ADMIRALTY INTERROGATED BY AMERICAN JOURNALISTS

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

ADMIRALTY INTERROGATED BY AMERICAN JOURNALISTS

POINTED QUESTIONS FKANKLY ANSWERED,

London, June 1. A party of American journalists has asked tlie A'dmiralty what effect the results of tlie action, would have on tho strength of the Navy, and luive received the following reply: "Beyond slightly affecting the strength of the battle-eiuisers, absolutely none. We expect to lose ships, and that is why \te build them. Of course, tho heavy loss of life is deplored, but in modem naval warfare that is inevitable. There was no time to pick up the men."

The Americans said: "The Germans have paid a tribute to British bravery in tlis fight. What do you say of theui?" An Admiralty official replied: "We have no fault to find with tho Germans. We onfy wish they would come out again, and soon." Asked whether tho British Fleet was looking for a fight or whether tho meeting with the enemy was accidental, the Admiralty replied: "Whenever tho fleet is out it is always looking for fight,'' and adding, "Whatever the German enterprise was, it did not come off. AVe drove tho whole of theni to port, and then waited on the spot and Bearched everywhere until Thursday, but there were no signs of them, and we returned Jiom e leisurely. Our only wish is that they should emerge to-morrow under similar conditions." Regarding the German battle-cruiser mentioned as disabled and stopping, it was explained that it was the British duty to continue the chase, and it was hoped "to sink the cripple on her return. "It "was misty at 9 o'clock in tho evening, and our ships on returning (lid not find a trace of tho vessel It is presumed that she sank." Tho Admiralty has informed a neutral journalist that lie would have an early opportunity of seeing the battleships Warspito and Marlborough, and the destroyer Acasta, safe in port. A GERMAN SEMI-OFFICIAL "STATEMENT" (Bee. June 6, 1.10 a.m.) ■ • „ Amsterdam, June 4. A semi-official statement from states: "The Germans pushed forward and engaged a portion of the British Fleet which was reported to have been sighted oft the south coast of Norway. When sighted the British cruisers wore off tho bKager liack. lhcy iled northwards,, pursued by our cruisers. When the more powerful British battleships sighted our main force tlie.v entered tho fight. The enemy at once turned back and attempted to evade our fire." The statement reiterates the assertion that the British had a superiority of ships, but does not explain why the High Sea Fleet failed to pursue tho victory .it claims, THE ENEMY'S LOSSES-ACCORDING TO. BERLIN, (Rec. June 5, 9.15 p.m.) . „ London, June 5. A Berlin message states that there wero no losses except those officially stated. THE WORLD'S VERDICT ON THE BATTLE (Rec. June 5, 9.15 p.m.) 11 give tho verdict on tho battle. Neutral experts declare that the German claim to victory has not been guaranteed. All tho newspapers emphasise the tact that the blockade has not been affected, and that the tiermans remain bottled up. A VIGOROUS REPLY TO ARM-CHAIR CRITICS LORD BE RES FORD ON THE WAY OP THE NAVY. (Rec. June 5, 9.20 p.m.) T , . , , London, June 5. Interviewed by the "Daily Chronicle," Lord Charles Beresford said: "I cannot ■ understand how anybody could regard tho battlo with any feelin* but that of and gratitude. However much we deplore tho loss of our gallant men our' 1 hne officers, and our ships, it. was a triumphant victory. It is our tradition in tho Wavy, never better exemplified. Tho first communique spread the idea of. a reverse, but the following statements were better. The Gorman battle fleet lias been brought to action in the !North Sua, and after a severe and prolonged engagement, driven back to its ports." Lord Beresford declared that it was higtfly important that our Allies, neutrals, and the boys in tho trendies should be properlv informed as to what their comrades in tho Navy had achieved There was. not a mistake of any kind. Lacking Zeppelin scouts, the cruisers were compelled to go a long way a'head of tho Battlo Fleet to get information of .the enemy s- lormations. Die, Germans objective was to moot and defeat