The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-06-02
Wednesdays Battle Greatest in
European Conflict.
Only Two Survivors of Great
Ship Indefatigable.
SKAGERAK AND HORN RIFFAL
Body of Water Only $50 Miles
Long and so Wide.
Hundreds of Officers and Men
to the Bottom.

New York, June 2-The British
and German highseas fleets clashed in
the biggest naval engagement of the
war on Wednesday, May 81. The
engagement started in the day time
and continued throughout the night
Nine British warships. a submarine
and numerous small British vessels
were sunk, according to a German ad-
miralty statement received here by
way of the Sayville wireless station
this afternoon.
The German report admits the loss
of two .sGerman warships and pos
sible loss of third with several tor
pedo boats unaccounted for
The German statement was issued
following the return to it's base of the
German highseas fleet.
In the Channel.
/ The scene of the enga gagement-ti1e
greatest sea fight of the great war
was between Shagerak and Horn Riff
fal in the channel connecting the
North and Baltic seas
German estimates of British losses
are apparently based on reports of
British sailors picked up by German
ships. An intimation of probable ex-
tent of the British losses is contained
in the statement that only two sur
vivors of the great battieship Inde-
fatigable were rescued by the Ger
mans.
The Skagerak is a great arm of the
North sea between Norway and Jut-
land 1t is $50 miles long and so
mile wide. With Cattegatt, the sound.
and the Great and Little Belts. it con-
stitutes the channel connecting the
North and Baltic seas.
Big Boats.
The cruiser Indefatigable was IS. $50
tons and was $50 feet long. Her ar
mament was eight 12-inch guns; six
teen 4-inch guns and three torpedo
tubes She carried 500 officers and
men and was built at cost Of 1.50o.-
900 pounds.
The Achilles was a cruiser OF 1850
tons, 4S0 feet long. Her armament
was six 9-inch guns. four 7-inch gliue.
twenty-four 3-pounders, four Maxims,
one 12-pounder and three torpedo
tubes. She carried 704 officers and
men. She was built in 1905 at cost
of 1880, 900 pounds.
Greatest Naval Battle.
From the advices thus far received
! it would appear that the greatest ma
val battle in history has taken place.
Never before have two naval forces
| of such ma gnitude as the British and
German high sea fleets engaged in
| combat. But apparently the battle
| was not fought out to point to de-
terInine mastery of the seas, for the
| losses serious as they are reported to
| have been. will not impair the strength
| of either fleet to a vital extent.
The scene of battle was in the eastern
waters of the North sea 1t is prob
able the fleet was on one of the ex-
cursions into the North sea which It
has taken from time to time during
| the war and met, whether or not by a
| design, with the British fleet
| Skagerak is an arm of the North
sea betwee Norway and Denmark. The
point referred to in the official Ger
man statement asHornriff probably Is
! the reef of the Horn on the southvest-
ern extremity of Denmark This
| would indicate that the battle was
! fought off the coast of Denmark.
From there on the Helgoland the
/ main German naval base in the North
sea. is about 100 miles.