Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-02-16
EYE WITNESS TELLS
STORY OF SEA FIGHT
German Description Of Battle in
Which Bluecher Sunk is Given
in Great Detail
INSIST BRITISH LOST SHIP

publication Of a series Of "eye wit
ness" articles on naval affairs, writ
ten by Otto Won Gottberg. a we'll
known author. OF the battle Of jan
nary "a, in which the German cruiser
Bluecher was sunk, Won Colt berg,
writing from interviews with par
Elephants, mostly officers, says the
German squadron was made UP OF
the first-class cruisers Bluecher,
SeydlitE, Derfflinger and Moltke. the
smaller cruisers Kolberg. Stralsund,
Graudenz and Rostock, OF which the
last two we're not engaged In the
actual fighting, and Of torpedo craft.
The Kolberg was the first TO sight the
enemy, small British cruiser accom-
panied by destroyers. The remainder Of
the British fleet was still below the
horizon. The Kolberg Immediately opened
fire. After several minutes the British
ship opened with one OF lie forward guns
and then began an artillery duel between
the two small cruisers. The Kolberg
noted that several OF It's shells made good
hits The Koiberg received two British
run and the other from l02-centimeter
C4-inch gum. Neither shot did much ma
terial damage, but three men we're killed
ana two wounded.
british Fleet sighted.
The KoIberg steamed ahead and was
planning 20 close with the enemy. How
ever, its sister cruiser. the stralsund,
steaming further 20 the right and long
distance ahead OF the squadron, had
sighted the main body Of the British fleet
coming up and signaled to the admiral
ON board the seydlitz. Eight large hos
Tile ships sighted on the starboard bow
The flagship thereupou signaled com
ynand which swung the great German
cruisers around and closed the umbrella
screen OF destroyers. The fleet now
headed southeast. The British ships again
had dropped out OF sight and did not ap-
pear until some time later. when the pl'ot
OF the Moitke called attention to iive ow
ships on the starboard quarter that 49, 10
the westward on the opposite side from
those sen before.
shell Surprises Them.
'sThe commander and the pilot writes
Won Gottberg, were stu etunyine
through their glasses the five scarcely
visible shadows ON the gray waves when
a big shell struck the water 600 YARDS
away, throwing up n high pillar OF
water. The enemy had unmasked HIM
self. Either five hitherto unreported DIG
ships had been lurking undiscovered DO
hind our ships OF else five OF the eight
previously sighted had made VIDE
circle completely around our squadron,
.arhe German ships Immediately ans
In nrsfo
20 bring more guns into action, first the
enemy. then the German squadron took
the familiar echelon formation. like n
fiieht OF steps and steamed along
twenty-two kilometres thirteen miles an
hour) each ship trying by constant turn
tng TO bring as many guns as possible
10 bear. The British concentrated their
fire on our rearmost ship, the Bluecher,
and shortly landed a eevere hit over the
engine room This forced the Bluecher
TO drop back slowly even before Il holsted
fts signal after q second shot reached
the engine room, all engines useless"
BIueeheF On Fire.
'arhe Blnecher was a mass cf Flames
from forebridge 10 stern. the pillar OF fire
above II towering TO the sky.
''Forty-five minutes later the quarter
Tho seydlIts OF all the ships that returned
was the only one in which the two-hour
bombardment inflicted any real injury.
The British were shooting az very
extreme range in order TO keep out OF
reach Of our middle artillery. That "a
probably the reason for the slight dam.
age done TO the Derfflinger and seydlits
which were each hit squarely. They each
show the mark OF a shell which STRUCK
their aPmor. but 20 weakly tat II has
not even been necessary TO replace the
damage plate.
Little Damage 90 seydlitE.
'-rhe shell which caused the fire. or
the seydllts pierced the foundation OF q
turret and set off some ammunition
causing fire and some loss OF life. within
the turret Otherwise the seydIitE wa,
undamased Its fighting ability wa,
completely restored as soon as the FIR,
had been extinguished.
'@rhe damage 20 the whole squadron Il
fact was SO slight that the admiral al.
not need 10 dock a single ship.
They are All AZ this moment reaGy 4
run out against the enemy. The patching
OF the seydiits' tuuet h being done rap
IDLY and viii take At the most only
few days.
But let us consider the effect of our ar
tinery on the enemy during the two hour
Of combat The second ship In the Britis
Continued on Page Three. Column -Four.
schelon was the first 10 waver under IN
severe fire OF the German guns /
ahsered out Of line and the third shi
closed up. leaving a zap between y an
the fourth ship The lame duck was nc
seen aGain; presumably It was the on
which sank later After q little NOR
fighting the two ships IN the foremol
group 81 English cruisers dropped ahter
or turned about Five shells had struc
them. causing fires
British I'm Confusion.
The British battle line was now IN col
fusion and lie fighting power was broker
This was the reason why its admir-,
broke Off the fight and decided TO Nm
home. He Was nowhere near the 0er1na
mine fields OF submarines. OF which n
British report speaks The fact was an
the British were finished They cou
not follow further. Three Of their BIZ
Best cruisers were out OF action.
As TO the sinking OF the Britt,