The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-06-03
5000 LOST
Continued From Page one.)


commander in action and was all but
trapped by the Germans. His cruiser
squadron endeavored to cut off what
appeared to be only a German cruiser
fleet from it's base.
But lurking behind the cruisers and
low hanging mist was the German bat
tie fleet of dreadnoughts and super
dreadnoughts.
Beatty Could Not Retreat.
Beatty could only retreat, but not
before the heavy German guns were
able to do deadly execution. His cruis-
ere and destroyers were shattered by
the heavy fire, and with Beatty signal
ing for help, Sir John Jellicio, Eng
lands guardian of the sea, headed his
fleet of super dreadnoughts to the
rescue.
Then came the battle of ages. With
dreadnought against dreadnought,
battleship against battleship, and
cruiser against cruiser, the guns of the
mighty sea forces belched forth their
fire. Not a British dreadnought was
lost. The German claim of the sinking
of the Warspite is officially denied.
But two German dreadnoughts sue
cumber to the British fire and the re-
treat was ordered
Darkness Interfered.
From midafternoon until darkness
began to fall, the main battel ragged
At 500 in the evening the finish of
the encounter of big ships came All
during the fight, torpedo boats and
submarines had been used for small
sallies. but with the fall of darkness
came the real struggle for the smaller
craft.
Like infantrymen in land fighting,
these small boats made desperate
charges against the lines of their
enemy. Eight British destroyers were
lost. The Germans lost six.
1t was declared at the admiralty to-
day that in the German torpedo boat
charges, not one torpedo scored hit.
After Jellicee arrived and the torpedo
attacks were completed, the Germans
withdrew.
JeIlicoe remained on the scene of
night. On Thursday morning, when
there remained nothing to fire at, he
returned to the British coast
Beatty First in Fray.
Admiral Beatty was in command of
| the Germans in Wednesdays great
battle.
| 1t was learned at the admiralty this
| afternoon that it was Beatty who cut
! off the German battle cruisers from
their base. According to admiralty ac-
counts. the battle had four distinct
phases. The first phase was at 3:15
o'clock Wednesday afternoon, when
| the German and British battle cruisers
| first met Admiral Beatty was in COM
mand, and Immediately started his
maneuver to cut off the German fleet
| line of retreat.
1t was officially stated at the admir-
atty that the super-drea dnaught War
| spite was not sunk.
Only a portion of the British fleet
met the entire German fleet and
forced it to retire to its harbor, is the
to whatever idea neutrals may have of
| the result of the battle.
lilies" Say British.
| Whatever opinions to the contrary
that may be entertained are regarded
here as being due to the poor handHng
! of the first reports of the engagement
| by the British and the Lies of the
Germans it was declared at the ad-
| miralty.
While retreating, the Germans
| sowed mines into which the British
cruisers then forced German destroy
! ers, causing heavy losses among the
enemy ships from their own mines
1t is admitted that in cases where
ships were blown up the loss of life
was approximately the total compile
| ment of the crew In other cases
where the ships sank, owing to leaks
caused by shell fire, survivors escaped
on RATS in large numbers.
Only One Gun Left
Survivors of the Shark. said a tor
pedo struck her oil tanks. Her steer
ing gear was damaged and her decks
swept clean except one gun. The
Sharks comma nder and two men con
| tinued to work this gun to the end
One of the commanders legs was