New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-11-21
HISTORIC BATTLE
in THE CATTEGAT
Big Fight When German Cruiser
and Patrol Boats Sink
BRITISH ARE THE YICTORS

Like the Famous Battle of Manila Bav
by Admiral Dewey, Not Single
Life Was Lost by England During
the Engagement.
Base of British Grand fleet. Nov.
-(Correspondence Of the Associat.
ed Press. )-The recent naval action
in the Cattegat, where the British
sank a German cruiser and ten armed
patrol ships, is an example of the
careful planning which lies behind
every move on the naval chart A
comparatively insignificant force Of
British destroyers and light cruisers
were the performers in the little
| Skaggerak drama. The actual fight
in the Cattegat began about 7 O'Clock
in the morning and was over three
hours later. The German fleet be-
hind its fortf1cations received the calls
for help but dared not take a chance.
probably we'll knowing that any at
tempt to send out help would be con-
fronted with enemies rising out of the
sea from all directions.
The Cattegat is deep bay lying
between Denmark and Sweden and
leading out through the Skaggerak
into the North Sea near the scene Of
the famous Jutland battle. A fog
lay over the entire Cattegat through
out the action, and the British de-
stroyers picked off their victims one
by one and sank them. The German
auxiliary cruiser Marie, which was
leading the fleet of patrol boats, was
ship of 5000 tons. Her captain,
Herr Lauterbach, was wounded but
reached the Danish shore safely. His
ship, which had four guns and a crew
of ninety, was "suddenly attacked"
he said in All interview with a Danish
spaperman, "by fleet of Brit
1sh destroyers, and the shells fred
ty them descended with such rapidity
that the men on the Marie were al
most unable to use the guns. Only "a
few shots were fired before the ship
was a mass of flames"
British and American naval men
who have been on the China station
in years past will remember Captain
Lauterbach. He was known from
Shanghai to Vladivostok as Baron
Munchausen," and is said to have
been the most unpopular German
naval officer in the Far East !Iis
unpopularity extended even to hi.
own men, and in the Cattcgat battle
the first remark made by q German
bluejacket rescued from the sea was
fervently expressed hope that the
British had not made the mistake Of
rescuing his captain. Lauterbach'S
naval reputation probably will suffer
somewhat from the Cattegat battle.
His report that he fired his guns as
long as possible is denied by his
own men, who declared that Lauter.'
bach was "seized with funk as soon
as the enemy appeared, and that not
a single shot was fired from the
Marie's guns"
On the occasion of the British VIC
tory the fight occurred. not in the
North Sea, but on Germany's door
step. not at night, but in daylight;
not hurriedly or nerVously, for sixty
four prisoners were taken, drowning
men rescued from the water, thus
providing another vivid contrast be-
tween German and British methods
of warfare. Moreover non-combatant
lives were lost or endangered in the
British action whereas the Germans
ruthlessly and unnecessarily sacrificed
The return of the British squadron
to it's base was quiet and unostenta-
tious. By nightfaH they were off
again on their business of sweeping
the sea.
The cruise of the fleet into the Cat
tegat and the little victory which the
British won there without the loss
of a single life, while not largely i'm
portant in itself, is a concrete illus
tration and proof of the manner in
which the Allied fleets control the
seas and enable the Allied govern
mepts to use their resources in full
strength on the various fronts.
The British commander concen-
trated his fire first of all on the Marie,
| and then detached his fastest vessels
! to round up the escorting patrol YES
| sells. This was thoroughly done after
| a hunt lasting nearly three hours
This action, it should be remembered
occurred in waters which the Germans
regard as practically one of their
| finland seas The Cattegat is the
gateway to the Baltic. The scene of
the fight is 500 miles from the near
| est British coast, but less than 200
miles from Kiel. The Germans I1cld
| their favorite "interior lines while
the British forces had to cross the
| North Sea. go up through the Skag-
| gcrak. and then around the Skaw
| The Germans had every CHARGE to
| execute a coup, cutting off the re-
| treat of the British forces by bring
ing superior units up the coast to
| the entrance of the Skaggerak That
they did not dare to attempt this is
evidence Of their appreciation of tho
! i,,it and nf ,.it icI1
| navy.
An interesting comparison might
! Bc made between this clean victory by
| the British destroyers and the hit
| and-run raid by the German light
| cruisers on British convoy October