THE STRUGGLE AT SEA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8674, 14 July 1906, Page 1

THE STRUGGLE AT SEA.

Battleship Encounter Opens. But th© German Admiral had anticipated the British move, end as the two fleets closed replied with, a daring and hazardous blow. His irregular line dissolved onoe more into its elements as the flashes came from every, heavy gun that would bear in his i twenty-two battleships. The Germans, as they drew abreiast of the British Fleet steaming on an opposite course, broke Into three columns in three lines ahead, one of which steered straight for the British rear, one for, the centre^ and one for the van. The Vanguard and the other three large battleships with Lord Ebbfleet had increased specd 1 and moved ahead of their original station till their broadsides bore, and they practically prolonged the British line. They circled at full battle speed of nineteen knots to pass across th© German rear. ; Sheltering under the lee of the German battleships several destroyers or tor-pedo-boats could be discerned, and there were other destroyer or torpedo boat divisions away to the north-east, moving gently apart and aloof from the battle out at sea. The fire on either side had now become intense and accurate; the ranee varied from minute to minute, but it constantly fell. The tumult was indescribable. The German third division of , six Kaisers passed round; the rear of the main British division, executing the T/ but receiving serious injury in the process. A stunning succession of blows rained upo^ the Glasgow, the sternmest battleship in. the British line, and her excessively thin belt was pierced by three German 9. 4 in shells, one of which burst with dreadful effect inside the citadel, denting th© armoured deck, driving bolts and splinters down into the boiler and engine-rooms, and for some inetanrts t rendering the ship uncontrollable. f A great fire- broke out where the shell had burst. Almost at the same instant the Glasgow's fose-barbetto put two shells in succession home just above the upper level of the Zahringen'a armour-belt, amidships, and one of the shells, bursting, wrecked and brought down the German battleship's after-funnel, besides putting two of her Schultz boilers out of action. The Zahringen took fire, but the flames were quickly gob under; she carried no wood and nothing inflammable. Dense clouds of smoke from funnels, from bursting shells, from burning ships, begjan to settle over the water, and the air was acrid with the taint of burnt cordite and nitrous fumes from the German powder. In the twilight of # smoke the dim forms of monster ships marched and countermarched, , afflow with tpA flamo I