The Sentinel=record., 1917-04-26
British Rammed German and the Men Fought Hand to Hand With
 Cutlasses and Bayonets.
Battle Took Place in the Straits of Dover and Was Participated in By Six Germans and Two British VesselsFight Opened at 600 Yards and the DestrOyers Closed in on Each Other

Lond n. April 25.-Two British de- stroyers on patrol duty in the English channel of Dover on the night of April 20 came upon a flotilla of six German destroyers and then ensued an encounter which will live long in the history of naval arrangements. Ger. man destrcyers were torpedoed and rammed; every gun aboard the com batants was working, sweeping the decks and tearing gaps in the sides of the opposing craft. There was the locking together of a British and d German destroyer and the men fought furiously in hand-to-hand battle
 German seamen O: a rammed de- stroyer climbed aboard one of the British beats and midshipman fought them back with an automatic pistol They were killed or driven again into the sea by British tackles. who came to the midshipmans aid The British destroyers were the Swift and the Broke, and although they had received many wounds, they returned 10 port. The story of the engagement compiled from the ac- counts Cf officers and men has been made public in the form of an official report. It is an exciting and graphic story of a boarding encounter with cutlasses and bayonets, recalling the , days when wooden warships came to- gether and the men fought on the decks.
 The British destroyer leaders Swift and Broke, on night patrol, were steaming on a westerly course. It was intensely dark, but calm. The Swift sighted the enemy at 500 yards and
 the Germans instantly opened fire There were six German destroyers, according to German prisoners, The Swift replied and tried to ram the leading enemy destroyer. She missed ramming. but shot through the Ger. man line unscathed and, turning neat ly, torpedoed another boat in the enemy line.
 Again the Swift dashed at the leader, which again eluded her and fled with the Swift in pursuit.
 Meantime the Broke had launched torpedo at the second boat in the line, which hit the mark, and then opened fire with every possible gun. The remaining German boats were stoking furiously for full speed
 The Broke's commander swung round to port and rammed the third boat fair and square abreast the after funnel Locked together thus the two boats fought desperate handto-hand conflict The Broke swept the enemy's decks at point blank range with every gun from main armament to pompom, Maxim, rifle and pistol
 Two other German dcstroyers at tackled and poured devastating fire on the Broke, whose foremost gun crews were reduced from IS to men, pihdH itOidth RSAtot N- U wounded in the eye, kept all the fore most guns in action, he himself assist ing the depleted crews to lead. While he was thus employed number of ] frenzied Germans swarmed up over the Brokes fOrecastle out of the ram med destroyer and, finding themselves amid the binding flashes of forecastle guns, swept aft in shouting mob. The midshipman. amid the dead and
 wounded of his own gun crews and
 half blinded by blood met the onset
 single-handed with an automatic Dis tol. He was grappled by a German
 who tried to wrest the revolver away
 The German was promptly bayonetted
 by Seaman Ingleson. The remainder | of the invaders, except two whc feigned death, were driven over the
 side the two being taken prisoner
 Two minutes after ramming, thu Broke wrenched herself free ani
 turned to ram the last of the three rd
 maining German boats. She failed