The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-07-16
SIX HUNS SUNK
American Gunners Send Ger
man Destreyers to Bottom.
Deadly Fire by Gunners Raked
Helpless Vessels.
NO RESISTANCE WAS OFFERED
New Attack on Foreign Ships
on Norfolk Monday.
All in Target Practice, But as
Real as Warfare.

Norfolk, Va, July 16.-Six former
enemy war craft now have found a
last resting place on the floor Of the
Atlantic seventy-five miles off the
Virginia capes. They will be Joined
by the light cruiser Frankfurt and
dreadnaught Ostefresland, the last of
the German ships turned over to the
United States for experimental pur-
poses
s, Destroyers and battleships of the
Atlantic fleet sent down yesterday
VITA shell fire two destroyers. the
consumed much of the entire day.
Naval and army aircraft will under
take TO destroy the Frankfurt Mon
day and the Ostefresland Wednes-
day. Should they fail, destroyers will
shell the Frankfurt and the Ostefres-
land viii fall a target to the four
teen inch guns of the superdread-
naught Pennsylvania, flagship of the
Atlantic fleet.
Was Not Spectacular.
while lacking much of the speetac-
Hlar which marked the destruction of
the old destroyer .G-t02, Monday by
army aircraft, yesterdays operations
were innpr essive and were conducted
under weather conditions which ma
val officers said were far from ia
verable, the heavy seas kicking and
3 25-knot wind pitching and tossing
the targets as we'll as the attacking
destrSyerg.
5e Under Sorders to fire at a speed of
thirty-two KNOTS, the Thirty-sixth de-
stroyer division bore down on the tar
get from the distant horizon inst be-
fore noon, only to find as they dashed
past that at that speed they were
making the maximum of roll in a
ehoppy sea. They withheld their fire
and set out over a wide-arc for anoth-
er run by at fifteen knots with the
Dickerson leading, followed by the
Sfcard, Leary, Schenck and Herbert
When the ships were 5000 yards
off the marks, which were anchored
in an approximate column 400 yards
apart. the Leary let go with three of
her four 4-inch rifles. Each gun was
discharged ten times. One of the
thirty shells went thru the bridge of
the V-43 and another passed thru the
starboard bow and out of the stern
Naval officers said had the V-43 been
in action with ammunition aboard and
steam up that the shots would have
done for her. causing either a maya
zine or boiler explosion.
With the SIcard dropping out to act
later as a despatch boat the destroyer
column still running single file. circled
the TARGET and steamed away to come
up again for an attack on the S-13s
down to tho firing line, a three-m asted
schooner sailed leisurely across the
range despite warnings from the
pennsylvania and she was within a
few hundred yards of the Herbert
when that ship opened fire Thirty
shots were discharged by the Herbert
six taking effect and placing the tar
get in sinking condition.
Jackies Fire Deadly.
Then came the more spectacular
part of the attack. Led by the Flor
ida, flagship of Vice Admiral Scales
the North Dakota and Pennsylvania
which had been observing the destroy.
ers' fire, bore away for a running star
past the targets. After steaming sever
miles in single file they circled and
came down to a 1900 yard range
where the Florida opened up on tbs
N-43, firing 140 shells in salvos from
her starboard six-inch battery. Tn,
first shots were over, but the pointer
soon had the range and shell aftel
shell crashed into the hulk, which
pitched and tossed at its anchorage
Within a few minutes after the firing
ceased. the V-43 was settling by thu
head. She filled gradually until he
forward deck was awash. The sterl
hoisted higher and higher out of tn
water until it was at right angles AM
as it slipped down. there was an ex
piosion caused by the pressure of run
ninG water against the air IN the afte
compartments.
Meantime, the big battleships
augmented by the Delaware, whiel
fell into line behind the Florida. start
ed away on a wide circular course
which would bring them back on
7,500-yard range, from which the Del
aware opened fire on the S-13f
Three shells in the first salvos o
Seven found the mark Before tn
fun lao shots allotted the ship ha
been fired the old German destroye
had been swept from stem to ster1
explosion following explosion as eac
shell found the mark. An early she
carried away the main mast and ar
other set fire to the afterhouse. 9th
ers exploded below decks. causing co
umns of smoke to rush from the ship
tunnels.
Despite this punishment the STA
remained afloat until after the nav;
officers. foreign naval attaches an
other observers who came down frol
Washington on the naval transpo
Henderson had started away on II
homeward trip. A radio message
from the Pennsylvania announced ii
sinking at 1907 p. m. to those on tt
Henderson, and to the newspap,
correspondents who had been tran
ferred to the destroyer Sicard, whit
made forced draft run to Norfolk.
: BONUS ROW amid STORM