Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-18
RAIOINCDASH
R0uSES FOLK
FOR PROTEST
English Ships in North Sea
Made Gallant But Los
ing Battle.


sea resulting in the sinking OF Ill
vessels. as announced in the
house of commons today, came as
an uncomfortable surprise TO the
British public.
1t is expected to cause a revival
of the serious criticism of the adj
miralty such as at the time OF the
successful German attack on q
convoy of Scandinavian merchant
men In October. Added TO this is
the raid made off the Tyne last
Wednesday by German warships.
According to Danish accounts, the
force which attacked the convoy con-
sisted of four cruisers in addition to
destrovers. A painful aspect of the
affair. from the British public's point
of view, is that apparently all the at
lacking vessels escaped and returned
to their bases. Another unpleasant
feature is that the British cruiser
squadron detailed to protect the con-
voy against surface attacks, for some
unexplained reason, was not on the
scene.
Starts An Inquiry.
Vice Admiral Beatty Immediately
opened an inquiry and the first sitting
was held yesterday, being conducted
by Vice Admirals Sturdee, De Robeck
and Goodenough. The investigation
will be FASTENED as much as possible.
According to the testimony of sur
vivors both here and in Scandinavia
the fighting was of most violent char
-aeter. The Germans poured hun
dreds of shots into the Inflated yes
sells.
Testimony given at the inquest over
the victims of the German attack on
the British convoy shows that the ar
tack occurred between 4 and o'clock
Wednesday morning and that the en-
envy destroyers fired as rapidly rs
possible for few minutes. A Swed-
ish steamer was torpedoed twice, the
second torpedo cutting the vessel COM
pletely in two OF the crew of 20
hands on board, Is were either killed
or missing.
No assistance was rendered by the
enemy boats British destroyers came
upon the scene and rescued the sur
vivors.
British Fight To Death.
Christiania. Dec. 1S-Ali the crews
of the merchantmen in the convoy at
tackled in the North sea by the Ger
mans last week were saved The mer-
chant vessels had time to retire while
| the outnumbered British destroyers
and trawlers engaged in a desperate
/ fight with the Germans and the crews
of the merchantmen took to the boats
| One British destroyer, according tt
reports received here. sank after II
F.! minutes of brave fighting. The crew
of the other destroyer continued r
serve It's guns until disabled. After
disposing of the conveying vessels
the Germans turned their attention t.
the merchantmen and sank them on,
by one.
Raid Near the Coast.
Amsterdam, Monday, Dec. 18.-Cap
TAM Heincke, commanded the German
forces which made a raid on the Eng
lish coast off the mouth of the Tynt
hast Wednesday morning, according I,
an official statement received her
from Berlin.
The report says that the German
/ successfully attacked enemy mer
camille traffic including two larg
steamer off the Tyne and close to tn
| English coast"
The German forces, II is added, re
turned without losses or damage.
Names of the Ships.
| Christiania, Thursday, Dec. 49,
l delayed By Censor THE convoy at
tackled in the North sea was made u
of the following steamships
Bollsta, Norwegian, 1,701 tons gross
King Magnus. Norwegian Bothnia
! Swedish, 1857 tons; Torlaf, Swedisl
! tTorleig, $50 tons); Masacibo, Danish
Cordova, British (there were two Brit
: ish steamships Cordova, each of abou
$500 tonsl.