THE JUTLAND BATTLE

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXX, Issue LXXX, 14 February 1920, Page 5

THE JUTLAND BATTLE

GERMAN OFFICER'S STORY. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT (Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.) LON-DON, Feb. 11. Commander yon Hase, senior g\f&~ nery officer of ;the Derfflinger, has jpufelished a book ift Berlin detailing the Jutland battle., which was entirely fortuitous. The High Sea Fleet weaii to sea to cover a, big raid on British shipping, and expected to find the 'Grand Fleet at sea,. The Derfflmger concentrated on the Queen Mary, When the range was opened at 19,000 yards the German guns were outranged, but when they closed in the Indefatigable was blown up by the yon <3er Tann's fire. The writer pays a high tribute [to the Queen Mary's superb gunnery, firing full salvoes at a /fafoulous speed till she blew up under the Derfflinger' s salvoes. Then four Queen Elizabeths arrived. Their 15-inch guns had a. tremendous effect. These four at on© 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 Derfflinger leading the battle. The cruisers met a veritable tornado df fire. Shell alter shell crashed into ths Derfflinger. The flames penetrated the ammtmition room; the cartridges only burned, and did not explode, proving the -ship's salvation. Darkness saved the battlecruiser from absolute destruction. Yon Hase adds:: "There was great relief when next- morning the enemy were not sighted, for with battered ships and ammunition almost gone we could not have fought victoriously. The Derfflinger alone had 20©skilled."