Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-06-05
BRITISH FLEEI
SOUGHT Battle
INVADED ENEMY WATERS FOR
PURPOSE OF DRAWING GER
MANS INTO FIGHT.
WHEN MAIN FLEET
CAME GERMANS RAN AWAY

paired and Another Battle May 30
Fought - Admiralty Officials Give
Their Version Of North Sea Naval
Contest.
London June 5.-The first official
account in detail of the North sea bat
tie was given to the Associated Press
Saturday by high official of the ad-
miralty 1t was noticeable that among
admiralty officials the opinion was
general that the depression caused oy
the first announcement of the result or
the engagement was not justified, IN
the light of subsequent details.
The Associated Press is informed
that future details will have even
more heartening effect than the news
given out Saturday.
The admiralty is especially cautious
about stating German losses, giving
only those which are reported officially
or admitted by the Germans, meaH-
while awaiting detailed reports from
officers who participated in the action.
1t would have been possible to an
ticipate the German announcement III
regard to the battle, received mere by
wireless Friday afternoon, but the
British admiralty did not have the de-
tails until after Admiral Jelllcoe
reached port, and frankly issued the
information which was in its posses
sion.
Expurgating only such portions ot
wireless reports as might be of as
sistance to Great Britains enemies. the
admiralty official gave the following
details of the great naval fight.
Looking For Fight.
We can only say we were LOOKING
for a fight when our fleet went out.
Stories that il was decoyed by the
Germans are sheerest nonsense. In
word with an inferior fleet we en-
gagged the entire German high sea iieet.
interrupted their plans, and drove them
back into their harborS.
IN carrying out the plan decided
upon we sustained heavy losses, "hich
we expected this officia! said, "out
We also attained the expected result OIL
forcing the enemy to abandon his plan
and seek refuge after we had given
battle in his own waters near MS
coast.
With the exception OF TWO divisions
only part of which were engaged, the
brunt of the battle was borne By the
battle cruiser fleet and with one eN-
ception our battle fleet is ready for
sea service. | must admit that W.
had exceptionat1y hard luck with our
battle cruisers. but the loss OF these
three great ships does not IN any
measure cripple our control or the sea
Battle Had Four Phases.
The great battle had four phases
The first opened at 3:15 p. m.r when
our battle cruisers, at range oil SIN
miles Joined action with German pat
tie cruisers Shortly atterWard ths
.econd phase began with the arrival
on both sides OF battlesh!ps, the Ger
, mans arriving first But before theil
arrival our three battle cruisers nae
been blown up, supposedly the resu:
of gun fire, ait,lo possibly they me
/ their fate from tCrpedoes.
! Such close range fght!ng witt bat
tie cruisers might be criticized as pa
tactics. but our fleet, following IN.
traditions of the navy, went out 10 en-
gage the enemy and IN account o
( weather conditions could do so only "a
! short range.
THE third phase was the engage
ment of battleshirs which never wa
more than partial This phase INCLUDED
a running fight as the German dread
uaughts fled toward their bases Al
the big ship fighting was over by 9:l
p. m.
Destroyers' Attack Came Last.
"Then came one of the most weir
features of the battle, as German de
stroyers made attack after attack, Tx
infantry following artillery preparau"
on our big ships But these onslaus mt
we're singularly futile, not single tor
pedo launched by them getting home.
with the morning these attack
cnsed and the scene of battle wa
swept by Jellicoe's fleet. Not sinSl
.nemy vessel remained in sight
Unit! we get Admiral Jellicoe's com
plete report we can give only iTas
mentary incidents of the great BATH
Among these is the torpedoing of tn
SUPER dreadnaught Marlborough. whic
is now safely in harbor. She must nav
struck a veritable hornets nest OF sur
marines as by skillful maneuverins sh
avoided three of these before she wa
finally hit.
early in the engagement .accordin
to Admiral Beattys report, Germa
battle cruiser, after being hotly er
gagged. blew up and broke in two.
German Battle Cruiser Sinks.
"Officers Of the fleet also reporte
passing closely engaged German bal
tie cruiser which was left behind viii
! the British pursued the Germans. Q
their return this vessel was missin
Judging from her previous plight 81
must now be at the bottom Of the Sc
This accounts for two Of the enemy
battle cruisers and we have their az
mission that they had lost two battl
ships.
1.-The admiralty has report Of Il
sinking of four German light cruise
and the Germans have acknowledge
the loss Of six destroyers. There
very good hope that the German loss
keven greater. but we do not intend
make any estimates until we ha
complete official reports from our con
manders who do not report the loss
anita gonists without definite evident
Only One Zeppelin Appeared.
zeppeI;Hs did not play the imrcrts
part attributed to them. Only one a
peared 1t remained in action a We
brief time retiring under heavy fl
evidently badly damaged. Wealth
conditions were such that it is dout
full whether any air craft would ha
| been Of much service.
| 1.-THE enemy sprang no surprises.