BATTLE OF JUTLAND.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16984, 5 November 1920, Page 7

BATTLE OF JUTLAND.

4 BEATTY'S FAMOUS SIGNAL. (By Cable—Press Association—Copyright.) (United Service.) LONDON, November 3. Tlie "Evening News'' publishes the text of Lord Beatty's famous, and allegedly suppressed, signal to Lord Jcllicoe at the Ijattlo of Jutland. It reads: "Follow me We've got them colcj!" OUTLINE OF OFFICIAL HISTORY. (FROM OTO CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, September 23. The official account of the battle of Jutland, which has been prepared by Captnin J. E. T. Harper, a former pupil of Christ's College, Christchurch, is in print and ready for publication. "Why it has not been issued to the public is an unexplained mystery," says the "Daily Mail.", "An appendix prints the signals exchanged. In that appendix appears Earl Beatty's appeal for support in crushing the Gorman fleet, about 7.15 p.m. of the day of battle: and alfo, what ha 3 not hitherto been known, the reply to that signal 'in the affirmative.' It was made some 15 minutes later, but by then the favourable moment had passed. Lord Beatty's signal was to the effect, 'If you follow me we can annihilate the enemy." "The diagrams showing the movements —of which there are several — prove that about the time of the signal the Germans turned sharply away from the British Fleet towards the west and steamed west for some ten miles. They were then in great disorder, in two or three bodies, and a prompt attack by the immensely powerful British Fleet would havo certainly produced great results. "That it would have had risks is certain, but the risks would have been to the Germans. Of their battle-cruisers the Derfflinger had stopped about this time, with her torpedo net hanging over her port screw and 3400 tons of water in the ship. The Lutzow was in extremis, badly on fire, with a heavy list. From the Reydlitz flames were rising 'high as a house,' as a German officer says, and her bow was so deep in the water that her escape would have been impossible. The Moltko was too badly injured to keep station, and the Von der Tann, the only battle-cruisor left in fighting had been badly hit. ■ "It was at this noint of the battlo that Lord Jellicoe ~ with the British battle-fleet, turned away from the Germans to avoid a torpedo attack, and never Recovered contact."