Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-06-02
Monster War Craft of Great
Britain Destroyed by
German Fire.
DEFEAT is ADMITTED
London Dispatch Confesses
Loss of Disastrous Night
Engagement.

Berlin. June 2 (via wireless to
Sayyille.)-The German admiral
ty announced today that the Ger.
man high sea fleet on May 81 had
encountered a British fighting
fleet. The engagement which de-
veloped, the admiralty says, was
favorable to the Germans. The
battle continued all night The
admiralty announces that the
large British battleship Warship-
lite, the battle cruisers Queen
Mary and Indefatigable, and two
armored cruisers were destroyed.
1t is also reported that small
British cruiser, number of tor.
pedo boat destr0yers and torpedo
boats were sunk.
The German admiralty state
ment adds that by observation it
was established that large mum.
Der of British batteships suffered
damage from the fire of the Ger.
man big ships and the attacks Of
the torpedo boat fleet.
The admiralty statement also de-
clares that the British battleship
Marlborough was hit by a torpedo,
this being confirmed by the prisoners
rescued Several of the German ships
rescued parts of the crews of the
British ships which were sunk they
including, it is said, men from the In
defatigable, the only survivors from
that ship.
Nv, he eli he
er Wieshaden was sunk by gunfire
and the Pommern was sent to the bot
tom by a torpedo. The fate of the
Frauenlobis is not known, and some
torpedo boats did not return. The
German high sea fleet, the statement
adds. returned to port June l.
The German losses are announced
as the battleship Pommern, sunk by
torpedo; the cruiser Wiesbaden, sent
to the bottom by gunfre; the protected
cruiser Frauenlob, reported missing.
and several torpedo boats which did
not return to port.
British Admit Losses.
London, June 2, (2:05 p. m.)-The
British admiralty announced today that
battle had occurred in the North sea
between the British and German fleets
in the course of which a number of
German warships were sunk.
The British battle cruisers Queen
Mary and interchangeable and the bat
tleship Invincible were sunk.
The cruisers Defence and Black
Print also were sunk and the cruiser
Warrior was disabled. The German
losses are described as serious.
The announcement says two German
battle cruisers were sunk and two Ger
man light cruisers were disabled and
probably sunk
The British destroyers, Tipperary,
Turbulent, Fortune, Sparrow Hawk and
Ardent, were lost and six others have
not yet been accounted for. The ad-
miralty says no British battleships or
light cruisers were sunk
The battle occurred off the coast of
Jutland. The admiralty announce
ment says the German fleet avoided
the main British forces and returned
to port severely damaged.
From the advices thus far received
it would appear the greatest naval
battle of history has taken place.
Never before have two naval forces
of such magnitude as the British and
German high sea fleets engaged in
combat. But apparently the battle
was not fought out TO a point to de-
termine mastery Of the seas, for the
losses, serious as they are reported
to have been, will not impair the
strength of either feet to a vital ex-
tent
Scene in North Sea.
The scene Of battle was in the east
, ern waters of the North sea. Ii is
| probable that the feet was on one oil
the excursions into the North sea
which il has taken from time to time
during the war and met, whether Oh
not by design, with the British feet.
| Skagerak is an arm of the NORTH
sea between Norway and Denmark.
News of the engagement was held
back by the British authorities posi-
| bly, pending the return home of the
! fleet, and the first word received Of
the battle came by wireless from Ber-
| lin, by which means the Germans are
able to escape the censorship over
cable lines
The losses in the engagement must
have been extremely heavy. The pat
tie cruiser Indefatigable. from when
the German admiralty reports only
two men were saved. probably had
more than goo men on board, and
others of the vessels sunk carried
compliments of men equally or near
~ as large.
Warspite at Dardanelles.
The British dreadnaught Warspite
reported destroyed in the North Ses
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