tho British Fleet. It'was indeed "The Day," yet on meeting a portion of our Fleet, after a big light, they were forced to retreat t 0 a place where their ships Jiad been immured, for so long. Sir David Beatty, discovering the enemy's strength might have retired to port. That is not tho Navy's way. Sir David Beatty took risks which wero perfectly justified. It was a magnificent thing, not onlv to make our line of communications secure, and pummel tho German fleet but fi«ht and liold It until our Battle lOwt arrived. The thickness of/the weather explains the distance ot the Battle Heot behind the cruisers, which can afford to proceed at full speed through fog where our Battle Fleet would not be"so justified. Experts w,ho say that Sir David Beatty made a technical error in engaging the fleet failed to realise the spirit of the Navy, namely, t 0 attack tho enemy 'whenever found It Is curious-that the arm-chair critics wh 0 for months have been clamouring for the Navy to do sometlung-which it lias 110 , v done and tlhat somo t],ing "very great-should accuse us oi having blundered. The action has utterly smashed the' German plan of campaign in the Baltic. Their ships will bo disabled for some • time, ancl.this as a result will bo of enormous assistance to tho Russians, a»ain proving that success for-ourselves and ou r Allies depends entirely on tho British . Fleet. Ihe Navy repudiates the suggestion for a reconstiiution of the Admiralty, while assisting every way posslb e tho Admiralty's present sound pblicy to leave everything to Sir John Jeilicoe. "STRIKE HARD" JELLICOE'S ONE REGRET London, June 4. Admiral Jeilicoe has sent the following'message to the Admiralty: "My one regret is that the misty weather on Wednesday saved the enemy from far moro serious punishment" CHEERING NEWS IN LATER REPORTS , • "WE FOUGHT TO ACHIEVE A DEFINITE OBJECT." . (Rec. June 5, G. 45 p.m.) London, June 5. In an interview accorded to the American Associated Press, a naval officer, of I high rank declared that further details of the battle had an even more heartening effect than the news which was published This olficer said: "I can only say that we were looking for a fight when the fleet went, out. Tile stories that the fleet was. decoyed' by the Germans are tho sheerest nonsense. In a word, we engaged the entire German High Sea Fleet, interrupted their plans, and drove them back to their "harbours. In. doing this we sustained heavy losses, which we expected, but wo also attained tho expected result of forcing the enemy to abandon his plan and take refuge in his own waters. With the exception of two divisions, of-which part only was partially engaged, the bru.nt of tho tattle was borno by our battle-cruiser fleet, and with one exoeptioiv our battlo licet is again' ready fortsea.service. We had exceptionally hard luck with our battle-cruisers, but tho loss does not cripple our control of the sea. The great battle had four phases—First, when the battle-cruisers at six miles rango joined action with tho German battle-cruisers; shortly afterwards the second phase began, with. the arrival of the battleships from both sides. Tho Germans arrived first, but before their nrrival.our three battle-cruisers were blown up, supposedly as the result of gun-fire, but there is a possibility that they were tor-, pedoed. Such close range fighting by our battle-cruisers miglit be criticised as bad tactics, but the fleet, following the traditions of tile Navy, went out to enga"e tho enemy, and to tho weather conditions could only do so at short range°. "The third phase of the engagement' >vas the battleships, which were 5 never more than partially engaged. That phaso included n running fight, as the German Dreadnoughts fled towards their bases. All the big-ship fisrhting was over I by 9.15 p.m. Then came tho weirdest feature of the battle, as the German destroyers made attack after attack, like infantry following artillery preparations ou our big ships, but these onslaughts were singularly futile. Not a single torpedo got home. With the morning, tho attacks ended; tho battle-ground was scoured by Sir John Jellicoo's fleet, which reported'that not a single "enemy ship was in 6iglit.

