Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-05
RESCUED BRITISH SAILORS
TELL VIVID TALES OF FIGHT

LONDON June 5--wounded sailors an,
unwounded survivors who have reache,
England give thrilling accounts of th
action. When the engagement opened, OF
Wednesday afternoon, the ships were II
miles apart, the gunners on both sides firinL
at Invisible targets.
Sailors said the battle was fought in 9
sea calm as a mill pond. with a mist hang
ing low, making firing at the longer ranges
almost impossible
at sounded like 10 thunderstorms rolled
into one" was the description of one. Most
| brlefed II by saying II was hell"
| The night duel between the British battle
| cruiser Invinclble and powerful German
| ship whose identity is uncertain was
worthy Of the traditions of Nelson, says the
Daily Mail.
~rhe two ships fought like bulldogs, all
the guns roaring as fast as they could be
loaded and fired.
within half an hour after the battle
began both ships had been set on fire and
the flames lighted UP the gray superstruc-
lures as great volumes Of black smoke
belched up.
mighty guns were fired in salvos IL
was fight to death Both batteships went
to the bottom Admiral Hood went down
with the Invinclble, his flag ship, and both
men of war disappeared with their flags
flying"
The naval correspondent Of the Morning
Post calls the engagement the most notable
victory achieved by the royal navy in mod
ern times
An interview printed in the Times, which
a sailor on board battleship gave, says
in part:
1T was just after 3 o'clock on Wednes-
day afternoon when the order sounded
through the ship that sent every man to
his post. The decks were already cleared
for action we were near German water
and were prepared for any emergency
There was a trying wait when we didn't
know what was going to happen. At last
word went around that Admiral Beatty's
flag, the battle cruiser Lion which was |
leading our line, had signaled that the |
enemy was in sight 1t was not many min |
utes afterward that the Lion fired the first |
shot 1t was very long range, but we |
were going at full speed and rapidly draw
ing in upon the Germans
"One by one, the other ships began firing,
and then for five hours we were at it, every
gun raining shells at top speed upon the
enemy. We were shaping a zigzag course
all the time in order to prevent the enemy
from keeping the range. Most of the fight
ing was done at 1000 yards, and 1t was
deadly for the Germans. The
German ships outnumbered us, but this
would not have mattered If they had not
he advantage in position also. During a
good part of the fighting the sun made 1t
'ery difficult for our gunners The Ger.
mans could see us all right, but 1t was very
ldTu lOT US u see lleIn Inc SHELLS were | I
lropping around us like hail, some hitting
md other falling into the water and casting
lp high columns of spray.
"Our armor plate dented with holes |
TX inches deep in some places but none of
he German shells hit us in vital spot ;
II even put any of our guns out of com.
mission. The worst part of the lombard.
nent was the use of gas shells, which ex.
oded on board, filling the vessel with sick.
ming fumes There were only a few men
lled and wounded on our ship, but I saw
wo or three others burning, and 1 believe
ne was the Invncible 1 saw the Queen
Iary blow up.
IF the Germans were using Zeppelns
did not see any of them. 1t is doubtful
or the Germans apparently had no warn
lg of the approach of our big ships
THE Queen Mary was the first of the
,nglish ships to go down. A gigantic
hell pushed into her thinner plating, ex-
loding the magazine. The ship buclxled
p and sank like stone. The next victim
t German shells was the lndefatigable
erman shells filled with poison gas filled
he vessel with volumes, and worked great