Omaha daily bee., 1917-05-28

Each is armed with three eighteen
inch torpedo tubes and five three-incl
rapid fire guns. These are not the
largest of the fleet, but they are oi
the fastest.
OF Use in Battle.
The British especially welcome the
American destroyer reinforcement be
cause that class of war-craft ha.
proved of great use not only in block.
ade service, but in battle action. They
were great mischief makers on both
sides in the battle last year off Jutland
between the German high fleet and the
British grand fleet. The German de.
stroyers, numbering fifteen, skillfully
screened the surviving vessels of the
main feet i'll their fight for their
home base. They were opposed by
nine British destroyers. In the main
fleet the British had the edge OF
weight Of metal on the Germans, but
the latter we're superior in numbers
and in speed of maneuvering with
their destroyers.
Historic Destroyer Fight.
The sea fight in this war in which
the British take most pride was that
off Dover, which occurred shortly after
midnight of April 20. Reports of the
fight which came through press cable
grams were too meager to give fair
idea Of the encounter. British naval
service periodicals which have just
come to hand give full accounts OF the
affair. 1t was bloody, desperate and
thrilling, with unquestionable grit
proved on both sides, but with the
British as undoubtedly TO the good,
for they won victory in battle Of
destroyers that will take its place
along side such valiant sea grips as
that during the revolution between
the Bon Homme Richard. Captain
Paul Jones, and the Scraps, Captain
Pearson.
The night of the battle off Dover
was cloudy and intensely dark. A
fleet of six German destroyers slipped
through the black night to lombard
the city of Dover, enough to do as
much damage as possible in little
while, and then get away. Before they
had turned homeward two British de-
stroyers, the Swift and the Broke,
were right at them. The Germans
discovered the enemy craft at 900
yards and promptly opened fire. The
Swift leading, the two Britons made
for their foes.
The Swift, at the order OF Lieu
tenant Commander Peck, with the
men blinded by the flash of opposing
guns, swung round and drove ahead
to ram the first boat of the German
line. 1t was a miss, but the Briton
quickly turned and pursued the Ger
man who was trying to elude the ram
ming.
German Ship Torpedoed.
In the meantime, the Broke, Lieu
tenant Commander Evans, which was
hard at the heels of the Swift, tor
pedoed the second enemy boat and
rammed the third. In this maneuver
the vessels came at grips and
desperate fight ensued Two others
were all the while raking the Broke
with their FIRE. Locked together the
Broke and the German that had been
ra. med fought hand-to- hand finish
fight.
The German crew boarded the
Broke which had lost heavily, but six
of the gun crew Of eighteen being
able to stand. A midshipman lad,
named Gyles, badly wounded and
almost blinded from blood, with
few men, killed or captured the board
ing Germans
German Boats Flee.
The Swift had not been able to
catch the speedier German fugitive
and was returning to. aid its comrade
when the rest of the German destroy
ers fled. Two of the German destroy
ers were sunk and another badly dis
abled. The British last twenty-five
dead and twice as many wounded. The
Germans suffered much more heavily.
The British took home wenty-eight
of their dead enemies and had to leave
others dead whose bodies could not
be recovered. They carried into
Dover llS prisoners, including ten Of
ficers. For a time the Germans had
made the bravest kind of fight, but
they seemed to have been dazed by
the audacity of the British and were
out Unanswered, although they had
the swifter boats. The British were
slightly superior in weight of metal.
The ramming tactics were a complete
surprise.
The American destroyers now with
the British are even faster than the
Germans who fought at Dover and
have already made so favorable an
impression ncvery way that no doubt
is felt they would render a handsome
account OF themselves in any clash
with the Teutons.