VIVID PICTURES OF THE BATTLE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2790, 7 June 1916, Page 5

VIVID PICTURES OF THE BATTLE

OUR GIFT SHIP IN THE THICK OF IT A THRILLING NARRATIVE By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright London, June 5. A naval officer, who was a participant in the great fight, and who lias reached Edinburgh, gives a thrilling narrative, showing the H.H.S. New Zealand's great share in the battle. Tito Lion, the Tiger, the Princess lioyal, the New Zealand, aud the Queen Mary were the principal chips in Admiral Beatty's squadron. The Now Zealand fought throughout Wednesday afternoon, alongside the Lion, jret was practically unscathed. She participated in the search on Thursday before returning to reooril and refit. The sea was dead oalin. Admiral Beatty, steering southeast, had the worst possible position in regard to visibility, the direct sunlight silhouetting the hulls of the vessels on tho sky-line to the enemy. Admiral Beatty, however, followed Admiral Cradock's example at Coronel, and gave the order to engage, and signalled "Take up your battle stations." The Germans were sighted at 3.30, and fighting commenced at 3.50. Admiral Beatty hauled off to manoeuvre for better position, while the Germans, knowing that momentarily they possessed an enormous superiority, did not lose a moment. Tho big ships at ten thousand yards began pounding each other over a screen of destroyers. Shells were soon passing; like a hurricane/ the roar being deafening. Loss of the Queen Mary. Within two minutes misfortune overtook the British. A full salvo from n German Dreadnought struck tho Queen Mary, finding a vulnerable spot. In a cloud of steam and a roar, which rose like thunder, the ship blew up and was engulfed. Commander Sir Charles Blane, who only joined the Queen Mary in April, was killed by the explosion of a shell boforo the vessel sank. His two 1 brothers were killed in France. The loss of tho Queen 'Mary was bad, but .worse was to come. Fifteen minutes later, the Indefatigable sank—Germany's sensational success—at the first salvo, but the marksmanship deteriorated • directly, wo replied. As tho engagement proceeded'the gunlaying was greatly inferior to that of the British. We devote twelve years' training to mako a gunner, the Germans three years'. The fight proved the immeasurable superiority of our rating. Clouds of steam and flying masses of metal told how we were punishing the Germans, but the odds were overwhelming. The German commander sought to press the advantage, and ordered the destroyers to close with our flotilla. They paid dearly for the venture. We completely out. pointed the enemy, wiping out several without sustaining a loss. Fighting at Full Speed. The fiffhting continued while the vessels were. doing twentv-fivo knots. The sight was awesome, shells striking the sea and oxploding as though malting contact with a wall. We saw Britjsh destroyers buckle and disappear, and passed bodies of mangled men. It was impossible to spare a moment to succour the drowning. Four of our battle-cruisors, backed by somo of the third-line ships, were now fighting the whole German High' Sea Fleet, • .taking their toll ship lor ship and manoeuvring for time until Admiral Jelli--003 camo up. Firing astern, the Germans tried to envelop us, but wo avoided the i trap. , At 8.15 the Grand Fleet was «een' on 1 the horizon, and tho Germans began to I scamper for home. Admiral Jellicoo j pursued the Germans, who were scattering in different directions, and sent up vast curtains of smoke. They had no stomach for fight. Their 15-i'nch guns ivero now firing, not broadsides, but .ever the stern. Our.destroyers kept up the chase throughout tho night, doing great execution among the enemy, who 'was running for Heligoland and the Baltic Sen. Admiral Beatty's ships, including the Neiv Zealand, accompanied Admiral Jollicoe's Fleet in a thorough search of "the battle ground, vainly hoping for tho opportunity for a further blow. ANOTHER GRAPHIC STORY "LIKE FORTY THUNDERSTORMS ROLLED INTO ONE." London, June 5. The "Glasgow Herald" says: "The Battle-cruiser Squadron went to sea headed by the Lion. It steamed at twenty, five knots for nearly sixteen hours. When it met the enemy,' tho Tiger opened fire on the Derfflinger, and sent a shell into one of the latter'a and wiped out the whole gun-crew. The Derfflinger sustained such a hot fire that the Tiger's crew are satisfied that she is not likely to be heard of again. "When the German reinforcements came from tho south, the Warspite got the brunt of the first attack. . She became isolated from her consorts; and got surby half a dozen of the enemy ships. She made a brilliant fight against impossible odds, and disposed of moro than one of them. Then slio cleverly manoeuvred herself out of the fight." How