, 1916-06-10

Edinburgh, June, 5th-An otlcer from
one of the destroyers in a graphic ac-
count of the battle says: The ships OF the
Grand Fleet went into action as if they
were going into man@uvres. From every
yardarm the 'tWhite Ensign. few. We
passed along the line of German ships some
miles away and let off broadside after
broadside. The enemy ships shooting was
decidedly cratic. Again and again salvOs of
shells fell far short of the mark, to be fol-
lowed Immediately by others which screamed
past high in the air. [ watched the Iron
Duke swinging through the seas letting off
broadside after broadside. It was impossi-
BILE to see what was happening among the
ships of the foe. The smoke obscured every
thing. 1t was apparent that the best ships
of the enemy were engaged, but how many
neither eyes nor glasses could make out. The
number was certainly large. 1t was equally
impossible to see what damage we were
causing. Only the High Command know
the progress Of the battle, 1t is a curious
feeling to be in the midst Of q battle and not
to know to which side fortune leans. Where
only a few ships are engaged it is different.
Our own losses were known with some de-
gree of exactness, but even those were uncer-
tain. Thus at one time it was thought that
the Lion had been lost as she did not answer
any call. 1t transpired that her wireless had
been destroyed. With the dusk came the
great opportunity of the mosquito craft, and
both sides made use of it to the full. A de-
stroyer dashed for the big enemy ships. She
soon loosed her torpedoes Oh a German bat
tleship. The ship went down aud the de-
stroyer raced for safety, the commander and
officers standing on the bridge INDUCING in
mutual congratulations at their success.
At that moment q shell bit the destroyer and
wiped out the entire group. The sea seemed
to be strewn with fish killed by shells burst
ing in the water.
London, June 5th-Vice-Admiral Beatty,
commanding the battle cruiser squadron,
presumably on his old flagship the Lion,
was again in the thick of the action. His
wonderful strategy and daring is being re-
allied more and more as the official reports
of the battle are coming in. He knew
that be was ouinumbered when he went
into battle. He had only his battle cruiser
squadron supported by smaller naval ves-
sells. The Germans had their entire High
Seas Fleet against him. Yet he realized
that he had at last found the German feet
out upon the high seas, and if he could
only hold the German feet and cut it off
from its base, Admiral Jellicoe would be
with him in q few hours with the full
strength of the British Navy feet. He
knew probably that he would lose valuable
fighting vessels, but was prepared to
sacrifice his own squadron to hold
the Germans until Admiral Jellicoe came
up. Because of his attempts to get
between the Germans and their line
of retreat, his w~arships came within
close range of the heavy guns of the big
German dreadnoughts and battle cruisers.
This brought him face to face with further
odds, for the secondary armament of the
German warships was superior to his. AS
a result his battle cruisers were subjected to
a terrible fire, and three of them blew up
after being riddled. Still the squadron hung
on to the German feet and held
them at bay until Admiral Jellicoe's
dreadnoughts steamed into the area
of action, when the German Comman-
der-in-Chief taking advantage of the APP
preaching darkness and the heavy mist
that rolled up at this time, slipped away be-
fore the main English Fleet could come into
action.
London, June 5th-Yesterday's casualty
list covering the losses on all British fronts
during the week gives the number of officers
at $50, of whom 81 were killed and that of
men at 1903 of whom 1,464 were killed.
This makes q total for the weeks casualties
of 6,421 of whom 1,515 were killed.
T.04 III ..-o -