The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-23
Two Dreadnaughts Among
Those Badly Crippled.
A Cruiser, 12 Torpedo Boats
and a Transport on List.
GERMANS CAPTURE 10000
Now Completely Possess Three
Islands; Get 100 Guns.
Marshal Fleet To Prevent Eng
land Entering the Baltic.


dreadnaughts, one cruiser, twelve tor
pedo boats and one transport were
put out of action by the Russians in
the fighting around the islands in the
Gulf of Riga last week, but their ulti-
mate fate is unknown, says an Oil
cial statement issued by the Russian
admiralty 1t has been established
that at least six German torpedo boats
were sunk in the fighting. The Rus
slams lost the battleship Slava and a
large torpedo boat.
(By the Associated Press.)
Fifteen German fighting ships, in
/ cIuding two dreadnaughts, were put
| out of commission by the Russians
| last week in and around the islands
at the head of the Gulf of Riga. The
| Russian admiralty says the ultimate
| fate of the larger ships is not known,
| but that it has established at least
six torpedo boats sunk.
| The superiority of the German ma
| val forces told, however, and the
Russians were forced to retire with
their units intact except for the bat
! tIeship Slava and a large destroyer.
! The Russians now are protecting the
southern entrance to the Gulf of Fin
| land, where ii is reported German
submarines were observed Sunday.
| Oesel, Moon and Dago islands are
completely in the possession of the
Germans, who claim also the capture
| of 10000 prisoners, 100 guns and war
material. The Germans also have
reached the mainland of Esthonia on
the Werder peninsula, which juts
| into Moon sound, opposite Moon
( island.
An official report from Stockholm
says the Germans have gathered a
]
| stroyers in the waters around eastern
Denmark in anticipation of an attempt
/ by the entente fleet to force its way
! into the Baltic.
! Mondays Attack Successful.
/ Minor operations undertaken by the
/ French and British yesterday from
Poelcapelle northward to the Hou-
thulst forest were most successful
Heavy casualties were inflicted on the
Germans and Field Marshal Haig re-
ports the capture of two hundred
prisoners. East of Poelcapelle Eng
/ lish troops captured fortified buildings
= and redoubts on front of about a
mile and a half and southeast of the
village other gains were made. From
the YpresStaden railway to the
Houthulst forest the British and
French advanced their lines on a two
mile front beyond the southern boun-
dairy of the forest The southern de-
fenses of the forest and other strong
points were lost to the Germans Near
the center of the attacking front the
Germans made counter attacks and
succeeded in checking British at
tempts.
Berlin officially says that on the
Menin-Y Ypres road southeast of Ypres,
strong British attacks broke down
completely" Neither Field Marshal
Hair nor newspaper correspondents
report any effort of moment on the
Menin Ypres road. which is five and
one-half miles south of Poelcapelle
the southern point of Mondays oper-
ations
Is German, British Planes Down
British aerial activity in Flanders
continues unabated. More than sever
tons of bombs have been dropped or
Roulers and Coutrai. Railway cen.
ters northeast and east of Ypres were
special points of attack. In fightint
in the air over the German lines fif.
teen German airplanes were downed
three being driven down out of con
troll The British lost eight machines
On the Aisne front and at Verdur
the artillery fighting has increased
Around Cerny north of the Aisne. tn.
opposing gunners have been exceed
ingly busy but neither the French no
the German crown prince has Launched
an attack in force.