THE JUTLAND BATTLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 August 1916, Page 6

THE JUTLAND BATTLE.

INCIDENTS OF THE GREAT BATTU.. A GRAPHIC NARRATIVE. | The Duncdin .Star publishes some graphic extracts from a letter written from Home to a Dimedin resident. Dealing with tJic Jutland fight the writer says:— "We had a young officer here, yesterday, and to hear him d' :jribc the battle and show how Jellicoe came steaming down just in tlie nick of time with his great fleet makes one thrill every time one thinks of it. Sir -lohn deployed his ships magnificently and brought them in on each side of those who were in the thick of the fighting, and simply poured shell on the enemy. Tn twenty minutes they had had enough, and cleverly hid themselves by sending a line of destroyers throwing out big smoke clouds, in this manner they were able to get away, though our ships followed them up, even then getting in shots that told to the very last minute. ''Magnificent deeds have been done. I must tcil you one of them. Admiral Sir Robert Arbutbnot, who had the cruisers Defence, Black Prince and Warrior under him, saw our battle-cruisers getting the concentrated fire of the enemy's battleships, and knowing they were more valuable vessels than his, which are of an older class, lie deliberately steamed in front of them to draw the enemy's fire, knowing it must be almost certain death. While performing this manoeuvre be signalled to his other two ships: 'So sorry to lead you into such a tight corner.' It makes one 30 proud, but, oh! so sad, too. His sliips, of course, were, lost, though, fortunately, tiie Warrior's crew were saved. They say, too, that Admiral Hood brought his s.hips into action most beautifully, ex- ■ actly as if they were executing a man- [ ceuvrc on parade. "You can imagine our feelings \vhcn : we first heard the news that n. battle was in progress. We spent the next day in the garden watching and getting bits of news. Then about four o'clock we saw distant masses, and the War- , spite came steaming in slowly under the ' bridge, her whole ship's company on deck, cheering as they passed under it. And well they might! She was badly knocked about, of course, but all her guns were intact. She came the whole 1 of that long 300 miles on her own steam, • notwithstanding her injuries. She suf- ' fered so much because six enemy ships ' concentrated on her, the rudder jammed ■ and she went round and round for a time, doing her best to get shots into the enemy, and they fighting at ber with all their power. How she escaped is a marvel. However she did. They got her rudder right and she was able to steam home. fto wonder the crew cheered. The casualties on board were only four > killed and twenty wounded. The officers and crow laugh about their exppriences, and say the Germans think she [ must have been trying some wonderful . new manoeuvre. The officers are absol- | ntely delighted with the spirit of the . men. They behaved grandly, they say, , so keen' and quiet and full of the truf [ spirit of the sailors. They are ver. f keen to 'get at 'em again,'"

A TAIUNAKI BOY'S EXPERIENCE. The*e are not many local men aboard the vessels of the British Fleet. It is, therefore, very interesting to read what one of them, Sheldon Anthony, son (of Mr. and Mrs. F. C. Anthony, of Whnkamara, has to say of the great wival victory. He was on 11.M.5. Opal. Writing on June 3 to his mother, he says:— "I expect the action will be stale news to you when you get this, but you will be pleased to know that we went right through it without anytliing worse than a flying splinter. We went into action at G p.m., and 1 can tell you it was pretty warm for an hour or so. There were salvos from the enemy's big guns dropping in lines all round us. One British cruiser, just in front of us, blew up in a sheet of flame as high as l.er masts. It was a terrible sight to see her, and grand to see our big ships plugging away. We helped to finish off one German 'that dropped behind, with a shell in her engine-room, I expect; but we were mostly employed in screening the Dreadnoughts, and were for, lhat p'irpose steaming along the inside of our line between both fleets. We kept it up nearly all thenight, and had some thrilling experiences when it got dark. One minute the whole ocean was lit up by searchlights enough to blind us; then—-bang-bang-baug, and the next second it was'as black as the aee of spades. We got mixed up with the German fleet in the dark and would very likely have never got away only they -.mist have mistaken us for their own ship until we found our mistake out first. You can bet we nipped with their compliments' all round us. There were ships blowing up all about at different times, so they must have lost a terrible lot before they skedaddled. They had their light cruisers sowing mines, and finally we drove them into their own minefields, so I don't think that paid them much. Anyhow, they put up a good fight, and sonic of their'ships that were disabled went down spitting hate to the bitter end. -'One shell that hit the water close to u s "fricochetted and flew over our bridge, humming 15 to the dozen. It looked like a 12-inch, so we were just as pleased that it flew high. All we want now is another chance, so that we can wipe the rest of them up. It is a pity we didn't get there a s soon as Admiral Beatty, as he had to fight a very unequal action until wc arrived."