The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-06-05

Jour VICTORY"
ASSERT BRITISH
OF SEA FIGHT
Considering All Facts, German
Fleet Defeated.
British Version Now Accounts
for IS German Ships.
SURVIVORS FLOAT ON RATS
German Sailors From Weis'
baden Reach Copenhagen.
Drift on Sea 36 Hours; Many
Became Insane.

man loss III lOHIldS6 III lIO UtAHAio
naval battle now is S2.515 tons The
British claim an additional 5000 tons,
which would bring the German total
to 113,435 The British admit the
loss of 114,10O tons. The eighty thou
sand tons which the Germans do not
admit is made up, say the British off
Gals, of the battleship Westfalen, the
battle cruiser Derfflinger, the battle
cruiser Lutzow, a light cruiser, three
additional destroyers and one subma-
rine.
Vice Admiral Sir David Beatty is
today looked upon as one of Great
Britain's illustrous naval heroes. With
the men of the fleet he is an idol. They
all agree that when the German battle
losses become fully known it will be
shown that the action was glorious
victory for the British navy.
Warspite Reaches Port.
The admiralty report that the war
ship Warspite was not sunk as claim
ed by the Germans is confirmed by
sea coast reports saying that she limp
ed into port under her own steam late
Thursday, the day after the battle.
Sailors said the battle was fought in
a sea calm as a mill pond with mist
hanging low, making firing at longer
ranges almost impossible.
TT sounded like forty thunder
storms rolled into one was the de-
scription of one. Most simply said it
was hell
British Grow Exultant
London, June 5.-The naval battle
off the coas of Jutland is claimed to
have been a complete victory for the
arf Of
Morning Post, who writes in this
mornings issue:
The salient f. ct is that the Ger
man fleet was completely outfousht,
lost heavily and was chased in disor-
derby retreat into it's ports. Admiral
Jellicoe brought his forces to bear
upon the enemy at a time and place
chosen by him.
The vanguard of the British feet
was compost of the battle cruiser
squadron supported by squadron of
four fast battleships. Behind this
vanguard followed the main battle
fleet. The German fleet adopted the
same formation and the Germans lost
one if not three cruisers in the final
squirt of the action, which was fought
between the two vanguards of the two
fleets.
Admiral Beatty, after engaging the
German battle cruisers, must have
tie fleet approached in order to allow
the British battle fleet, which also
was drawing near, to engage. The ar
mored cruisers, which were following
the battle cruiser squadron, should
also have turned aside and if they
had done So it is difficult to see how
three of them could have been lost
1t is possible that owing to some con-
fusion always likely IN such circum-
stances they went on, whereupon the
German battle fleet sent them to the
bottom.
There loss, therefore, is due to an
accident.
When Two Main Fleets Meet
I'VE now come to the moment when
the two main fleets joined battle The
action was fought in line according to
the accepted theory of tactics. AS the
two fleets approached the lines began
TO overlap. The first ships of each
line probably concentrated their fire
on the leading ship of the other. One
and perhaps two German battleships
were sunk but no British and there
1ore British gunnery was evidently
superior The loss of one and perhaps
two battleships determined the Ger
mans TO retreat. They turned about
and steamed pellmell into the base,
heading for their harbors and pursued
by the British fleet
London, June Sherman sailors
rescued by Scandinavian steamers de-
scribed the Teutonic losses in the Tut
land battle as colossal, according to
Copenhagen dispatches to the Ex
change Telegraph company.
Many Survivors at Copenhagen.
A large number of the crew of the
cruiser W eisbaden and men from sew
eral German torpedo boats have been
rescued and brought to Copenhagen.
They report that many of their com
rades after floating for SO hours on
rafts without food or water, drank the
sea water. became insane and jumped
into the ocean.
me German survivors saw several
OF their topedo boats and submarines
were capsized by the British shell and
sank instantly. Bodies of both BRIT
Ism and German sailors are beginning
Jutland Vi
Captains of steamers arrivir, j.,
scandinavian harbors report that the
Dig German cruisers which were oner-
atlns along the coast near Riga have
peen Wltndrawn and that a large
squadron of destroyers which had
been patrolling the southern Rail-
was not sighted last week.
Is German Ships Down.
London. June 5.-The British adj
mlralty has issued a statement saving
tilers was the strongest grounds for
the Delle1 that the British navy in the
battle with the Germans off Jutland,
last week had accounted for a total of
eighteen Germ;-n men-of-war and
That there was nothing to add to or
subtract from the original announce
ment of the British losses
The statement gave the German
losses as two battleships, two dread
naught battle cruisers, four light
cruisers, nine torpedo boat destroyers
and submarine.
The pessimism which prevailed as a
result of the admiralty's original