Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-06-06
STRATEGIC REASONS.
KEEP DETAILS BACK,
IS CLAIM OF BERLIN
Twenty-Six of Admiral Jelli-
GOES Most Powerful Battle
Ships Are Declared to Have
Been in Main Part of Fight

BERLIN, June 5.-(By Wireless 10
the Associated Press from a Staff CIR
respondent, Via Sayville, y. Y)-An
authoritative account of the North sea
battle issued here today gives the first
detailed picture of the progress of the
great engagement between the German
| high sea fleet and that of the British
Many details are suppressed for
strategic reasons. The recital, however.
meets clearly what is characterized as
the British attempt to explain defeat
| by the statement that the German sea
forces were much larger than those
which the British were able to bring
| into play.
This account declares explicitly that
twenty-six of Admiral Jellicoes most
powerful battleships. including six IF
the most modern Queen Elizabeth class,
and the entire British flying wing,
composed of battle cruisers equal in
every respect except armor protection to
dreadnaughts, were engaged in all but
the early stages of the day battle The
fleet surpassed in tonnage and weight
of broadSides the German force enga ged
was at least equally modern, and was
far speedier than the squadron of Ger
man pre-dreadnaughts which, numbering
along on Is or 10 knots an hour, were
soon left far to the rear by their swifter
consorts, out of the main action.
For obvious reasons the recital leaves
untold the tale of damages sustained
by German units and the losses I'm per-
! sonnet 1t says nothing of the bril-.
lance in battle tactics displayed by Ad-
mirals Scheer and Hipper the smooth
ness and precision with which the Ger
man ships Unanswered and the deadly
sureness of the German Workmanship
although it is an open secret that these
three factors were largely responsible
for the achievements of the Germans.
1t is shown that the Germans, I'M
like in the Doggerbank engagement of
cruiser squadrons, were able to choose
their distance and fight considerable
portions of the battle at ranges of aboiit
eight miles, at which the German eleven
and twelve-inch guns were virtually as
effective in penetrating power as the
big mouthed lbs, las, and 15s with
which the modern British giants are
armed. Furthermore, they are far gu
perior in rapidity of fire.
Naval experts have intimated to the
Associated Press that this was one of
the most decisive factors in the strug-
gle.
German battleships and battle cruisers
we're able to shower the British with a
hail of shell which, at a range of eight
miles and sometimes even closer -srtastsss
ed and ridd1ed British armor belts and
wrought havoc to ships vitals The
ponderOus British projectiles naturally
coald land scarcely one pound to each
two from the vicious Krupp 11-inchere
The hazy weather was Germany
friend, as it necessitated action at closer
range. -
CLAIM TIPPERARY SUNK
An official statement issued by the
German admiralty. today says:
"On the 31st of May one of our sub
marines off the Humber sank an Eng.
lish torpedo boat destroyer which. ac.
cording to a SURVIVOR, was the Tip
perary. ~ t..s... sF-
THE British armored ruiser- Euryaius
was set afire by our forces during the
battle of Skagerrak and was completely
burned OUT -
LONDON, June 5.-The following an
nouncement was made today at the
British admiralty:
mo British destroyer or any other .
British warship was destroyed off the
Humber or anywhere else by a submar-
inc any other agency since the action
of May 81. --S I'll,
The Euryalus was not present in the
North sea during this battle and there
fore was not sunk by German fire
ut would appear from the fact OF
these two false allegations being circu-
lated by the German admiralty, that
they are anxious by means to exaggerate
the British casualties which already
have been fully and Completely announ-
ced" 49,