THE TRUTH ABOUT THE NAVAL BATTLE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2789, 6 June 1916, Page 5

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE NAVAL BATTLE

EVIDENCE AND VERDICT AN UNDOUBTED BRITISH VICTORY • By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright t The latest facts, published by courtesy of the Admiralty, JdUcoes and Admiral Beatty's reports are far from complete, but put an utterly different complexion. 011 the Germiu account of the fight, and remove the cheerless impression which was caused by the first British communique! 'l'he reason for this dismal announcement was that until AdmiralJeuicoe reached port on Friday all that was known was that .portion of 'the British fleet met the whole German fleet and drove it back to port. Even then only the barest particulars were Available : - ww. they were published in the evening, throwing a gloom over England, unequalled in the memory of living irfan. The Admiralty hastened to publish the moro sneering news contained in the second communique the moment it was received. The Outstanding Facts of the Battle.. The outstanding facts are: — N There were 110 surprises. * The : mythical German-17-inch guns failed to materialise. Hie loss, of life whs-very heavy. Zeppelins were conspicuous by their absence.., Gunnery causpd greater material loss than torpedoes. lhe y ®JW l geinent was fought at a distance of between 10,000 and 12,000 We battle occurred in four phases, beginning with the evenlv-matehwl battleKiruiservthen a fight between "light cruisers, endin" ?n to' e ". a PPJ a r»n c s of German baltleships, 'followed by the approach' of *]>«' battlwsruiscrs began at 3 o'clock 011 Wednesday , " atetS , S II,PS at **** iB the —•* -d ' Admiral Beatty Outmanoeuvres the- Enemy. / '"li-o 110 . 4 Fjf shot. 5 Al^returnelrsafeS 6 °' hOrS Pr< l«««r didnot® fii^siiS • suLXfL h r S< \ f r ly ' K^pito inipSn^^nrit^Tfum^rtofateUelh' l "t B«n-flre. qi.tekl, St uVknmnK AeTOplanCS '"Nvhat Sit- 7 witTSs^ ADMIRALTY'S ANNOUNCEMENT— "RESULTS ARB QUITE PLAIN" LATEST ESTIMATE OF THE ENEMY'S LOSSES. (Hec. June 5, 8.20 p.m.) In Full Rigb!. "VVhen the main body of the Britisli fleet came ill contact with Hip ftm-mmc „ rrfnw'in'fP 6 ™ 8 ?% c ? *° compel the latter, who were sevcrelr punished to seek re « n their• protected waters. This manoeuvre was rendered possible b? Tow risibility, due to mist, and although our Grand Fleet Aids imw and then nbleZ ,et"Ko n lo||, cntarv contact with their opponents, 110 continuous action was posf«H wl"le our destroyers the main scene, andmonred'thfsea*'and vesek.'ByVTh',irs° dav oi emng there was nothing more to bo done, and Sir John Jeliicoe's shins returned to their bases, four hundred miles away. Re-fuelled, the fleet was ready for sea-on the evening of June 2. 0 The Enemy's Losses—And Ours. < 1 I'", 1 ! 18 to add to the British losses, which have already been ftillv stated, the enemy s accounts of the losses are fake. From sue!, evidence as has come to our knowledge, there is no doubt that the German losses were heavier than Hie British, not merely 111 relation to tlio strength of the fleets, but absolutely. There seems to be tho strongest ground for supposing that the Germans lost two battleships, two of their most powerful Dreadnought cruisers, the light cruisers Wiesbaden and Elbling, a light cruiser of the IJostock type, the light cruiser Fr a lien lob, at least nine destroyers, and one submarine"