the Queen Mary Sank. "The fight between tho battle-cruiscrs," says an eye-witness, "was like forty thunderstorms rolled into one. It was hell. A great shell punched through the Queen Mary's outer thinner armour, and -the magazine exploded. She buckled up and sank like a stone in a smother ol smoke and flame. I£ was a terrifying and awe-inspiring spectacle. A story is told that & super-Zeppelin hovered over, the vessel, showering bombs, but the Queen Mary's anti-aircraft guns shot down the Zeppelin. In a blazing mass it fell closo to tho ship, exploded, and was destroyed. Meanwhile the Queen Mary reoeived two terrific broadsides, but it is believed her opponent was afterwards sunk. "The Indefatigable went next. German shells with poisonous gas exploded, and ] ..filled tho ships with fumes, and caused havoc among the crews. Tho annihilating ( blasts from the 12-inch guns shook, tho vessels like a tornado, and-wiped away men like flies. ( "Tho Lion and Tigor, manoeuvring marvellously, kept their heads to the enemy. , Then tho Invincible, Inflexible, and Indomitable appeared on tho scene, and , with them came the armoured cruisers of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron, who put up a great fight against heavy odd?:, but a torpedo sent the Invincible to the bottom: Enter tho Big Ships. "When the Grand Fleet eame on tho sceno the Grnrans made , for the shortest \ road home, with the whole might of the | British Fleet after them. Largo fleets of t Dutch fishing craft did good work in life- j saving. The Lion was where the fight f was hottest, though at ono time such a ( volume of firo was concentrated on the s Tiger a* few vessels have ever received and survived. Tho Tiger for ten minutes was under firo from, over a score of ships. Our light cruisers proved their superiority over the enemy's cruisers. "It is believed that tho battle-cruiser llindenburg succumbed to a destroyor at. 1 tack. The attack by tho destroyers was i one of the most stirring spectacles of the < struggle. The vessel believed to be tho Hindenburg was struck in quick succes- 1 sion by four torpedoes, and was literally i blown to pieces." • i RETURN OF TiIvARRIOR'S CREW HEROES OF THE HOTTEST FIGHT. (Rec. June G, 5.5 p.m.) . London, June G. Tho Warrior's crew has arrived at Chatham, wliero they had an enthusias- | tic reception. The Warrior's exploits as j the decoy cruiser of the Grand Fleet are | on every lip, and are destined long to live in naval aunals. She was only seventeen minutes in action, yet sho had sixty-six killed and forty-three injured. She first engaged two cruisers, and at one time was lighting six adversaries, includ- 0 ing four battleships, though part of her t crew at that time were detailed to ex- < tinguish a serious fire amidships. 6 The Defence, which was accompanying : the Warrior, was fifteen miles ahead of *

the battleships when she sighted tho Germans, and immediately opened fire. A German Dreadnought c|iiickly sank the Defence. The enemy's Zeppelins signalled: "Grand Fleet still far away"; and tho Germans hurriedly attempted to surround the Warrior, but her captain, by brilliant seamanship, zig-zagged through. His vessel was desperately injured, but kept afloat, in action, and actually sank ■ffio Elbling and a destroyer, and severely damaged another cruiser, -which was on fire before Sir John Jellicoe's leading super-Dreadnoughts hove in sight, tho Warspito leading. The enemy immediately turned tail. The shell-crippl?d Warrior's engines and decks were a mass of twisted iron aud steel, but the men were still standing to their guns. The Jingadine took her in tow, but it becnine necessary to abandon her. Her captain was the last to leavf. . The Warrior's chief petty officer, Daly, had both legs blown off r but shouted enthusiastically :■ "Give it 'em!" The drew of the Marlborough relate that at one time six Zeppelins were over the fleet, and their reconnoitring greatly helped the Germans. The Zeppelins also bombed the British seamen who . were struggling in the water. (Hoc. June 6, 10.25 p.m.) London, June 5. The Warrior's survivors relate that Leading-Stoker Allen, after the fires had been drawn, pluckily ran back and turned off the main steam pipe, averting an explosion, which would have wrecked the ship. They reported that the British light cruisers destroyed a squadron of German torpedo boats near Heligoland. OUR AMAZING DESTROYERS DARE-DEVIL DASH AND BRAVERY. (Rec. June 6, 10.25 p.nji.) London, June 5. Our destroyers were amazing.! They wero bound to suffer, considering the risks thoy look. When ordered to attack, they dashed off at thirty knots, raced within thirty yards of the biggest ships and discharged their torpedoes. One of-the most gallant was the. Onslaught, commanded by Captain Perry Hughes-Onslow, one of the most popular mou in the service. Single-handed, to attacked> and sank . a battleship. An hour later, coming out of the action, the Onslaught was hit by two shells, a fragment from one of which struck Captain Onslow in the stomach. After being bandaged, he said: "I think I will go to sleep now," and died. THROUGH INFERNO HOW THE GALLANT LITTLE SHARK ■ FOUGHT. ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) (Rec. June 8, 5.20 p.m.) London, June 5. The "TirnesV correspondent: at I-orts-mouth sends a graphic story by a survivor of the ShaM. "Right ahead of us we saw two columns o£ German destroyers. The skipper took us at full speed towards the enemy, and we attacked at closer range, managing to torpedo two of the enemy's destroyers. But we got it hot". We had been engaged for ten minutes when two torpedoes struck us, and fairly ripped us open. With three holes in iier tlie Shark sank immediately. Somo of us got on a raft and stayed there for five hours, watching tho battle and the Zeppelins. The torpedo craft, submarines, and big sh.ijps were all packed together,' and the shells fell like nail, badly damaging tho small craft. "Tlie enemy's losses in destroyers must have been very great.- I saw several sink like stones. I saw a number of Gorman submarines very busy. . Many of them were dono in by our ships running over them." THE DEFENCE IN ACTION "ONE MINUTE SHE WAS THERE, AND THE NEXT SHE WAS GONE!" ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) (Rec. June '6, 5.20 p.m.) / London, June 5. The '"i'iines's" correspondent at North Shields reports:—"Two big destroyers, lashed together, limped into port, badly knocked about, their funnels .gone, and jagged rents exposing their ribs. It was a miraculous tiling that they, reached the harbour. Thousands .of dockei'3 gave them a rousing welcome. There were' seventeen wounded on'board. One boy's legs had been blown off. They stated that tho Defence was the first ship to engage. 'We watched her enter the action with a wonderful dash, and >fhcn she suddenly burst into smoke and steam. When the cloud cleaved there was no sign of wreckage—only the foaming wake. Te could not say whether she was torpedoed or shelled. Wo only knew that one minute the Defence was there, and tne next minute she was gone.'" TOLD BY FRAUENLOB'S SURVIVORS ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) (Rec. Juno 6, 5.20 p.m.) ; London, June 5. In the "Echo de Paris" appears a story by tho, survivors of the Erauenlob. They graphically describe thg beginning of the fight:—"A large German fleet met a smMl British squadron which, although outnumbered and out-gunned, fougfit doggedly whilo awaiting' the Grand Fleet's arrival. The latter's appearance terminated'the engagement, the Germans fleeing.. A British destroyer torpedoed the Frauenlob, which • sank in three minutes. A total of 350, of the crew were drowned, and twenty were saved. Several illeu of wounds." ' One survivor stated that the entire German fleet was out, the Frauenlob and other light cruisers acting as outposts. BATTLE INCIDENTS GALLANT LITTLE SPITFIRE ■ y FIGHTING IN PITCH DARKNESS By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright London; June 5. The destroyer Spitfire did a thrilling piece of work, torpedoing and blowing up big battleships in pitch darkness. Sho then rammed and sank a submarine. Somo of the enemy's vessels were chased 200 inile«.~ The Porpoise fought actively and sustained one casualty. A SEARCHLIGHT TRICK TO BLIND THE BRITISH GUNNERS. London, June 5. The "Daily Telegraph" ' states that lvounded sailors arriving at Shields ieport that the Germans on Wednesday night used searchlights to blind tho British gnnners. The lights revolver! rapidly. p (lashing glare alternating with intense darkness.' ;The Germans in some instances thus evaded our fire and escaped. THE WELCOME HOME London. June 5. Vessels returning to the East Coa-t bases were welcomed with groat ejithtisi-. asm. The wounded men were loudly cheered. One ship passed under the fire or fourteen of the enemy ships. The commander was wounded, but stuck to his post I until his vessel was docked. HOW THE LOWER DECK HAS SUFFERED THE TOLL OP A MODERN BATTLE. London, June 5. Official—No men are reported to have been from the Tndefatiagble. Defence, Black Prince, Tipperary, Turbulent, Nomad, aud Nestor. THE GERMAN LOSSES. Copenhagen, Juno 5. Scandinavian steamers rescued numbers of sailors from tho Wiesbaden, who state that their losses wero colossal. Only a few were .saved from each 6hip. Each ehip had a number of small rafts, on which many took refuge. After being thirty-six hours without food or drink, ,

