HOW THE FOE BOLTED.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 June 1916, Page 4

HOW THE FOE BOLTED.

DETAILED ACCOUNT OF NAVAL BATTLE? EIGHT FOUGHT 19 GERMANS. (Delayed cable). London, June 8. Mr. Arthur Pollen, the well-known naval expert, writing in Land and Water, says:—

"Rear-Admiral Sir David Beatty's fleet was about 100 miles off the North Sea coast of Denmark at 2.16 on Wednesday afternoon.

' Further south, and still more distant from the coast, were Rear-Admiral EvanThomas's four Dreadnought battleships of the Queen Elizabeth Hype, the War. spite, Valiant, Barlinm, aiid Malaya. "When Admiral Hipper's cruisers were encountered they were steering a northwesterly course, and Admiral von Seheer, with the main German fleet, wag 60 miles to the southward of Hipper, and 50 miles off Horn's Reef.

"Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, Rear-Ad-miral Hood, and RcnrAdmiral Sir Robert Arbuthnot were 75 miles north of Rear-Admiral Bcntty, who was steering south-easterly with four Dreadnought battle-cruisers of the Lion type, the Indefatigable and the New Zealand, and light cruisers and destroyers.

GERMAN ADVANCE FLEET. "Admiral • Hipper's advance squadron comprised the Dreadnought battle cruisers Lutzow, Moltke. and SevdKtz, either the battle cruiser Von rter Tann or the new Hindenburg, more probably the latter. Admiral Beatty sighted these ships, and closed on them at top speed, an(l Hipper turned his course to starboard. Beatty chased them astern, and opened fire at 18,000 yards, the four Queen Elizabeth class warships being left behind.

"The visibility at this time was very poor. Beatty overhauled the foe rapidly, and in 10 minutes the engagement was general. The Indefatigable Mew up, and 20 minutes later the Queen Mary went, and a German eruiser as well. Then Hipper changed course again to a due southward line.

"The German dreadnought fleet was seen coming up at 4.45. "Once more Hipper turned and took his station at the head of the German line with three vessels of the Koonig dreadnought battleship class and five of the Kaiser dreadnought battleship clan. UNEQUAL FORCES FIGHT. "Meanwhile Read-Admiral EvanThomas came up, when Beatty turned and steered parallel with and' slightly ahead of the enemy. Thomas fell in behind, and engaged the Oerman battlecruisers and leading battleships. Tb« action, between unequal forces, lasted for an hour and a quarter. The British ships were faster nnd their guns heavier than those of the Germans, though eicht British ships were opposing in of the enemy's. It was Beatty's duty to draw the foe northwards and there seel: a decisive action. I

"The first Grand Fleet reinforcements put in an appearance at G o'clock, and Beatty. who was now well ahead, turned, with the object of forcing hack the .enemv.

"Admiral Hood opened *x n-, ;* e leading German vessels and immediately lost the Invincible.

"At this stage Admiral Jellieoo. wns deploying his force. Beatty tore off in an easterly direction, and Thomas took his station.

"The Germans, in fenr of the Grind Fleet, sent forward light cruiser,) and destroyers to hammer the British. ArIriithnot dashed forward and en me under the fire of the main German "fleet. The cruiser Defence and the cruiser Black Prince were at once sunk, and the cruiser Warrior disabled.