Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-10-25
RUSSIA EXPLAINS LOSSES,

~
Petrograd, Oct. 22.-The Russian
ministry of marine mas issued he fol
lowing detailed statement regarding the
naval battle in the Gulf of Riga:
Tuesday night an enemy squadron
Of 20 ships penetrated the Gulf of Riga
and at 9 o'clock the next morning was
discovered making it's way through the
channels south of Moon sound. The
squadron included two battleships of
the Koenig type. Our detachments,
under Admiral Bakhireff, who hoisted
his flag on the cruiser Bayan, and ac-
companied by the battleships Grjdanin
and Slava. steamed from the eastern
part Of Moon island to engage the en-
envy, preceded by torpedo boat patrols,
which withdrew before the enemy.
German Sub Attack Fails.
"At $3.50 o'clock the enemy opened
fire on our torpedo boats and our de-
tachment, issuing from the channel,
took up formation in a radius between
the Werden and Weiland lighthouses,
near Moon island. While approaching
the enemy the cruiser Bayan was at
tackled unsuccessfully by a hostile sub
marine.
AT 10:50 O'Clock our detachments en-
gagged the enemy squadron. The fire
Of the hostile dreadnaughts was III
rected from a distance often beyond
the range of our old type vessels. At
noon. in view of the enemy's superb
GRITTY and the appearance of new enemy
warships. Admiral Bakhireff ordered
the detachment to retire into the in
terror of Moon sound. Dur ships Their
turned northward and withdrew from
the fighting.
The battleship Slava, the last of the
line. and which had been damaged Sc
verely unde the water line, finally sank
by he head and foundered in the deep
entrance of Moon sound. The remainder
OF the squadron entered this channel.
Part of the enemy squadron began to
fire on the Moon and Werden batteries
and silenced n destroyed them. Our
vessels suffered some damage. After
Smelling the batteries the enemy entered
! the southern part of the Kuiwast
| roadstead.
Recounts German Losses,
During these movements the cruiser
Admiral Makaroff and some Is
and destroyers in inner Moon sound
protected that channel and the mouth
OF kassa bay, between the islands al
Daso. Oesel and Moon. Some of these
ships remained throughout Tuesday
night near the coast Of Oesel island and
repeatedly attempted to make thei1
way into the eastern portion of Kassa1
bay"
The rest Of the statement Is a repe.
tition Of the official statement issued
today, in which it was announced tha1
w traWlers had been sunk by the
Russian fire and that two enemy tor
%pedoboats had been sunk by striking
mines in the Moon sound region Thurs
day. 1t ADDS, however, that a German
t~orpedoboat escorting the main squad
ron ran into a Russian mine and sank.
The Russian Baltic fleet in it's en-
tirety could not face the Germans ir
the Gulf of Riga without abandoning
the responsibility for the defense Of the
Gulf of Finland, according to Coun1
Kapnist. Of the Russian admiralty.
Excuses Lack Of Resistance,
1.-THE Germans" he said, effected
landing operations on Oesel island viii
IL transports, escorted by ~ battle.
ships Of all types, five cruisers, ar
enormous number Of au%xiliaries and &c
~destroyers. 1t was impossible for on,
entire Baltic fleet to meet the enemy
without abandoning responsibility fol
the protection Of the Gulf Of Finland
The count cited the battle of Jutlant
as q precedent for the impossibility O,
using submarines to advantage. He
added that the Germans are using the
same troops that took Oesel island tt
attack Dago island, thus showing tina,
they were carrying out their operations
with a minimum force.
The entire third and fourth squad.
rons of the German high seas fleet, ant
probably also the fifth squadron, par.
ticipated in the operations in the Gul
of Riga, according to an official state.
ment from the Russian admiralty.
The three ~squadrons comprise two.
thirds of the German fleet. Among tn,
units was the battle cruiser Moltke, O
n 90 coz nr,r 49, @.-~,