BATTLE OF NORTH BERWICK.

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

BATTLE OF NORTH BERWICK.

Triumphant Afossags to Berlin. The four Dreadnoughts passed round the* first German division, containing the four battleships of the Sachsen class, interchanging with them a terrific fire at about 5000 yds. Each side mad© , many hits, and some damage was done to unarmoured portions or the huge hulls. An llin shell struck the Thunderer's centre 12in barbette and jammed it for a few minutes; the Vanguard, at the head of the British division, received a concentrated fire, seven llin shells striking her , forward of her centre barbette. Several of her armour plates were cracked, her port anchor gear was shot away, and her fore-funnel much shattered. Her whole structure vibrated under the terrific blows. Splinters swept her fore-bridge, and a hail of small projectiles from the German 40-pounder guns beat upon her oonning-tower, rendering control of the battle exceedingly difficult. The noise a-nd concussion were terrible; the, blast of the great 12in guns, when they fired ahead; shook the occupants of the lower, and extreme cau- j tion was needed to avoid serious injury. Lord Ebbfleet triumphantly achieved 'the manoeuvre of "crossing the T," or passing across the* head or the German line and raking it, with, all hid ehipa against the Germane, though the enormous bow-fir© of the Sacheen served her well at this But the German Admiral diminished the effectiveness of the manoeuvre by turning away a little, and then { when the danger had' passed, resuming his original course. The second German division rapidly come up on the port beam of the British mam division, its head ships receiving a fearful fire from 1 the British line. • Closing upon the first German division, it formed up astern of it into one long line, and attacked the British rear. Thus the Germans had surrounded the British ten battleships under Sir Loujs Parker, and had conoentrated agaiftsrfc them twenty-two battleships. The fire, of this great host of German ships told heavily upon- the weak armour of the Defiance and Valiant classes. The Sachsene at about 4000 yards put shot after shot from their llin gun into the hull of the Glasgow, the last- ship in the British line, and clouds of smoke and tongues of flame leapt up from her. She was now steaming slowly and in evident distress. The four Dreadnoughts had worked to the north, of the Germans, maintaining with them a long-x % ange>' action, and firing with great effect. But, seeing tie German oxme&ntration. against the

other division of hie fleet,. Lord Ebb fleet turned and stood , towards it while at the same time Admiral Parke began .to turn in succession, and mov< to meet the Dreadnoughts. As him Unturned, the rearward ships receive* further injuries. .■* - Outside the 'armour the structure o many ships on both sides was. fast be ing reduced to a tangle of shatters beams and twisted and rent plating Most of the smaller guns, were out o action, though the 6in guns in the case mates of th« British ships were stil for the most part intact. The. Sultan'i 7.5's were firing with great effect while the Captain, which headed tin British main division, had resisted thi battering superbly, and inflicted grea 1 injury on the Preueaen ;by her fire At moments/ hoiywer, her guns weti (blanketed by the ships behind her from the fact that the. German columni were well' astern, ft was to bring hii guns to bear as well sis to rejoin Hit joommander-in-ohief that the Britisl Vice- Admiral altered cofitee and steamed south- westward. The Germans now practised a mas teHy etroke. Their third division 'of eix-Kaisen headed direct for the van of the Brit ish line, closing rapidly upon a general ly opposite course. -At the same trm< their other two divisions steered to prevent the British ships /fpom making i counter-march and avoiding the charge which was now imminent. Lord Ebbfleet sa-iv the danger, anc increased speed, closing on. the Kaisers well astern of them, and plying then: with a terrific fire from the three 12ir turrets which bore ahead in his flagship. Smoke and sparks flew upwards from the'Friedrich 111., the laeVebil in the division. Her afterrturret wa« out of action; her after-military maei fell amidst a rain of splinters; hei stern sank slightly in the water. At the same time the Kaisers began to catch the full fire of the other British, division, and they were doubled upon. The Head, of their line was^~ being raked by Sir Louis Parker; the Captain put shell after shell into the bows of the Wilhelm II. ; her 9.2's and 12in guns played with a, steady stream of projectiles upon the German battleship until, at 2000 yards, the Wilhelm'e upper works appeared to be dissolving in smoke; and flame as before some irresistible acid. . The bows of the German battleship sank a little, but she turned, brought her broadside to bear, and the five ships behind her did the same. The range was short"; the position favourable for torpedoes?; and the sir *Germans fired, first their bow 'tubes as they came round, and then turioe in quick succession their two broadside tubes at the British line. , The thirty torpedoes sped through the sea ; the British replied with two broadside tubes in each ship, as those tubes bore. ' There was amidst all the din and turmoil and shooting flame* distinct pause in the battle as the crews of both fleets, or all' those, who could see what was happening, Tvatohed spellbound the issue of t|iis attack and eotmter-at-tack. They had not long to wait. One of the huge German torpedoes caught the Excellent right astern and wrecked her rudder and propellers.. Another struck the Sultan almost amidships, in* aiotingJttpftii Jjecdierrible injury^sb thafc she listed" heavily. The wilhelm 11, \rae etriuck by a British torpedo right on her bows, and as she was already low in the water, began to fill and sink/. • The scene at this point was cfae of appalling horror. One battleship, the Wilhelm 11., was sinking fast, with none to rescue her crew ; the- men were rushing up on deck ; the fire from her ■ grans had ceased ; she lay on the sea <a shattered wreck, riddled with shell and smoking with the fires which still burnt fiercely amidst the debris of her upper works. Not far from her lay the Excellent, completely disabled, but still firing. Near the, Excellent again, moving very slowly, and clearly in a sinking condition, but still maintaining gallantly the battle, was the Glasgow, in a dense cloud of emoke caused by the bursting shells- from the gums of sixteen enemies and the blazing fires on. board. Making off to the south to beach herself was the Sultan, in lamentable plight, with a heavy list. It was 8.40 a.m.. or little more than an hour since the joining of battle, and' the German Admiral at this moment signalled that victory tfas hie. The news was sent by wireless telegraphy to the German cruisers out -at sea, and by them transmitted to Emden and Berlin. '?At eleven that morning newspapers were selling in the streets of the German oapital with the , news that the British Fleet was beaten,.and that Britain had lost the command of the sea. Five British battleships, it was added, in the brief wireless message, had been already sunk or put out of action.