ZEPPELIN SCOUTS.

North Otago Times, Volume CIV, Issue 13656, 26 August 1916, Page 6

ZEPPELIN SCOUTS.

EYES OV THE GERMAN FLEET. ' A corespondent in the Scotsman thus describes the part which the Zoppolius . played in the Jutland naval fight:-" "Over the lighting .ships Zeppelin scouts of the enemy moved continually on the outlook for the main. British forces,' which, doubtless the enemy regarded as certain to appear. It may have been on the guidance of the aerial scouts thai Iho enemy concluded that the Battle-Cruiser Squadron was at that time the only enemy in sight, and was' not merely .screening the British Battle ... Fleet. The enemy, heavily gunned and | armoured, now closed in as mueh'as possible, and the whole might of his hattie fleet was turned on our Battle-Crui-ser Squadron during an action which : lasted fully two hours. As to tiic participation as lighting units of these Zeppelins in the general 1 ' mclce, the Scotsman's correspondent' describes one incident attaching to the • Queen Mary, -which, however, there is good reason to believe has in it the element of romance. He says:— "The Queen Mary wont; down 1 in the thick of! action, There is a story amongst tliciucii who have returned • .which shows that she fought at close range a Gerinau battleship, and whilst j her great guns were busy with a moro powerful ami better-protected enemy, one of the Kaiser's super-Zeppelins was - hovering over .-showering bombs in; au ' attempt to find a vital spot on the beauty ship, of our battle-cruiser squadron. Busy as she was with her heavy gups, the Queen Alary and her gallant crew kept the anti-air craft guns going, The story is that the Zeppelin was shot down, in a blazing mass, and fell close to the ship, exploded, and was destroyed." . Corroboration of the co-operation of the Zeppelins in advising the sea units as to,the danger ahead is found iu the authenticated reports of the skippers of. Dutch trawlers, who made the fol- ■ lowing statement to a special correspondent of the Daily Telegraph:— "Advance squadrons of the German' licet lirst'came into conflict with .the British cruiser squadron, The Gerinau cruisers wuro immediately supported by the biggest battleships, which"were close at hand. The more powerful British ships were too far from the advance squadron to take an immediate part in the lighting. Before they reached the scene the Zeppelins had signalled their approach, and the German ilect'at once broke off the engagement and made for its bases,"