The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-03
Germany's Great Naval Victory.


The German fleet has come out and
scored n brilliant victory In the North
Sea. Compared with 1t the ngage
ment IN which ce-Admiral STuRpEE
destroyed Admiral voN SIZES cruiser
squadron of the Falkland Islands and
the running fight in the North Sea
In which the Bluecher was sunk now
appear like Insignificant tests Of sea
power and are of minor Importance.
The battle was fought off the Danish
coast Of Jutlnnd, between Horn Iiiff
and the Skagerak entrance In the
Baltic. 1t may he gathered from the
statement Of the German Admiralty
hat the fight occurred during m
enterprise directed northward' and
from n London bulletin disclosing the
strength of the British fleet in II gen
eral wny that 1t was no chance en-
counter. The enterprise directed
| northward" had evidently been re-
ported by scouts, and the British Adj
mlral welcomed the opportunity To try
conclusions with the enemy. The re-
suit was hardly what he expected.
British losses We're heavy ny the nd
mission of the Admiralty, while those
of the Germans, according 10 their
own official statement, were relatively
very light.
Among the British ships sunk was
the supcrdreadnought battle cruiser
Queen Mary. one of the Lion class.
with n displacement Of 1900 tons. a
speed exceeding 2S knots and n main
battery OF ten 1873 inch gun the
: dreadnought cruiser interchangeable. of
$4,000 tons, with n speed of - knots
aud n main battery of eight |. inch
guns: and the dreadnought cruiser
~lnvinciblc, of 1880 tons, II speed in
service of IS knots and II main bat
terry of eight 10 inch gun, Tn" Brit
i~h navy could i'll afford To los" these
fine war vessels. No such disaster
has Yet bcfallon the German fleet. In
addition the British lost the cruisers
Black Prince and Defence. both mod
crn ships of respectively 1850 and
l4,GOO tons. n speed of % knots and
equipped with main batteries Of
six and four . inch guns: also eight
d~cStroyers, including the Tlppernry,
Turbulent, Fortune, Sparrowhnwk and
| Ardent. The Germans claim that the
Superdreadnought battlcShip Warspite
was also sunk by them, but this was
not admitted in either of the British
bulletins as Yet given out. II Is To b"
noted, however. that the British Al
mirnlty said that It's cruiser squadron
was supported by four battleshlps, be-
sides destroyers. torpedo boats and
submarines. The Warspito was com
missioned after the outbreak of the
war. and In displacement, speed and
broadside power WAS supposed to be
superior 10 any d~rcadnought In tn,
German navy, for she was of "7,.IO'
carried Il main battery Of eight t.
inch guns. Ten of these powerful
ships were planned and most Of them
are now In commission. When tn,
war began Germany was building nj
Kiel three rival ships, the Ersat2
Worth. ""T'' and Ersatz Friedrich III.
which were also to carry eight Il
inch guns and 1t Is possible that the
first two ARE now completed.
Later details of the Skagerak battle
may shed light upon the part, II any
that the British bnttlcships played II
!, IT.. That they should not have been en-
gagged seems incredible. There may
|, bc additions to the British losses. A.
to the German losses, taking the OH
cinl statement, it seems Incompetent
: slhlc that only the small cruiser Mes
/ baden, which we do not find In thu
navy list; the Pommorn, n prcdrcad
f 1900 tons, and the little Frnucnloh
of 1910 tons, were sent to the bottom
. especially ms the Admiralty nccOun
: speaks Of tn" enemy AS being soon
sidernbly superior To Il forces" !
$ that be true the Germans could no
|, have had the advantage In gun power
far from It, because wo know from
the British report that at least sever
! great ships, apparently nn Of dread