The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-01-04

Flee, Not Daring to Go to Rescue OIL
Own shIps-BritIsh Fight Openly II
Daytime, and Rescue Drowning Mer
From the Water-Reputation OF
German Navy Suffers.
NJ
The recent naval action in the Cat
tegat, where the British sank Ger.
man cruiser and ten armed patrol
ships, Is an example of the careful
planning which lies behind every move
insignificant force Of British destroy
ers and light cruisers were the actual
stage performers in the little Skag-
gerak drama.
The actual fight in the Cattegat be-
gan about seven o'clock In the morn
ing and was over three hours later.
The German fleet behind its fortif1ca-
tons received calls for help, but dared
not take chance-probably well
knowing that any attempt to send out
help would be confronted with enemies
rising out Of the sea on all sides.
AA1C OdttC6dt 10 a uCCp LAY lying DC-
tween Denmark and Sweden and lead
ing out through the Skaggerak into
the North sea, near the scene of the
famous Jutland battle. A fog lay
over the entire Cattegat throughout
the action, and the British destroyers
and sank them.
Discredit German Captains Story.
The German auxiliary cruiser Marie,
which was leading the fleet Of patrol
boats, was a ship Of 5000 tons. It's
captain, Herr Lauterbach, was wound
ly. His ship, which had four guns and
crew of 80, was suddenly attacked"
he said, in an interview with a Danish
newspaper man afterward, sby a
fleet Of British destroyers and the
shells fired by them descended with
such rapidity that the men on the
Marie. were almost unable to use the
guns. Only few shots were fired be
fore the ship was mass Of flames"
British and American naval mel
who have been on the China station
In years past will remember Captain
He was known from
Shanghai to Vladivostok as "BarOn
and is said to have been
the most unpopular German naval Of
ficer in the far East.
Lauterbach's naval reputation will
probably suffer somewhat from the
Cattegat battle. His report that he
fired his guns as long as possible is
denied by his own men, who declared
that Lauterbach was seized with
funk" as soon as the enemy appeared
and that not single shot was fred
rom the Marie's guns.
Presumably the Marie was making
is way toward the trade route be- |
.ween Norway and Scotland, In hopes |
If repeating the successful German at
ack on the British convoy on October
II. The British commander cOncen-
rated his fire first Of all on the Marie
md then detached his fastest vessels
O round up the escorting patrol YES
els. This was thoroughly done after
hunt lasting nearly three hours. This
lction, it should be remembered, oc-
urred in waters which the Germans
egarded as practically one Of their
inland seas"
The Cattegat is the gateway to the
'altic. The scene Of the fight is 500
liles from the nearest British coast,
ut less than 200 miles from Kiel The
4ermans held their favorite interior
nes," while the British forces had to
ross the North sea, go up through the
kaggerak, and then around Skaw.
Enemy Afraid to Attempt Coup. II
The Germans had every chance to II
xecute a coup, cutting off the retreat
the British forces by bringing SUI
erior units up the coast to the en- :
'ance of the Skaggerak. That they :
i'd not dare to attempt this is evil
ence of their appreciation of the in
iative and resource Of the British J
avy.
An interesting comparison might be \
ade between this clean victory by the Z
ritish destroyers and the tip-and-run r
lid by the German light cruisers on :
ritish convoy on October II.
The Germans sent out two Of their
stest cruisers in the darkness, struck )
eir blows in nervous haste In the E
rly morning hours, not pausing to E
scue a single life Of hundreds of T
and noncombatants, then 4
n away northward to pass the re- =
aiming hours Of daylight in hiding, :.
ID when night fell dashed down the =
2wegian coast, and thus returned y
me without being intercepted. =
On the occasion Of the British vic E,
ry the fight occurred not in the E
)rth sea, but on Germanys door r
sp; not at night, but In daylight; I,
t hurriedly or nervously, for "a :,
lsoners were taken, drowning men =
scued from the water, thus providing =
other vivid contrast between Ger ~
IN and British methods Of warfare. A
The return of the British squadron G.
it's base was quiet and unostenta- d.
us. BY nightfall they were off again ny
their business of sweeping the sea. -
The cruise of the fleet into the Cat
at and the little victory which the z
ltish won there without the loss of y
single British life, while not largely d.