Ripley County democrat., 1917-05-18
SEA FIGHT EPIC
M'WAR ANNALS
Two British Destroyer Defeat
Six Enemy Ships IN Eng
lish Channel.
JoKn PAUL JONES Il6lR
Fight Man 70 Man with cstiAssss md
Pistols % Deafs Are lee1Sa 70.
ssthsr-Wiii Live Lene IN
Naval History.

N
London.--Two British dsstfosers on
patrol duty III the English Channel on
Dover on the night Of April % came
upon nOtilla Of six German destroy
ers. There ensued an encoupter which
will llse long in the history Of naval
engagesments
0erman destroyers were totpsdoed
and rammed; svery gun abosrd the
eombatants was working. sweeping
the decks and tearing gaps In the
sides Of the opposins craft. There was
the locking together Of q British and .
German deafroyer. and the A,en fought
furiously In hand-to-hand battle.
German seamen Of 4 rammed do
stroyer climbed aboard one Of the Brit
ish boats, and Q mlashipma1 fought
them back with an automatic pistol.
Thsy were killed or driven agaii I'd
tho sea by British jacklss who eAns
to ths midshipman's aid.
cutlassss and uaSeAitA
The British destfoyefs were the
Swift and the Broke. and although
they received many wounds they fe-
turned to port Aant VI .tie. +
The story OF the engagemspt COM
piled from the accounts Of officers and
men, has been made public IN tho form
Of an oficial report. 1t u ah exciting
and graphic story Of I boarding en-
counter with cutlasses and bayonets,
recalling the days when wooden war
ships came together and me men
fought on the decks q.
The British destroyer leadsrS Swift
and Broke. on night patrol, were
stearnins q westerly course.s II was
Intensely dark, but calm. The Swift
sighted the enemy at 600 yprds. and
! the Germans instantly opened nre.
There were six German destsoyers. &C
cording to German prisonsrs. The
Swift replied and tried 70 ram -tiss
leading euemy destroyer. II missed
fammlhg, but shot through the German
line unscathed and. In turning, neatly
! torpedosd another boat inifAa enemy
line. ,s-.--a -,
Akain the Swift dashed ats the lead
or, which again eluded it and'Aed. with
thu swift In pursuit. 'e
Broke Bags Another FeA ~
In the meantinie the Broke had
launched q torpedo ut the second boat
In the line, which hit the mark. and
then opened Gre with every possible
gun. sfAs remaining Germap boats
were stoking furiOusly for full speed
The Broke's commander swunf
round to port and ramlned the third
boat fair and square abreast the after
funnel. Locked together thus the two
boats fought q desperate hand-to-hand
conflict The Broke swept tho snsmy's
deck at point-blank range with every
gun from main armament to ponpoms
Maxim, rife. and pistol ~
Two other German dsstroyefs At
tackled and poured d devastdtingfre on
the Broke. whose foremost run crt~s
were reduced from eighteen To six
men. Midshlpmen Donald 0ylsss u.
though wounded In the ere kept ali
the foremost guns IN action, be him
self assisting the depleted crcws 70
load. .,ss.
Mssts Fss Single haHosa I,
While hs-was thus employed I num-
bsF Of ffenzied Germans rwnrmed NJ
over the Broke's foreeastle ont ef the
rammsd destroyer. and. fHding them
selves amid the binding hAshes Of
forecastis guns, swept aft n q shout
ing mob.
Ths mldlhlpman, amid the dead and
wounded Of his own gun esswA and
Aaif blinded b blood. mst ths. sa1ek
uiiale handed With 10 autpghAttc -
iol. ~ vas srappled by ~
Z! Z &. t,.ss Z As = y 49,. :w.s;
IN iitiuh equ1p6 u h thaIk kIDntion
of sleh N SSsaf. ~ pGefihan Was
promptly b6yonsted b G<6nsan lneis-
Son. ~ pomaindet of ~ lnva6srA
except ~ wh0 fsisnsd deafh. usfs
dv1vea ovss ths ~. thss tW0 bsepg
takea pFisones.
Tve minpt>s afies sesa.alae the
nr6ks wvsaehsd ltss,f frss fson ~
sdy5tsalj M turpe6 % III ~ lesf
\ - III. 49,. u<.u.s tnln6 63asya8ni kt0t1.