"Pending, Sir John Jellicoe's complete report, only fragmentary incidents are available. Among these is the torpedoing of our super-DreadnoiHit Marlborough, which is now safely in harbour. She must have shuck a veritable hornet's nest of submarines, but by skilfully manoeuvring, avoided three before bein" finally lilt. 0 .

According to Admiral Beatty's report of tlio early engagement, a German battle cruiser, after being hotly engaged, Men- up, broke in two, and sank "The Zepeplilis did not play the.jiart attributed to them. The'weather conditions were such that it is very doubtful whether aircraft would have been of much service Ihe enemy did not spring surp nses-no tricks were used that are not already known m naval warfare.

• BATTLE INCIDENTS STORIES BY EYE-WITNESSES A VIVID NARRATIVE (Eec. June 5, 9.20 p.m.) London, June 5, J-lio Scotsman" publishes an eye-wit-ness's narrative:—"We fought what in its way was a great light, although it wasn t a sailors' battle, both the grand and the terrible were present in an almost overwhelming degree. As a spectacle it was inagnificent; awful, how av.'ful it is impossible to say until the fever of the action, surging through every nerve ami fibre of the body hail subsided, until guns were silenced, and the great ships, some battered, others absolutely untouched, lnul ploughed their way home. "I shall never lbrget the thrill that passed through the ships ol' the Grand Fleet when the inspiring message come Ivom the Battle Cruiser Squadron: 'I am engaged with heavy forces of the enemy.' 'l'ho effect was electrical! Eagerness, suppressed excitement, and absolute confidence, could be read in their faces as the men went about their duties, with the vigour born of a new hops, flip great ships swung out in battle order, doing all the speed they knew, ami raced for the enemy's waters. Men at their stood grim nml silent, the great guns pointing menacingly ahead as we drew near the scene of tho action. The keenness of the men was almost unbearably intense, ami it was a blessed relief when our guns gave tongue, and the shipa went into action as if on manoeuvres, while from every yard-arm tho White Ensign flew. In Action. "We tho long lino of German ships some miles away, and fired broadside after broadside. The air was heavy with masses of smoke, black, yellow, and

green, hiding; sometimes friend and sometunes foe. The enemy ships were firing Aery fastj but the shooting was decidedly .erratic. Repeatedly salvos of shells fell , r . short of the mark, followed bj r others winch screamed past high in the air. I witched the iron Duke swing ' through the seas, letting off broadside after broadside, wicked tongues of flume leaping through the clouds of smoke. It was a stunning and stupendous battle, as hun--1 dreds of the heaviest guns in the world i gavo tongue simultaneously, while great massesooft f water roso like water spouts ! mast high. i "Now and then an enemy's shell found its mark. One of the many sad sights ! was that of a destroyer, half a mile away, jtlnch was badly hit. She sent the call: I Am 111 a sinking condition/ but there | "was nono to help. It was impossible to see what was happening to the enemy. 'Occasionally tho wind lifted the-smoke-cloud. At one time I saw two vessels «?« rc * f°^ o;v ~°fficcr remarked •. UIOSO beggars are done for, anyhow/ Wc knew our own losses with some exactness, but even these were uncertain. At one time we thought the L ion wns lost, as slie failed to answer a call. It transpired that lie]' wireless equipment had wen destroyed. Mosnuitoes of the Niaht. "With the dusk came the mosquito craft s opportunity, which both sides used to the full. One of our destroyers daslieu for the enemy's ships, and loosed her torpedo tubes with deadly effect 011 a GennaD battleship. The vessel was sunk, and the destroyer raced to safety. The commander and the officer on the bridge were indulging in congratulations when a shell hit tho bridge, with dreadful effect. It was curious to note the effect fit' the battle 011 tho sea. It was calm at tho beginning, hut the water soon looked as if a galo were blowing, so great was the turmoil caused by tho ploughing of tho leviathan ships. The water also seemed stiff with fish, which iiad been, killed by ,the bursting shells, thousands itoatfjig listlessly everywhere."