The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1917-08-03
Twenty-Seven German Sail
orS In Dynamo Room OF
LutzoW
Tables Turned On Teutons By
Battleships Of The
British


The Hague, Netherlands, Aug. /
Scenes on board the German flag
ship Lutzow during the Jutland naval
battle when some Of the newest and
largest Of the German battle cruis-
ers were battered or sunk by Admiral /
Beatty's British squadron in June,
1916, are yividly described by p. Krug, .
one of the LutzOw's survivors in a .
pamphlet which has just been pub
lshed here. 1t is believed to be the
first detailed story of that great bat
tie from the point of view of the
German soldier to reach the public
eye.
Torpedoed by a British warship
early in the engagement the Lutzow,
which was the flagship of Admiral
Hipper, was hammered numerically
by the big guns of the British vessels,
and soon became a complete wreck
ship OF the dead" as Krug describes
her.
According to his story twenty-sev-
en- German sailors were trapped in the
Diesel dynamo room before the bat
tie had been long in progress and re
mained there when the Lutzow, a
disabled hulk was abandoned and sent
to the bottom by a torpedo from a
German destroyer. Two of these i'm
prisoned men had been driven insane
and were kept tied by their ship
mates.
After describing the first part of
the battle and telling now the arriv-
al of British battlcships turned the
tables on the Germans, Krug writes
Suddenly the entire ship is rough
ly shaken. The colossus heaves far
over, and everything that is not fixed
is upset. The first direct hit The
torpedo pierces the fore part of the
ship. Its effects are terrible. Iron
wood, metal, parts of bodies, smash
ed ships implements are all inter
, mixed, and the electric light, by
, chance spared. continues to shine
, upon this sight.
r 1.-TWO decks lower, in the Diesel dy.
' namo room, there is still life. That
r compartment has not been hit, and
l 81 men in the prime of life have been
spared, but the chamber is shut of
from all others. for the water is rush
!. ing into all sections. They are doom
;. ed to death Several 3S-centimetei
V shells squarely hit their mark, work
e ing terrible havoc. The first hit the
II wireless department. OF the twelve
living men who a moment ago were
seated before the apparatus, there il
= nothing more to be seen. Nothing i!
=. left but a smoking heap of ruins. TIL,
V second shot again pierced the for,
t part of the ship. The entire fore par
l. of the vessel, as far as the Diese
l. motor room was past saving. Anoth
y er broadside meant for the Lutzov
" ", fell short, but a torpedo boat close b.
~ disappeared, leaving only few cd,
10 pieces of wood and smashed lifeboa
It. drifting round. 1t is now half-past
~ and the hostile circle grows eve
rs smaller. The Lutzow and the Seyd
litz lie with their bows deep in tn
water; both are badly mauled. TIL
fore part of the Lutzow was in Flames
nc Shells burst against the ships sid
ne in rapid succession. A terrible sigh
tn is presented on board the LutZov
rs and it needs iron nerves to look upo
g, it coolly Hundreds have lost thei
Ell lives, while many have lain for hour
'' {, in torture and the fight is not ye
IN ever The bow is now crushed in an
as is entirely submerged. The fou
screws are already sticking half OF
of the water, so that the Lutzow ca
= only make to 10 knots an hour, &
- against the normal 80"
-. The Admiral decides to transfC
a. to the Moltke. He gives orders turr
~ and get away from the scene of II
~ fight but the Lutzow has not gone
- of 3S.centimeter shells. The entil
ship was filed with the poisonol
;. fumes of the shells, and anyone WI
a. failed to affix his gas-mask was door
- ell to be suffocated.
" st was three-quarters of an ho1
- before the lighting installation WI
I. restored Then for the first tin
y could the extent of the damaI
y wrought by the salvo be seen. o.
y, of the shells had landed in the si
:" bay. Here there were three docto
" and fifteen attendants besides 100
" $50 wounded OF all these only fo