ON THE SEA.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1917, Page 5

ON THE SEA.

i THE JUTLAND BATTLE. SINKING OF THE LUTZOW. A GERMAN SEAMAN'S TALE. WOUNDED SACRIFICED TO SAVE CAPTURE OF SHIP. ACTIVITY AT GERMAN DOCKYARDS. LOSS OF GERMAN SUBMARINES. Australian Cable Association. Received Feb. 18, 5.5 p.m. Amsterdam, Feb. 17. The Tdegraaf publishes a remarkable story related by a German seaman. He won the Iron' Cross at the battle of Jutland, but deserted owing to the bad food. He was aboard the Lutzow, which bad a crew of 1000, whereof 1000 were saved, 500 wounded men being drowned when the Admiral ordered the Lutzow to be sunk in order to prevent the vessel falling into the hands of the English. The German dockyards are now exclusively constructing submarines and large cruisers, but the Xlindenburg and Baden are now completed and will enter active service in March, as will also a new Emden and Karlsruhe. The seaman estimated that Germany has 200 submarines in active service out of a total of 000. Most of the submarines are not expected to return from their cruises. More submarines have been lost than any Germans' dared to admit. The crews have only six weeks' training and many accidents have occurred during the trials.

The Ltuzow was torpedoed at 8 o'clock in the evening, many of the crew being killed and; wounded. The vessel later received four hits from 15-inch shells, her speed being reduced to three miles per hour. A thousand men were taken off by four destroyers.'

At 3 o'clock in the morning, when five English destroyers and two small cruisers were threatening the,Lutzow, one of the rescuing destroyers was sunk. Finally another destroyer torpedoed the Lutzow, which sunk in a few minutes with the wounded, vwho were sacrificed to prevent the enemy from capturing the vessel. The English closed in upon the sinking Lutzow, enabling the three destroyers to reach Wilhelmshaven. Many German ships were severely damaged while proceeding 'homewards, but have sir.ee been repaired.