JUTLAND BATTLE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XL, Issue 9229, 13 February 1920, Page 5

JUTLAND BATTLE

A GERMAN'S ADMISSIONS.

(Per Press Association, Copyright.) (Received February 13, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, February 11.

Commander yon Hase, senior gunnery officer of the Derflinger, has published a book in Berlin detailing the Jutland battle, which, he says, was entirely fortuitous. The High Sea Fleet went to sea to cover a big raid on British shipping, but unexpectedly found the Grand Fleet at sea. The Derflinger concentrated on the Queen Mary. When the range was opened to 19,000 yards the German guns were outranged, but when they closed in the Indefatigable was blown up by the Yon der Tann's fire.

' The writer pays a high tribute to the Queen Mary's . superb gunnery, firing full salvoes at a fabulous speed till she blew up under the Derflinger's salvoes. Then four Queen Elizabeths arrived, and their 15in guns had a tremendous effect. These four at one time engaged the whole German fleet. Twilight found the Germans semicircled by the British, so the battlecruisers and torpedoers were ordered to charge the enemy to cover the retreat of the rest of the fleet. _ The Derflinger, leading the battle-cruisers, met a veritable tornado of fire. Shell after shell crashed into the Derflinger. Flames penetrated the ammunition room. The ca.rtrijge.-j burned only and did not explode, .proving the ship's salvation. Darkness saved the battlecruisers from absolute destruction.

Yon Hase adds: "There was great relief when, next morning, the enemy was not sighted, for with the battered ships, and ammunition almost gone, we could not have fought victoriously. The Derflinger alone had 200 killed.