JUTLAND BATTLE

Hokitika Guardian, 8 January 1926, Page 2

JUTLAND BATTLE

BRITISH NAVY DEFENDED.

(.Australia & N.Z. Cable Association.]

LONDON'. Jan. G.

Admiral Reginald Bacon replies to Admiral Lambert in the “Daily Express.” He declares that he has no hesitation in saying that, any suggestion that the German fleet- was not sunk at the Battle of Jutland because Britain’s ships, guns, engines and torpedoes were inferior to the enemy's was utterly untrue. The only ships oi anv size that Britain lost at Jutland were battle cruisers and one armoured cruiser. Had nil the battle cruisers been lost, as the outcome of the battle, lie says the Battle Fleet action would not have been affected. The speed of Britain’s best dreadnoughts was slightly' superior to tho best oi those of Germany. The British Fleet did not catch the Germans because they only, sighted them at six in the evening. giving the British three hours of daylight. If Lord Jcllicoo had licen mad enough to chase the Germans, when they turned and ran, then the stronger German ships would have been barely visible, and the weaker ships would have been three to six thousand yards outside the visible distance when darkness came. No possible excess of speed would have enabled Lord Jcllitoc to catch up and sink tho German Fleet in three hours. The British guns were as accurate, or more accurate, than the German guns, and the system of fire control was admittedly far superior, but only twice did any portion of the German battle fleet come under the fire of Britain’s main battle ships. That was between six and six thirty, when Admiral V on School* had a taste of British gunnery, then ho ran away. Later he came uniter fire, his leading ships were badly mauled for another ten or twelve minutes. Again he ran like a hare, but a shortage of daylight robbed the British of victory.

Admiral Bacon continues: “As the German ships had been built for North Sea work, and ours for world wide service, flic Germans could afford much more weight of armour.” Admiral Bacon con'-hulcs by counselling the public to use common sense and to trust in the Admiralty designing •staff, which is, he says, the envy of all nations. They were not traitors or careless. He urges tho public to trust them and to laugh at scaremongers.