Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-01-27
SEA BATTLE RACES
OVER MANY MILES
Survivors, Graphic Account of
Sundays Fight Between
British and Germans.
BLUECHER SURVIVOR
SAYS FIRE WAS AWFUL

once lived in the United States.
| The bluejacket said the German fleet
| was advancing at full speed to attack
| the English coast when the British
| warships were sighted. Thereupon the
| Germans turned and made for port.
The Bluecher, which was comparative
ly slow, made desperate efforts to keep
up her maximum speed. but the British
overhauled her and opened fire at a
range of about ten miles.
| "Their Fire Was Awful"
| We were under fire from first to
last" the bluejacket continues "The
British conferred their fire on us. Their
fire was awful. Our guns were put
out of action. our decks were swept
and our gun crews wiped out.
| One terrible shell burst in the heart
of the ship. where many men were
killed. I saw five killed by one shell.
| Il do not know what finished the
Bluecher, as she was full of holes, but
l heard she struck a torpedo. II so
we can thank the torpedo for saving
hundreds OF lives from the murderous
gunfire. When the ship was sinking I
| jumped clear of her into the terribly
| cold water, which was full of dead
and men with shattered limbs. who
were crying for assistance. After be-
ing rescued by the British we were
warmed, fed and clothed"
| The sailor is credited with saving
| that during the raid on Scarborough
the men believed they were taking part
in great naval action which was ex.
tending all over the North sea.
| Battle Was Thrilling.
\ The Scotsman, which is published in
\ hur ale
of the battle as gathered from men en-
| gagged in it. They describe it as one of
the greatest struggles in naval his
tory and thrilling in every respect.
| From the position of the German fleet
\ when it was first encountered, the men
assumed that it is virtually certain it's
| objective was New Castle. The strength
| of the raiding squadron was quickly
| aScertalned. and as the entire raiding
| force sheered off Immediately after it
was discovered the chase was long
one before the guns began their work.
For forty miles the two fleets raced
along over the shortest route for Hell
| go1and before the guns did any real
| damage. Then the lion, which was
leading, overhauled the slow Bluecher,
and, in passing, gave her a broadside,
causing frightful damage The Lion
did not wait, however, but continued in
pursuit of the fleeing Derfflinger, Seid-
| litz and Moltke.
Pour in Broadsides.
The Tiger, which came next, also
poured a broadside into the Biuecher,
as did also the Princess Royal, both of
which were speeding on to join in the
| chase of the others. 1t was already
evident at this time, according to the
newspapers informants. that the Blue
| cher. abandoned by her swifter con-
sorts, was a doomed ship.
The chase already had continued for
| two hours. The light German cruisers
pluckily did their best to cover the
fleeing battle cruisers until the task
was hopeless, when they followed the
example of the big cruisers and de-
| voted their entire powers to getting
away.
The bigger ships were now being
steadily overhauled and pounded by
the British cruisers. The Lion, which
had overhauled and smashed a second
cruiser in the German line, according
to the men interviewed. saw that the
| fight was likely to be prolonged right
| up to the mine fields. The Tiger. Prin-
cess Royal and Indomitable were now
within range of the large vessels, and
the men in the interviews are credited
| with expressing the belief that they
wrought terrible havoc on the German
| battle cruisers. The fire OF the Derf-
1
grew weaker and weaker as the run
| ming fight proceeded.
Derfainger on Fire.
within half an hours run of the
mined area said one of the men, the
| Derfflinger was OH fire. Masses OF
| flames were sweeping her forward
deck, her decks were strewn with
wreckage of the shattered upper works
and when she reached the shelter of
the mines she had no answer to give to
the hail of projectiles which followed
her home.
she must have suffered serious loss
of life
I The third vessel in the line was be-
| lieved to be the Seydlitz. but possibly
| was the Moltke. 1t suffered even worse
| II came under the Lions fire and, be-
sides. received something from the fire
of the Tiger, the Princess Royal and
the Indomitable. She was in a ter
guns were smashed and put out of &C
ton. and there was great execution
| among her crew. She was a silent
| ship. steaming desperately for shelter.
with the whole of her afterdeck
| ablaZe.
Some Seriously Damaged.
Meanwhile the Lion was devoting
| her attention to the struggle between
the light cruisers, using her speed and
| gunpowder with great effect. She
worked in an endeavor to head off the
/ German light cruisers and drive them
down upon the British vessels which
were in hot pursit. 1t was a dificult
| task. Having regard for the large
| number of ships engaged, the Lion did
great damage among them. but they
succeeded in escaping. Some Of them
were seriously damaged. In numerous
| cases guns had been swept from their
| mountings and hulls were battered.
| Many of them will be unit for action
| for a long time to come.
The Biuecher made gallant fight.
but as ship after ship turned its
guns upon her with deadly effect her
doom was sealed from the first. Her
upper works were smashed out of all
recognition and virtually every gun
| was put out of action. Shells had been
/ pOured from all o,1artera dino