Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1916-06-13
449 OFFICERS LOST
IN BIG NAVAL BATTLE
Britain Gives Out List of Cas-
uaItieS.
SURVIVOR TELLS OF FIGHT
Members of Crews of English War
ships Say German Dreadnaught
Hlndenburg Was Sent to Bot
tom During Engagement.


London, June 6.-The admiralty is
sued the following statement:
In one or two newspapers doubts
have been raised as to the profession
al conduct at sea Of the officers IN
high command who took part in the
recent naval battle.
It cannot be too clearly stated that,
as no definite report from the COM
mander in chief has been published or
even received, any attempts to crlti-
cize the direction of operations must
be wholly conjectural. Such asper-
sions 1nfiict grave injustice on the able
and gallant officers to whose care IS
conf1ded the command OF his males
TVS souadrons and ships.
44e Lost in Sea Fight.
The admiralty made public an addi-
tional list of casualties among petty
officers and men in the naval battle
off Jutland, as reported from ships
other than those sunk. The list shows
116 killed and 233 wounded. A list
made public in the morning gave the
names of 333 officers killed.
Officers Story of Fight.
Edinburgh, June 6.-Survivors arriv-
ing here from British destroyers which
made massed attack on a German
battleship in the Jutland battle are
convinced that they sent to the bottom
I the dreadnaught Hindenburg, the pride
of the German navy.
These sailors say that the linden
burg was struck successfully by four
torpedoes while the destroyers dashed
in alongside of it's hull, tearing 1t to
pieces until the mighty ship reeled
and sank. An officer from one OF the
destroyers gave the following graphic
account of the battle:
1.-THE ships of the grand fleet went
into action as if they were going into
maneuvers. From every yardarm the
white ensign few, the flag which is
to the sailor as the tattered colors
were in days of old to hard pressed
regiment. That it went hard with the
battle cruisers is apparent, but one
ship cannot fight dozen. They had
fought a great fight, fight to be
proud of, fight which will live longer
than many victory.
"Gave as Good as We Got"
1--WE fought close into the foe, and
If anything is certain in the uncer-
tainties of naval battle it is that we
gave at least as good as we got. We
passed along the line of German ships
some miles away and let off broadside
after broadside. The air was heavy
with smoke, black, yellow, green and
every other color, which drifted slow
~ between the opposing lines, hiding
sometimes friend and sometimes foe.
The enemy ships were firing very fast,
but vat ching the ships in front one
came to the conclusion that the shoot
ing was decidedly erratic. Again and
of the mark, to be followed immediate
ly by others which screamed past high
In the air.
Roar of the Guns Terrific.
81 watched the Iron Duke swinging
through the seas letting off broadside
after broadside, wicked tongues of
flames leaping through clouds of
smoke. The din of battle was stun
ming, stupendous, deafening, as hun
dreds of the heaviest guns in the world
roared out at once. Great masses of
water rose in the air like waterspouts,
reaching as high as the masts, as the
salvos of German shells fell short or
went over their target. Now and then
a she'll found its mark, but it left US
absolutely cold as to its effect on each
man at time like this. A dozen men
may be knocked out at ones side. 1t
makes no difference
1T was impossible to see what was
happening among the ships of the foe.
The smoke obscured everything so eff
fectually that one could only get a
glimpse at intervals when a kindly
wind blew lane through the pail.
1t was apparent that the best ships of
the enemy were engaged, but how
many neither eye nor glass could
make out. The number was certainly
large. 1t was equally impossible to
see what damage we were causing.
Only the high command knew the
progress Of the battle. That the dam
age inflicted on the German ships was
great does not admit of any doubt.
At one time two vessels, red with fire,
cleaned through the smoke.
1T is curious feeling to be in the
midst of battle and not to know to
which side fortune leans. Where only
a few ships are engaged it is differ
emit Our own losses were known with
some degree of exactness, but even
that was uncertain"