OUTSTANDING FEATURES OF THE BATTLE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXX, Issue 14581, 5 June 1916, Page 5

OUTSTANDING FEATURES OF THE BATTLE.

(Received Monday, at 9 a.m.) LONDON, Sunday

The latest facts obtained from the Admiralty concerning the battle : show that Admirals Jellicoe's and Beattie's reports are far from complete, but they put an entirely 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 _ elliecoe reached port on Friday afternoon all that was known was that a portion of the British Fleet had met the whole German fleet and had driven them to port. Even then only the barest particulars were available, and published in the evening, throwing a gloom over England unequalled in the memory of living man. '■ The Admiralty hastened to publish the more cheering news which was jsontained in the second communique the moment it was received. The outstanding facts are: — There were no surprises. The mythical German 17-inch guns failed to materialise. The loss of life was very heavy. 1 • Zeppelins were conspicuous by their absence. Gunnery caused greater material loss than torpedoes. *&L engagement was fought at a distance of between 10,000 and li jya^p. • The battle occurred in four phases, beginning with evenly matched ' oatUe-cruisers, then a fight between light cruisers, ending in the sudden appearance of the German battleships, followed by the approach of the ' British battleships, the hasty retreat of the Germans, and finally the German destroyer attack. ~,11 The fighting between the battle cruisers began at three 0 clock on • [Wednesday afternoon. The battleships finished at nine o'clock in the cv- ' cning, but the destroyer attack continued later.

Asked whether the British fleet were looking for fight, or whether, the meeting was accidental, the Admiralty replied: "Whenever the fleet is out it is always looking for fight." '•'__' _M * ««+ The Admiralty add: "Whatever the German enterprise was, it did not ' come off. We drove the whole of them' to port. We waited on the spot and searched everywhere until Thursday, but there were no signs of them, and we returned home leisurely. We only wish they would emerge tomorrow under similar conditions." Admiral Jellicoe, in a message to the Admiralty, says: My on© regret is that tho misty weather on Wednesday saved the enemy from far more serious punishment."