The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-06-05
London Asserts German Losses
Were the Heavier
LIST or SUNKEh SHIPS GROWS
Admiral Beresford Declares Story of
Engagement Sent Out From
Berlin is False.

warships lost in the Skager Rak sea
fight had been rescued is failing as
tales of the great battle are received at
Copenhagen. As more details OF the
titanic struggle are received pride in
the British navy grows. The admiral
ty states that the Germans lost two
battleships, two dreadnaught cruisers,
three light cruisers, nine destroyers
and one submarine.
The Germans admit the loss of the
battleship Pommern, the battle cruiser
Derfllinger and Lutzow. the cruisers
Weisbaden Frauenlob and Elbing and
seven destroyers.
London, June "a statement issued
last night by the British admiralty
confirming previous accounts of the
battle between the British and German
fleets, repeats that the German ac-
counts of the German losses are false
and that although the evidence is still
incomplete enough is known to justify
stating that the German losses were
greater than the British, not merely
relatively to the strength of the two
fleets, but absolutely" There is the
strongest ground for believing, says
the statement, that the German losses
include two battleships, two dread
nought battle cruisers of the most
powerful type, and two Of the latest
light cruisers, in addition to smaller
craft, including submarine.
A dispatch from Copenhagen says
rumors are current in Hamburg that
two German warships besides those
cation, the battleship Westfalen and
the battle cruiser Lutzow, were sunk
in the battle \ wireless dispatch re-
ceived in London Saturday from Ber-
lin said the German admiralty ad-
mitted the loss Of the Westfalen.
The admiralty statement last night
declares that the German losses in
the fight we're not only relatively but
absolutely greater than those of the
British. Maintaining its practice Of
| caution, the admiralty still refrains
from giving the names of the lost Ger
mar ships
The official list of the casualties
among officers shows that hardly a
single officer of the line escaped from
the British cruisers sunk in the bat.
tie. An additional casualty list OF
petty officers shows that 43 of them
were saved from the Queen Mary,
Invincible, Fortune, Ardent and
Shark None was saved from the
lndefatigable, Defense, Black Prince,
| Tipperary, Turbulent. Nomad or Mes
tor. The list gives the names of G5
men killed aboard the Warrior and
of q. men wounded On other ships
engaged in the fight 1l5 men were
| killed and So wounded
Admiral Lord Beresford in an
| interview yesterday, while contend
| ing strongly for the view that there
was no failure in the British strategy
and that Vice-Admiral Beatty won n
brilliant success, though it was dear.
| ly bought, declares that the only mis-.
take made was by the admiralty in
allowing the Germans to get first in
| the field with the news of the battle,
or as he puts it, with "impudent
fabrications." otherwise. said Lord
Beresford no fault can be found with
the admiralty.
The text of the statement follows,
according to a dispatch from London:
Until the comamnder-in.ch has
had time to consult the officers en-.
gagged and write a full dispatch. any
attempt to give a detailed history of
the naval engagement which began
on the afternoon of the 31st of May
and ended in the morning hours of the
1st of June, would evidently be perma.
ture. But the results are quite plain
THE grand feet came in touch with
the German high seas fleet at $50 on
the afternoon of May 81. The leading
ships of the two fleets carried on a
vigorous fight, in which the battle
cruisers. fast battleships and subsid
iary craft all took an active part
"The losses were severe on botll
sides, but when the main body Of the
British fleet came into contact will
the German high seas feet a very
brief period suiliced to compel the
latter who had been severely pun
ished, to seek refuge in their pro
tected waters. This maneuyer was
rendered possible by low vsibilitie,
and mist, and although the grant
feet were now and then able to &c
! IN momentary contact with thel
| opponents, no continuous action wa
possible. They continued the pursui
until the light had wholly failed
! while the British destroyers were abl
> to make a successful attack upon tn
4 enemy during the night
: "MennMhile. admiral Sir John Iel