BATTLE OF JUTLAND.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 October 1921, Page 4

BATTLE OF JUTLAND.

VALUABLE FILM VERSION. NAVAL ACTION RECONSTRUCTED. LONDON. Sept. (i. There are vast numbers of |>eople unversed in naval strategy, who have never really been able to understand Imw the German Fleet, alter Jutland, managed to get home, despite the tact that, it had been so skilfully outmanoeuvred by Admirals Jclliooe ami Realty. Such need be no longer puzzled. for llie Jutland Rattle has been womlroiislv filmed, and the man in the street will -realise how the enemy creation of a dense smoke-screen and tin' oncoming of darkness piovhv ! them with an eleventh-hour loophole when their doom looked like being complete : and they .had, too. the protection ol their minefields. The film version, which is a. bird’s eye view ol the engagement in till its stages, seems to make clear much that was before in doubt, and for all time the question should be answered its to who won Jutland.

It. is a Rritish production, and the hi rue audience invited by the Idea! Films Company to a private view a few days ago included the cleverest naval experts, some ol whom were tn the battle. Among those who followe I with rapt attention every movement ol the ships were Admirals Fir 11. It. Jackson. Sir R. (.'instance, and Jcrram. ami Captain J. K. T. Harper. The film was made under the di ed supervision ol Ma.ior-Cenornl Fir C. Aston. LA It., the well-known writer and lecturer on naval and military history, a Inrmor professot ill the Royal Naval Collect'. Creenwieh, am! the Stall Collette, t iiltilierlcy.

Three years ago Sir George set htmself to work to study every available source of information likely u> he helpful in this exaetinj; unde' taking. No step wtts omitted to ensure the most complete accuracy, lie had both the R.rilish and the German records at his disposal, and from those be worked out t rack charts of both fleets, checking them bv the ranges given in the gunnery oliicors' lo.us. It was neeessaty to net everything perfectly aeeurtite. and nearly two years were spent on the task. Another year passed in transferline the results mi tn a mile ol celluloid film. The object ol the ptodmtts uns to represent what actually happened at Jutland, taking no account ol what, might have happened had conditions been dill’cient.

The ships, all small models accurately i mis| i tieted to settle, wete placed oil a lioutd Sft square. repteseilting the Not lit Sea, and photographed from a 'eight cf about H 1 feet. The rc-nlt -'own on the screen, is milch as it wll u lil appeal to a spectator tn an aetnplane at a (■unsiderahle height. Uvct l. ! the iess. I ■ 'win.', moved l"f----\a nl an eight It m a -ix t: cut it of an inch between each. This involved, it is said, something like J.OOII.nIKt sepnia t e movements, and- the eolnpletion ol 1 1 • ■ lilm ie(|tii,ed all hut supei lium.'in nat iellre. The Rritish Fh el models are in lilack, the Cernmns are in white, and it is easy always tu follow t’e tuo v. i, 1.. at contusion, and the hi in 'wording is vi r\ expltt mil in y. Rut- int er--I-cil nitll the progress 111 the in miniature me some magnificent pir- ; : ... of the hat;lesliip , ploughing their nay through the sea at great spied, and tiling as they travel, while the 1. 11111 : 1 u element is eMpha sisted by line jiorflaiis of some of ihe early naval hint acts met it 111 ' l ' e dm : i net ton. FI LL OF Til I! I I.LS. The whole depiction is veil real and interest is terse, for by an ingenious ai i a iigctimnl the tend 1 ships lire their g,l. s. make sea..-Ill; signals, be. ..me v. i. allied in smoke, blow tip, or aie en- ■. ~io|„.<l in It; an,! in!,. Tim 1 rack-

(lip tol'fiediies filed front the ileslroy- *• i > may he traied. hit oi miss, and in the night action •' do-1 • net ion .r' '■ ■■■ German ships by mine and toipedo m shown in realistic In-hinn. Hi course ■ i has in he understood that movement', aie mure inpid as pietuied than tin'.' ran lie in reality.

