GREAT NAVAL BATTLE.

Lake County Press, Issue 2635, 8 June 1916, Page 5

GREAT NAVAL BATTLE.

♦ Clash with High Seas Fleet. The British Loss Heavy. London, June 2. On the afternoon and night of Wednesday a naval engagement took place off the coast of Jutland. The German fleet was out in great strength, and was immediately engaged by ViceAdmiral Beatty, Sir John French joining in later. The Germans fled towards Heligoland. In the battle the British lost the QUEEN MARY, battle cruiser, 190927.000 tons, eight 13.Sin guns, 1000 complement. INDEFATIGABLE, battle cruiser, 1911, 18,750 tons, eight 12in guns, 1000 complement. INVINCIBLE, battle cruiser, 1909, 17,250 tons, eight 12in guns, 1000 complement. DEFENCE, armored cruiser, 1909, 14.000 tons, four 9.2 m guns, 1000 complement. BLACK PRINCE, armored cruiser, 1906, 13,550 tons, six 9 2in guns, 1000 complement. And other smaller vessels. Official: No British battleships or light cruisers were sunk. The German losses were serious. At least one battle cruiser was destroyed and one severely damaged. One battleship is reported to have been sunk by our destroyers. During a night attack two cruisers were disabled, and probably sunk. The exact number of enemy destroyers disposed of during the action cannot be ascertained with any certainty, but it must have been large. German Official Account. Berlin, June 2. Official: A daring enterprise directed towards the north was undertaken by our High Seas fleet on Wednesday. It met a considerably superior main portion of the British battle fldet in the j course of the afternoon, between the Skagar Rock and Horns Reef. A number of severe and, for us, successful engagements developed and continued all night. For the present it has been ascertained that we destroyed the great J battleship Warspite, the battle cruisers Queen Mary and Indefatigable, two armoured cruisers of the Achilles class, 1 one small cruiser, a new destroyer, and * others named the Turbulent, Nestor, and Alcaster. 1 According to trustworthy evidence a 1 great number of British battleships suffered great damage from our vessels’ 1 artillery and the attacks of our torpedoboat flotillas during the day and night. The statements of prisoners confirm 1 this. ] Among other enemy losses, one of I our torpedoers hit tbe great battleship . Marlborough. Our vessels picked up portion of the ' crews of the sunken British vessels, ineluding two sole survivors of the ' Indefatigable. On our side, during the day of battle, the enemy’s artillery sank the small cruiser Weisbaden, and during the night the Pemmern was torpedoed. I Our High Seas fleet returned to our 1 harbors during the course of Friday. I Sip John Jelliooe’s Report. | The German Losses. ' London, June. I Sir John Jellicoe reportslt is now possible to form a closer estimate of the losses and damage sustained by the enemy fleet We lost eight destroyers. Tbe O. naans lost a Dread- 1 nought battleship of the Kaiser class, ! blown up by our destroyers. It is be- 1 lieved that another Dreadnought of the * Kaiser class was sunk by gun fire. Of the three battle cruisers engaged, in- ] eluding the Lutz w and Drflinger. one was blown up and another was disabled, causing her to stop. The third was seriously damaged. A German light cruiser and six destroyers were sunk, and at least two light, cruisers < were disabled. A German submarine e as rammed and sunk Repeated hits were observed. Three other German hastleships were engaged The Enemy's Return. Copenhagen, June 3. The greater part of the German fleet returned, but the stragglers • were severely damaged. Ten destroyers passed the Little Belt going very slowly. Six of them were severely damaged. The Kaiser was to inspect the fleet at Wiibelmshaven on Saturday. How the Battle Cruisers Fared. London, June 3. The Morning Post’s naval critic j point* out that the weather was thick, j and tlm range of vision not more than \ six miles, and that, therefore,' the | action was fought at short range, and i the main and secondary armaments I

- were used. As the German battleships , mount the most powerful secondary f armaments, the British ships were ex- • posed to a tremendous fire. Three ■ British battle cruisers were sunk. i These were not designed for a close , fighting line of buttle, but for fighting at high speed and long range, in which they were extraordinarily successful at the Falkland ls.ands. Despite its losses, the British fleet remained on the sea victorious. Later News.

London, June 1. The latest facts made available regarding the North Sea battle by courtesy of the Admiralty show that Admiral Sir John Jellicoe's (commander of the Grand Fleet) and ViceAdmiral Sir David Beatty's reports are far from complete but put an utterly different complexion on the German account and remove the cheerless impression caused by the first British communique. The reason for this dismal announcement was that until Admiral Sir John Jellicoe reached port on Friday afternoon all that was known was that portion of the British Fleet met fchi whole German Fleet and drove it to port. Even then only the barest particulars were available and were published in the evening, throwing a gloom over England that was unequalled in the memory of living man. The Admiralty hastened to publish more cheering news contained in the Becond communique the moment it was received. Looking: Fop a Fight. Asked whether the fleet was looking for a fight or whether the meeting was accidental, the Admiralty replied, " Whenever the fleet is out it is always looking for a fight," adding «' Whatever the German enterprise was, it did not come off. We drove the whole of them to port, waited on the spot and searched everywhere until Thursday, but there were no signs of the enemy, and we returned home leisurely. We only wish they would emerge tomorrow under similar conditions." German Losses Outnumber British. The Admiralty announces that the German losses were heavier thau the British, both relatively and absolutely. There are reasons for believing that the Germans lost two battleships, her dreadnought cruisers, four light cruisers, nine destroyers and one submarine. The British officers lost were 320 killed and 30 wounded. Admiral Lord Beresford calls the battle a triumphant victory for the British. Russian, French, and American experts agree. Brilliant Manoeuvring 1 . Vice-Admiral Sir David Beatty, commanding the first battle cruiser squadrom in the North Sea, by brilliant manoeuvring got between the Germans and their base. This was the time when the mist favored the Germans, for out of the mist suddenly appeared the "German battleships, compelling Vice-Admiral Beatty to turn off. The range of vision was not more than five miies. The Admiralty officials emphasise that Vice-Admiral Beatty put up a magnificent fight against tremendous odds It was here that the Queen Mary and the Indefatigable received their death wounds, but not before making the Germans pay dearly for their success. Vice-Admiral Sir David Beatty says: " Rear-Admiral Hon. Horace Hood (aboard the Invinoible) led the division into action with the most inspiring gallantry. While the fight was hottest Admiral Sir John Jellicoe with his bulldogs arrived, and a change came over the scene. The Germans scurried home with Admiral Jellicoe in hot pursuit." No Disaster—But a British Vietory. A distinguished admiral, in an interview said: " This is the most brilliant naval action of the war. ViceAdmiral Beatty, with 14 capital ships, taking on 27 of the enemy and driving them back to port. There has been no disaster, but it has been a victory."