The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1916-06-09
TWENTY-N|NE SHIPS
SUNK IN NORTH SEA
GERMANS ARE vIcToRs IN
GREATEST NAVAL BATTLE
OF WORLDS HISTORY.
reuton's High Sea Fleet Engages
Part Of Engand's Fleet In North
Sea In Furious Battle Which
Cost Many Lives.

London.-In one of the worlds
greatest sea fights the German battle
fleet was victorious over the Englisf
battle cruiser squadron. The encoun
ter took place in the North sea, Wed
nesday afternoon. In later engage
ment with the main part of the Brit
ish fleet, the mighty dreadnaugh
feet, the Germans made for theil
home ports.
The latest reports from the Brit
ish fleet, from neutral vessels which
witnessed parts of the great nava
battle In the North sea and from sur
viyors cause the British public to be
lieve the engagement was not so neal
a defeat as at first reported. The
British losses with all the craft en-
gagged accounted for, were three bat
tie cruisers, three cruisers and eight
destroyers.
The German losses are believed to
have been about the same number OF
ships, although of a much less aggre-
gate of tonnage.
If the revised British reports are
accepted, the losses in ships were ap-
proximately as follows:
British:
Three battle cruisers Queen Mary,
Indefatigable and Invincible); three
armored cruisers defence. Black
Prince and Warrior). about dozen
destroyers and one submarine.
German:
Two battleships (Westfalen and
Pommern); two battle cruisers Gun
named four light cruisers Qncluding
the Wiesbaden, Elbing and Frauen-
iob) six destroyers and submarine.
The British admiralty, in addition,
has admitted that the battleship MARI
borough was struk by a torpedo, but
declares she was towed safely to port.
1t denies the German claim that the
Nlseadnaught Warspite was sunk, al
Though conceding that she was dam
nged by gun fire.
British naval experts maintain that
Great Britain continues to hold the
supreme command of the sea by
safe margin and that her enormous
navy could better afford the losses
it suffered than could the smaller Ger
man establishment. The first reports
of the heavy loss of life unhappily
have not been revised. Great Britain
mourns for more than 1000 of her
best seamen and the whole nation is
oppressed with sadness, which is re-
fiected in the faces of all the people
OF London.
There were some 5000 men on the
ships which sank, and only few hun
dred have been saved. The horrors
Of modern naval warfare, far exceed
ing those when wooden ships fought
and continued to float even when
they ceased to be fighting units, were
realized to their utmost. From five
of the largest ships which went under
with complement of more than 4,0o0
men, only seven junior officers and
few seamen we're rescued
The two squadrons, steaming at
full speed, came within range of
each other somewhere between the
Skagerak and Horn Riff. Both fleets
Immediately brought their big guns
into action and long-range battle
of extreme violence ensued. 1t Is be-
lieved that most of the heavy ships
lost were sunk Or fatally disabled
during this daylight battle.
At least two Zeppelins appeared
over the battle area during the late
afternoon and are reported to have
taken an important part In the action.
Whether they sank any of the British
ships is not known.
Darkness found the fleets still man
euvering and firing. Night brought a
lull In the long-range duel and shift
ed the brunt of the battle to the
smaller vessels. The German cruiser
Frauenlob was destroyed by a tor
pedo, probably fred under the cover
of darkness.
Though no mention is made of the
proximity OF the great British high
seas fleet, it is conjectured that an
other battle squadron raced to the
scene of the combat at the first re-
port of fighting.
The arrival of this force is be-
lieved to have caused the Germans to
dash back to their base.
What part submarines took in the
action Is not known, further than the
British admiralty report that a Ger
man submarine is believed to have
been rammed and sunk.
The British makes no mention OF
NJ
fetal report mentions two men res
cued from the Indefatigaole and the
picking up of members of the Marl-
borough's crew. A thousand men
probably have been lost. The loss as
4 result OF the sinking of the vessels
,Riu total at least $4,000, 900. 4