Tl»' tilni o|>oils with :i see no 1,1 iI ' Ninth Soil showing mi iino side lho F.ast (‘ii.i-l ni Fngland, and nn lho ntlioi lho opposite insist. Tin- li:ii luilirs V, Ill'll' till' Ill'll s Wore SlllfllllK'll it TV pointed mil. si ml lho oninlit inns thnt |,i'ov;iilo(l ill tin' Nni'tli Son on tile night ui ,M;iy .Tilth, I'.Hll. ate illustrated. Tho I ni; t o .illicit School' iII t dll 101 l 111 lake mi ;i jiiiil ho proposed In iiniho mi inerelinnt -llippillg in till’ SliilOOlTilk is shown. lIS iirc lho locutions nt the suhniarines. Zeppelins. ami miiioliolils which hail loon jilncoil in pnsiltnit h\ tin* (icriiliins to protect thcllisolves against tho i ii"inv. The sit iiiitinii is i Inis made ."Icin' :u the time when the British Admiralty. having received tvni'il ol Silvers iti l i'll l tolls, iil'doi'od tho 111 ilisli I'Teot In swoop the Ninth Sen. When Beatty and llip)ior not "i t hill inline each nlhor the engagement of t!ie l wo Mpiadi'niis is shown in detail. The ships innve on ihoii respective coin sos, tlashos are omitted from them a- they conic into notion, and they ho--11,1110 wren till'd ill sniolio. Shi|>s blow

up and disappear, until at last the main (lei man Fleet appeal s from the suitth-oast. Beatty then turns nn his t racks and lures School mi to tho (i I and I' loot which was rapidly approaching from the north. IN hktikh.mknt. The iil l n then follows the squadrons in their rush not i liwards until the {:i:■ iit Fleet np|M*ars nod deploys into lino, ahead of tho Columns. forcing lli,.in in rot rent. Finding iho tango incrensinjr. dolliooc inannouvros to oloso the range, and his inovoiiion!s mystil.v School, who returns In the attack, only ill ho completely oiil-manoonvred and again foreed to retreat, covered hy a smoke-screen, .lellieoe has. now nut lielweeii the enemy and the land, and slu'i-s smith tu ciil him nil' irmn ! :s ! a so. Beatty being oleai ol the sinnkesrieen. again sights the Cmmans •■<!- i|c:i vouring in make lor home, and, en.oegiiig them in the gathering nlnmii. ana in turns them oil' the westward and ’away from their hasc. Me asks that, the van of the Mrand Meet may follow him. and one sees the manoeuvres hy which .lellieoe turned westward. lint hy this time night is falling. Germans are Inst to sight in tl„. Catherine darkness and mist. Some scenes that folio . are vividly denieted. Spell as the torpedoing dtuiti.V lho night of the Cot man battleship Pomniern, and the Ostfiieshmd strik-

ing a British lnine. As the dawn breaks the British Fleet is seen steaming over the North Sea looking in vain for the enemy, who bad wisely “retired” to the protection of bis minefields, leaving the Rritish free to move troops and merchant shipping across tile high seas. Undoubtedly its educative value is very gieat. The actual work of production is due to Mr If. Bruce Woolfe, of the Rritish Instructional Films.

The lilm rights have already been sold for it number mf foreign countries, including the United States, Fin nee, Belgium, Holland, and Switzerland. Apart from the tribute this implies to its excellence, it m ans that the doubts which exist throughout the world as to what really lmpitenod in the North Sea on May Jl, 11)1(1—doubts which have been sedulously fostered by Gernianv— will be for ever set at rest. AVI lAT THE IRON DUKE DID NOT GET.

At. a subsequent gathering, Sir 0. Ashton admitted that the bun bad brought a lump to bis throat. The work of photographing the mo dels bad been very laborious, lie said, blit seeing the completed picture to llie accompaniment of rousing music, lie eon tossed that lie bad been quite carried away. The most dramatic moment of the Onttie, be pointed out, . us at dawn on the fol lon wig day. when Rritish .lestrovers sighted nine battered rimman ships, every one of whose guns was out of action. A wireless message was at once sent, hut Sir Outgo lias now ascertained that only one cruiser picked it up. and the captain, thinking that the Iron Duke 'Admiral Jellicoe's flagship) had also received the message, did not forward it. and it wis thus that, tlie enemy got away. He said that historically the film was absolutelv true, and would confirm throughout history the glorious spirit of the British Navy, which did not fail it at the Rattle of Jutland.

Sir I’ercy Scott said lie lee! often expressed the opinion flint no n.tvill officer. except, perhaps, font tin Harper, would ovet know anythino ahnllt the Hattie of Jutland until it was filmed. The fact tliiit i'. was connected with the name ol Sir Coorge Ashton was sttflici lit guarantee of its trothfnlness. It uas arranged very cleverly, and nobody's feelings could lie hu t. Certainly none of the admirals cr tld complain. It laid, liowcier, left out one little thine, which l.c would not have laiodcd tin* feelintts ol tin* Admiralty fieiurt hurt ahout at till, tml that "tis the recall of the llnnwih destroyer flotilla, which would ha'" pul a very diflcient complexion on the hat lie the next nun nine. If the Harwich fleet laid come out at lull speed, :ml fully supplied with torpedoes, it would have hern a very diffeieltt story. A t nice : • Id mu have pot to us in time.”