M 
August 28, 1915. LAND AND ,W, A T E R , 
THE RUSSIAN VICTORY. 
By A. H. POLLEN. 
!■ accordance with tbe requirements ol the Press Bureao, which does not object to the pubUcaiioa as censored, and talies no 
responsibility for the correctness ol the statements. 
THE RIGA DEFEAT: A BUDGET OF the canal. Zeebrugge is the outlet both of the 
EVENTS. Leopold and Lierre Canals. If the mole and the 
lock gates could be destroyed the utility of the 
ANY things have happened since our canals for the time being would be gone. Tho 
last issue. On Thursday morning, value of a successful bombardment is, then, ex- 
August 19, the White Star liner ceedingly high. 
A rabic, outward bound from Queens- 
town to New York, was torpedoed without AFFAIR OF THE GULF OF RIGA. 
warning, and certain American passengers on 
board were drowned. On the same day, a But the events off the coast of Ireland and in 
British submarine, El3, was stranded off the the Baltic may prove of almost decisive value. Let 
Saltholm Island, in the Sound, a few miles after us take the Baltic case first. As we left the situa- 
passing Copenhagen. She was unable to get off, tion last week, the Germans had made reconnais- 
was found there by Danish destroyers, and her sances at the mouth of the Gulf of Riga and off 
captain courteously informed that if he was not the Alands, and admitted the loss of various craft 
afloat in twenty-hours his vessel and crew would in their effort to test the Dirben Channel mine- 
have to be interned. A German destroyer came fields. On the 16th — that is, last Monday week — • 
early on the scene and watched the proceedings, a German fleet of some force approached the 
Some hours afterwards other German destroyers Gulf again. At first the Russians apparently kept 
came up, and, although El3 was stuck fast and them outside the Gulf, but heavy fog on Tuesday; 
helpless and was in Danish territorial waters, a apparently enabled the Germans to complete their 
torpedo was fired at her and she was brought mine-sweeping, to clear a channel, and to enter, 
under a heavy bombardment from the destroyer's The Russians kept in touch, fighting when they, 
funs. Fourteen petty officers and men were could, but had not sufficient force to bring on a 
illed and wounded, and the attack only ceased general action. On the 19th and 20th the Germans, 
when one of the Danish destroyers steamed across thinking apparently that the Russians had with- 
the line of fire and ordered the Germans off. drawn altogether, sent forward towards Pernau 
From Monday, 16th, until Saturday, the 21st, four craft described in a telegram from Petro- 
an intermittent naval engagement took place in grad as " barques of enormous dimensions." la 
the Gulf of Riga, into the details of which I will it possible that barges were meant? It has for a 
go later. And during this week a British sub- long time been supposed that the German yards 
»narine succeeded in torpedoing and perhaps had constructed large flat-bottomed barges of 
sinking a German battle-cruiser, supposed to be great size, with a view to a descent on the coast 
Moltke — the first modern capital ship to be tor- of England or Courland as circumstances might 
pedoed; and on Saturday, the 21st. a couple of dictate. But whether barges or barques, these, 
French torpedo-boats encountered a German de- after some reconnaissances, were sent to land 
stroyer off Ostend and sank her. And in the apparently in the neighbourhood of Pernau. The 
early morning of Monday, 23rd, a British squad- attempt was, however, a complete and utter 
ron. stated to be between thirty and forty ships, failure. Whether it was that the shallow water 
appeared off the Belgian coast and bombarded prevented the ships giving proper support to the 
Zeebrugge and the neighbouring factories, canal landing force or that fog supervened, we do 
locks, and submarine depots. not know. But every unit of the proposed 
It has long been a matter of astonishment landing force was destroyed or captured. In 
that the Germans have been left so long in undis- the meantime, on the 20th-21st, the Russian 
turbed possession of this Belgian coast. The last Admiral must have get his forces together and 
bombardment we know of took place in the month have hit upon a suitable plan of campaign, for 
of December. There are, doubtless, good reasons eight German destroyers and two cruisers were 
why such bombardments have not been more fre- sunk or put out of action, an auxiliary cruiser is 
quent. There is no reliable information at the said to have been destroyed, and a submarine 
time of writing as to the damage effected by this driven ashore. And on the 21st, the expedition 
last cannonade. It is mentioned that two sea- having completely failed, the Germans evacuated 
planes, and only two, were employed to assist in the Gulf. 
controlling fire, which presumably was carried The Gulf of Riga, as we saw last week, has 
out from the farthest point out at sea from which only one entrance practicable for ships of a con- 
the ships' giins could reach. It is not likely, siderable draught. This chamael runs approxi- 
therefore, that very fine or accurate marksman- mately centrally through an arm of the sea some 
ship was aimed at. But if the port and canal twenty miles across. The large island of Oesel, 
were subjected to a storm of high explosive big sixty miles long from north-east to south-west, 
shell it is reasonable to hope that very serious and the islands of Mohu, Dago, and certain 
damage must have been done. The objects aimed smaller islets, constitute an archipelago to the 
at were, in all probability, the destruction of the N.N.W. of the Gulf. The situation is therefore 
submarine base which has been established inshore an ideal one for a resolute and successful eraploy- 
on the canal and of the locks and water gates of ment of small cruisers and destroyers, for the 
