Tuesday's official report from Petrograd announced an important naval action
in the Baltic, in which a German fleet of nine battleships, twelve cruisers, and many destroyers were beaten off at the entrance to the Gulf of Riga. Three German ships—a cruiser and two destroyers—were reported to have been disabled by the Russian mines, but there was no loss on the Russian side. Subsequent German reports minimize the action as a reconnaissance made for the purpose of ascertain- ing the position of the Russian mines, and only admit the loss of two small mine-sweepers, but the strength of the squadron employed indicates a serious attempt to cut off the Russian base at Riga and land troops to reinforce the left wing of the army invading the Baltic provinces. Details of the action are not yet available, but it appears that the Russian torpedo flotilla was effectively supported by seaplanes. According to a German official communique issued early on Thursday morning, the Russian ships lying in the archipelago near the Schaeren Islands were attacked on Tuesday and forced to withdraw, while German cruisers drove off Russian torpedo-boats near the entrance to the Gulf of Riga and successfully evaded repeated attacks by submarines.
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