Show BRITISH SINK FIVE GERMAN FIRST IMPORTANT NAVAL ACTION OF WAR RESULTS IN VICTORY FOR englishmen two cruisers and two torpedo boat destroyers sent to bottom while one cruiser flees afire and in sinking condition london two german cruisers and two german torpedo boat destroyers were sunk by the british fleet on august 28 A third cruiser was set afire and left sinking this the first sea battle of tho the world war occurred olf off helgeland Hel goland no british ships were lost in the battle and tho the british loss of life was not heavy 11 eav in addition to the two torpedo boat destroyers and three cruisers many of the tha german torpedo boat destroyers destro yora were nvere damaged twenty nine killed and thirty eight wounded was the price in men paid by the british for the naval acton an official statement issued sunday night says that of 1200 men composing tho the crows crews of the five german warships war shins sunk oft off Hello goland only were saved tho the attack on the german fleet oft off helgeland Hel goland was initiated by british destroyers according to accounts given by the crews of the vessels which participated the destroyers got fairly close to tho the german ahins before they were discovered then a cannonade front from tho the german ships and forts was opened on them and they gradually drew tho the german cruisers toward the sea for a time the germans were in a position which gave them the advantage british destroyers having to bear tho the brunt of tho the battle during one of tile the hottest phases of the light fight two british destroyers got in between two german cruisers which feared to fire upon tho the british lest they hit each other while four british destroyers engaged a third german cruiser and put her out of action finally Bl nall the british battle crushers arid and light cruisers arrived on oil tho the scene and quickly put an all end to the light the liberty one of tho destroyers st when took part in tho the battle off helgeland Hel goland wis was hit by a shelf which shattered her mast and tore away afta part of her bridge first of all and then smashed her searchlights lights and killed her commander lieutenant Uirt mart ellot and william butcher his signal man mail accounts of the battle say si it was perfect in execution is as well vell as lit in plan led at dawn by it 1 fearless small detach nent the destroyers crept within the german linea he be tween ll Heg egola olind lid and the german coast the 1 I he bight of helgeland Hel goland la Is inside the formidable defenses of helgeland Hel liel goland island which wa aas s ceded to germany in ISDO 1900 the estuary of the river ihbe elbe into which the kiel canal flows opens out into this bay bai helgeland Hel liel gol goland and itself Is tho the base for torpedo craft but it is apparent front tile tho official re port that the fighting took place much nearer the Gerin nii mainland than helgeland Hel goland this is more remarkable because Hel la is the center of a chain of fortified tilled islands that are sup posed to make tho the waters inside the chain impregnable to attack by such a largo abarge force as sir david beatty took with vilh him |