The New York herald., 1921-01-30

flexible, Indefatigable and Weymouth
If the Goeben after coaling at Messina
had left the strait by the north entrance
he would be sighted by my squadron at
about p. NJ BY 4:40 =. NJ. had re-
ceived no report of the departure Of the
Goeben from Messina. That she had
not escaped westward l knew. She
might have gone north. but considering
this improbable I determined TO close
the northern entrance to the Strait OF
Messina
"These dispositions had scarcely been
made when half an hour later the
Gloucester which was watching the
southern end of the strait. reported that
the Goeben was coming out Of the Strait
Of Messina, the Breslau following her
one mile astern, steering eastward"
Admiral Milne then describes the
chase Of the German ships conducted by
the Gloucester commanded by Capt. w.
A. Howard Kelly. "At 1880 p. NJ.
August 6, the German ships were steer
ing northeast along the coast of Gala
bria," he writes. between Gloucester
and the land. AS the dark fell they
were becoming lost to sight, and Capt.
Kelly in order to keep them in view and
to get them in the light of the moon
steered inshore to reverse the position.
In SO doing he ran well within range
of the Goeben, which could have sunk
him, and proceeded on her port quarter.
The Breslau then began TO pinch him
inshore and Capt. Kelly was obliged to
drop back. The Breslau steered to cross
his bows. Capt. Kelly altered course to
meet her and the two ships passed at a
distance of 1000 yards. Capt. Kelly
rightly considering 1t to be his first duty
to follow the Goeben did not open fire
Breslau retreated east-southeastward
and disappeared Capt. Kelly held on
in chase of Goeben. At about Q o'clock
Goeben, then off the Gulf of Squillace,
also altered course to the southwark
'In the meantime Rear Admiral Trou-
bridge, who had been patrolling with
the first cruiser squadron (Defence,
Warrior, Duke OF Edinburgh and Black
Prince) off Caphalonia, on the west
coast Of Greece. upon learning that the
German ships were steering northeast
ward. went north in order to engage
them off Fano Island should they at
tempt to enter the Adriatic When he
learned that the Goeben and Breslau
had altered course to the southwark
Rear Admiral Troubridge. at midnight
on the night of August 81, turned south
to intercept them.
"At A. NJ. of August received
information from Rear-Admiral Trou-
bridge that he had abandoned the chase
of the German ships, or, to be more ex-
act, that he had abandoned his intention
OF intercepting them and bringing them
to action. For his conduct on this oc-
casion Rear-Admiral Troubridge was
tried by court-martial and was fully
and honorably acquitted
Opened Fire on the BresIau.
AT about the time (midnight, Aug
ust 6-7) when Rear-Admlral Troubridge
turned south off Santa Maura to inter-
Lept the German ships the Dublin and
two destroyers on the way to Join the
Rear-Admiral sighted in the moonlight
smoke on the horizon. Captain John
Kelly. commanding the Dublin. had been
guided by signals received from his
brother Captain w. A. Howard Kelly.
commanding the Gloucester, then chas-
irg the Goeben. At first Captain Kelly
in Dublin took the ship in sight to be
Goeben. Then the signals from Glouces-
ter told him that she must be Breslau,
and at 4 A. NJ. he altered course to at
tack Goeben by torpedo. But Captain
John Kelly failed to find Goeben.
Captain Howard Kelly in Gloucester
continued his pursuit of Goeben. At
about $3.50 A. NJ. August / signalled
to Captain Kelly instructing him gradu-
ally to drop astern and to avoid cap
trre. Captain Kelly held on and at
80 A. NJ. Breslau rejoined Goeben.
At about / p. NJ. Breslau in order to
check Gloucester began to drop astern.
Captain Kelly in order to keep Goeben
IN sight determined to engage Brcslau.