THE NORTH SEA BATTLE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 58, 11 March 1915, Page 5

THE NORTH SEA BATTLE.

ADMIRAL BEATTYS VICTORY

H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND PROMINENT.

THE CREAT GERMAN DISASTER.

(New Zealand Times')

English papers just to hand have full accounts of the recent naval battle in the North Sea, and are full of praise for the part played by H.M.S New Zealand, the Dreadnought presented to the Home authorities by the people of this Dominion through Sir Joseph Ward, at that time Prime .Minister. The "Evening Standard'

publishes a photograph of H.M.S. New Zealand, while the "Evening News" reproduces a picture showing i the big guns of the battleship, and the "Star" shows a remarkable photograph of H.M.S. New Zealand and H.M.S. Princess Royal steaming at full speed and cleared for action. In the course of a leading article, headed "Very Creditable," the "Evening Standard" says: "This victory has also done good service in ridding the North Sea of that very formidable cruiser the Blucher. The loss of this 15,000 ton vessel is far away the severest single loss Germany has yet had to face, the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau being some 4000 tons smaller. And not only was she a heavy ship, but a fine fighter . A very successful ship in all respects she practically stood in a class by herself. Another interesting detail was the part taken in the engagement by the warship presented by New Zealand to the Mother Country. This ship also did good service off Heligoland, and her second experience will add to the gratification of our generous brothers over the seas."

THE NEW ZEALAND SMASHES THE BLUCHER. ■ Tn the course of a graphic description of the.-battle the "Daily Mail" states inter alia that tbe Blucher was left to the care of H.M.S. New Zealand, and the article goes on to say: "Shells screamed across the skies. Nearly always those from the British guns found their billet; tbose from the German guns fell short or wide. Ever nearer crept the British fleet. Now the Derfflinger was on fire and now the Moltke, and as for the Blucher, she was already little better than a mass of battered steel. Shells from the New Zealand made of her a sorry wreck. Her decks were crushed and torn, her funnels gone, her guns dismantled, while one shot from a 13.5, a passing attack from the Tiger, struck her fore turret, and, like a peanut under a sledge hammer, it was no more. In the words of an observer, 'lt was pushed right over the side, turret, guns, mountings, men—they all went, leaving a yawning gap in the Blucher's deck.' By now the fleet had raced nearly a hundred miles across the North Sea, and, fearing that be would be headed off, the German Admiral altered his course, exposing the broadsides of his vessels to the English fire. With redoubled fury the Tiger and Princess Royal, the Lion and the New Zealand poured in their fire, and it was at this moment that a German shell, falling vertically, struck the Lion. With the alteration of the German line, Admiral Beatty altered his. The Princess Royal went to the first position, the Tiger remained second, the New Zealand third, while the Lion and the Indomitable brought up the rear. The Blucher was now in a hopeless state, almost awash. She was a doomed ship, but still her colors flew, and with what guns they could they sought ineffectively to reply to the New Zealand. To add to her plight German aircraft from Heligoland—buc whether a fleet of aroplaues or an airship, there is a curious divergence of opinion—mistook the Blucher, according to the story of a German prisoner, for one of the British fleet and dropped bombs on h'er and hastened her end. On every hand tribute is paid to the men. They were as Keen and as cool as if at practice. There was no fuss or scurry at all. Every man knew what to do and did it. A gunner officer has little praise for the shooting of the Germans. They seemed flurried and could not get the range. Some of our ships, the New Zealand and the Indomitable, were not hit at all, and the New Zealand raked the Blucher from stem to stern.'

THE START OF THE FSCHT. Describing the battle, the ".Daily Mail" says:—"Their, suddenly, out of the have must have loomed the huge form of Admiral Beafcty's big flagship.. the Lion, leading the British line and betraying the unwelcome arrival of British battle-cruisers. Behind her, as she came up swiftly, running, perhaps, at 25 knots, would come into view the yet larger bulk of the Tiger, soon to be blooded—for she is a brandnew ship—with, after her again, the Princess Royal, the glorious New Zealand, gift of the most English of all the Dominions, and the Indomitable."

PRESS COMMENTS. The "Daily Mirror" also gives prominence to the part played by H.M.S. New Zealand, and publishes a fine photograph of the Dominion's battleship. Other papers comment on the light as follows: 'The Times" : "We also congratulate the people of New Zealand on the good fortune which has attended their splendid warship on her second apIpearance in action. She was also in the Heligoland battle." The "Daily Telegraph" : "Particularly let us emphasise the New Zealand, I representing one of the great Dominions which the Germans assumed would seize the first opportunity to throw off the British yoke." The "Daily Mail": "It adds to the unbounded satisfaction with which such magnificent news will be received that the Dominion ship New Zealand shared in the victory."