A FINAL HANDSHAKE.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 August 1916, Page 3

A FINAL HANDSHAKE.

riGEfi GOES INTO ACTION Gunner R. ,T. Waller, of the Royal Marine Artillery, who was on boanl the Tiner in tlie North Sea. battle, tells the following thrilling story of the tight:— Hefore we had completed clearing our decks throe salvoes of shells came our way with about two minutes' interval between each. The biggest shell we received was a l'iiu. All wo could sec at this time was the flash of the enemy's gun*. Roughly, the German ships were then lj miles away. A fourth salvo also passed ovei u 5 , and dropped into the s L . a about 200 yards on our starhoard side. We were ah this time in line in the following order: The Lion (flagship of Admiral Beatty). Princess lloyal, Queen IMarv. Tiger, Jnviiicihlo, Indefatigable. Inflexible,' and Indomitable. We were running about IS knots at the time. The Tiger started to return fire after the Germans had turned a fourth salvo on us. A thine, which I had never seen done on board' ships then took place. The men all shook bands with each other, recognising for the moment the small chance that stood between them and death. About three minutes after the third salvo from the enemy a message came down the voice lube, •'Queen JJary down." We heard it but bad no time to think about it. Then came a second message that bucked us up: "One German ship sunk, three making for port in sinking condition; two afire.'' We claim to have sent the nerffllinger to the bottom and to have badly damaged the Lutzow. One officer saw the Derfflinger sink. We could see the I.utzow in flames from our .boat deck. She had an awful list to port. We could also see with the naked eye a cruiser of the Emden class sinking amidships, her stern and bow standing in the air. The crew were climbing up file stern and jumping over the side on a big' raft.