was hit heavily. Shortly
afterward an explosion occurred
aboard and she sank. The Pelew
was pierced at the waterline and her
engines were disabled but eventually
she was brought safely to port.
BRITISH SAILORS CAPTURED.
The enemy then attacked the CON
voy, sinking the six merchantmen and
four armed trawlers.
The entire crew OF the trawler Lord
AIveston was saved in one of its own
boats.
The casualties on the Pelew were
one officer and three men killed and
two wounded seriously.
Information regarding the crew OF
the Partridge, Sir Eric said. was in
complete. but report from Kiel told
of the taking there of three officers
and twenty-one men from the Part
ridge and of one officer and twenty.
five men from the trawlers.
SURVIVORS ARE RESCUED,
Eishty-eight Scandinavians two OF
whom were women. and ten British
were rescued by four British destroy.
ers detached from cruiser squadron
which was hastened to the scene.
Other survivors reached Norway in
boats.
RAIDERS IN PACIFIC.
Manila, Dec. Ia. Officials of the
Philippine government have issued =
warning to ship owners to beware OF