DER TAG.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 282, 8 June 1917, Page 1 (Supplement)

DER TAG.

A GRAVEYARD UECORD

GERMAN NAVAL LOSSES

A little new light is thrown on the German losses in the Horn Reef battle of a year ago, by an article in the "Neue Zurcher Zeiturig," contributed by a correspondent who was permitted to v.s:t the naval cemetery at Wilhelmshaven. "The graves," he says, "are richly adorned, but carelessly looked after. A black cross on each grave gives the name, grade, ship and date of death of eacii man. On most, of the graves arc visible the figures 31. v. IUI6, which tell their own tale. Some idea of the fierceness of the battle may be gathered by reading the names of the ships upon the gravestones Munchen, Stettin, Nassau, Grosser Kurfurst, Rhcinland, Lutzow, Moltkc, Hamburg, Von dor Tann, Derf. flinger. Kon:g. Two survivors of t.'ie Frauenlob, who left the sinking cruiser on a raft, and died after being rescued, are buried in the cemetery. In fact, almost the whole German battle fleet is represented, because there were victims even on ships which cam? back to harbour undamaged. Two names are lack ng, because not ono survivor ever returned to give news of the Wiesbaden and I'ommern. An English stoker named Dymond, who escaped from the sinking Tipperary, and died later in a German internment camp, is buried at Wilhelmshaven, and ins grave also is adorned with flowers and a black cross."

The riamos of the ships mentioned by the correspondent, are of interest. The Grosser Kurfurst and Konig are superDrcadno:ights, commissioned in 1014. being sister-ships mounting ten lL'-in. guns. The Rheinland and Nassau are Dreadnoughts commissioned in 1910, mounting twelve 11-in. guns. The sinking of the Lutzow was admitted by the German-,. The Derfflinger, Moltko. and Von der Tann are battle-cruisers. The Stettin is a sister-ship to the lo<t Konigsbcrg. The Hamburg and -Munch: n arc s : «ters of the Leipzig, sunk after th;. Falkland* battle. Tt must be remeniliered that tlu ' correspondent is speaking only of men buried m one naval cemetery, and consequently the names ot iwvn'v ships are aVisent from his ttorv. The spyd)itz, for mstnni-c. is R\\ppo<eA to have been very badly battered, and the obvious inference is that her seriously wounded men never reached Wilhelmshaven. The accented report w.v. that she was beached to v:i\-. her from sinking.