nost of the men drank the sea water, jecame insane, and jumped into the sea. THE SEA GIVES UP ITS DEAD. Copenhagen, June 5. Numerous British and Gei'K3Ji bodies ire being washed up on the west coast )f Jutland. ARBUTHNOT'S HEROIC TRIO (liec. June G, 10.20 p.m.) .London, June 5. v Nothing could have been finer than the is'ay iu which Admiral Sir Eobert Arbuthnofc went in with the old armoured cruisers Defcncc, Warrior, and Black Prince, and attacked, unsupported, the whole of tho German fleets and kept them at .uay for a long time, doing tremendous damage. * INTERMENT OF OUR HERGES (Rec. .Tune 6, 10.55 p.m.) . . London, June 5. Forty naval men were buried -io aa East Coast town to-day. It was an impressive scene. SKIPS BLOWN CLEAN OUT OF THE WATER' (Rec. June G, 10.55 p.m.) London, June 5. Some of the enemy's ..light ships-were blown right out of the water, by'our. snetts. One could see bits of masts, mechanism, and men's bodies' hurled high in the air. Tiio wnter was soon thick with debris and bodies. TWO AUSTRALIAN OFFICERS LOST - (Rec. Juno 6, >10.15 p.m.) Melbourne, June 6. The officers who were lost on board tho warship Defence include iwo Australians, Sub-Lieutenants Patterson and Mack, who entered tho British Nary to train for subsequent service in the Australian Nayy. * PRESS AND PUBLIC OPINION THEREALTEST GERMANS COULD NOT FIGHT TO A FINISH By Telegraph—Press Association— OopyriuM London, June 5. The "Times," in a leader, says:—"YV& have suffered our heaviest blow at sea during the war, but the Germans circulated a grossly misleading version. They assert, untruly, .that they opposed tie main part of the English fighting fleet, whereas they took good care not to let the Fleet approach. It was while endeavouring to hold the German fleet until , our Fleet arrived that our cruisers wero destroyed. The loss of trained seamen is deplorable, but tho result cannot materially affect the naval situation, aiid will not impair the blockade or our efficiency and ability to uphold the freedom of the seas." ' The "Morning Post" says:—"Our main forces and battle-cruisers went to meet the Germans. The battle-cruisers, being faster, arrived first, in hazy weather, and ran into the German fleet. They are light armoured, and not built to face battleships, and were severely punished, in fact, our advance guard engaged tha enemy main guard. The result could not be otherwise than serious for,. the lighter vessels. It is certain that both sides have many, wouuds to lick, but tha great thing is that the Germans, could not stand up to the main action. That is the real test. .They were driven to port after losing heavily in an engagement with, our Main Fleet. Let us keep that iw our minds, and wo will not be too much downcast." The "Daily Mail," in a leader, says:—\ "Wo have not been informed how far our lack of airships contributed to our loss. 'I'ho British Admirals worked under, a tremendous handicap, because they did not know the enemy's movements, "while | lie knew theirs. Our safety at sea may be bound up with tho solution of the air' problem." | NAVY LEAGUE'S VERDICT | (Rec. June 6, 6.35 p.m.) I London, June 5. The Navy League, after considering information available, states in unqualified terms that the final result is an. undoubted British victory, and warmly congratulates Sir John ■ Jellicoe and Sir David Beatty. Tho Fleet's unsurpassed courage aiid skill raised the standard of the whole Fleet to the highest level of the Nelson • tradition. Our superiority ,iJ greater than before. WHAT THE ENEMY IS SAYING FRANTIC DEMAND FOE VON TIEI'm. I The Hague, June 5. German Conservatives and National Liberals are unitedly and determinedly striving to secure the recall of Admiral j.von. Tirpitz. The Conservative ExecuI tive Committee enthusiastically passed a resolution in favour of the revival of von 1 ' Tirpitz's unrestricted submarine | The Diet addressed its wannest con-; gratulations to von Tirpitz, although, officially he no longer commands the "German Nnvy. Von Tirpitz's name was received ill' the Diet with a wild outb"ur|t of cheering. KAISER STILL BUSY WITH TELEGRAMS (Rec. June G." 11.40 p.m.) Amsterdam, June 5. The Kaiser 6ent messages to Admiral von Tirpitz and Admiral voA Koester eulogising the work which had made the fleet "this living war instrument that stood so brilliantly its trial of 4>«." GERMAN FLEET STILL "IN GAOL" (Rec. June 6, 11.40 p.m.) New York, June 5._ The consensus of newspaper opinioa is. that tho German Navy is still a naTy in gaol, which assaults its gaoler now and then, but remains in gaol nevertheless. RUSSIA'S ADMIRATION (Rec. June 6,'11.40 p.m.) Petrograd, Jane 6. The Russian Council of Empire has passed a resolution sympathising with the King and the.British people overtheir painful losses, and expressing admiration for British valour. , THE ONLY STRATEGICAL RESULT™" A 1 SCHOOL HOLIDAY" (Rec. June 6, 11.40' p.m.) Paris, June G. M. Clemcuceau, in "L'Homme en Chuiue," says: "Germany's only strategical result of the naval battle was a day'i holiday for German school children."