Destruction of the Dresden

Famous raider sunk

Brief fight and the white flag

No British casualties

Another of Germany’s commerce raiders has been disposed of by the British fleet and the cruiser Dresden now lies at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

This satisfactory news has caused the greatest satisfaction and it was conveyed in the following announcement from the Admiralty:

‘On March 14 at 9am, His Majesty’s Ship, Glasgow (Captain John Luce) His Majesty’s auxiliary cruiser Orama (Captain John Segrave) and His Majesty’s Ship Kent (Captain John Allen) caught the Dresden near Juan Fernandez Island.

An action ensued and after five minutes fighting the Dresden hauled down her colours and displayed the white flag. She was much damaged and set on fire and after she had been burning for some time her magazine exploded and she sank.

The crew were saved, there were no British casualties and no damage to the ships.’

The Dresden’s record

The Dresden was a sister ship of the Emden, at the outbreak of war she was in Mexican waters where she had been sent last summer to look after German interests during the troubles in Mexico.

Although no complete list is available of the merchant ships she has destroyed since last August she is known to have accounted for several. After operating for some time in the Atlantic she appears to have made for the Pacific late in September.

In his dispatch on the action Vice Admiral Sir Doveton Sturdee stated that the only cruiser with sufficient speed to catch the Dresden was the Glasgow.

For a few months nothing was heard of the Dresden but a few days ago we were unpleasantly reminded of her existence by the sinking of two sailing ships, one British and one French, in the Pacific.

The British ships It was very appropriate that both the Kent and the Glasgow should have been in at the death. The first named was the ship which chased and sank the Nuremberg in the Falklands fight after having surpassed her best previous record by working up to a speed of 25 knots.

This was a remarkable performance in view of the fact that she was launched 14 years ago and was designed for a maximum speed of 23 knots. The Admiralty’s appreciation of her outstanding work was expressed by the announcement that her commanding office, Captain Allen, had been made a C.B.

The Glasgow was a unit of Admiral Cradock’s ill fated squadron and put up a splendidly plucky fight against the German ships. Although repeatedly hit by projectiles she managed to effect her escape. In the Falkands engagement she tackled the Leipzig and sank her. Built at her namesake city in 1909 she’s armed with two six inch and ten four inch guns and two torpedo tubes.

The Orama was commissioned at Tilbury as an auxiliary cruiser in September 1914. She belongs to the Orient Steam Navigation Comp and she can steam at 18 knots.