SENSATIONAL REVELATIONS.

Marlborough Express, Volume LII, Issue 286, 21 November 1918, Page 5

SENSATIONAL REVELATIONS.

THE SKAGER RACK BATTLE.

ENORMOUS GERMAN LOSSES

Australian and N.Z. 'TJable Association (Received !Nov. 21, 9.45 a.m.) COPENHAGEN, Nov. 20. Captain Persius, in the Tageblatt, makes sensational revelations- "Only the misty weather and yon Scheer's good leadership saved the whole fleet from destruction at the Skager Rack, otherwise, tlie British 'long-range guns would have smashed up the lighter German ships. As it was the German losses Avere enormous. By the beginning of 1917 twentythree battleships were disarmed, owing to the scarcity <of metal, and by the beginning of 1918 only Dreadnoughts and 'battle-cruisers remained. The rest were destroyed and the metal taken. Eighty-three submarines were constructed in 1917, of which sixty-six were destroyed. In 'October, 1917, Germany had I<l6 submarines. In June, 1018, she had 113, but only about 12 per cent, were actively engaged. Thirty per cent, of the submarines were in 'harbor, 38 per cent, were repairing, and 20 per cent, were incapacitated. The crews were insufficiently trained,- and it was very difficult to .get;men in the last months, the seamen regarding "the submarine as political stupidity. "When the navy was ordered out for a second Skager Rack, a mutiny broke out. If the seamen had obeyed, innumerable lives would have been lost."