History of the World War, Volume 3 (of 7) : $b An authentic narrative of the world's greatest warMarch, Francis A., Jr.
History
History of the World War, Volume 3 (of 7) : $b An authentic narrative of the world's greatest war
March, Francis A., Jr.
World War, 1914-1918
German battle cruisers, which with several light cruisers and torpedo
boats again headed the line, encountered the enemy soon after 9
o’clock and renewed the heavy fire, which was answered by them from
the mist, and then by the leading division of the main fleet. Armored
cruisers now flung themselves in a reckless onset at extreme speed
against the enemy line in order to cover the attack of the torpedo
boats. They approached the enemy line, although covered with shot
from 6,000 meters distances. Several German torpedo flotillas dashed
forward to attack, delivered torpedoes, and returned, despite the
most severe counterfire, with the loss of only one boat. The bitter
artillery fire was again interrupted, after this second violent
onslaught, by the smoke from guns and funnels.
Several torpedo flotillas, which were ordered to attack somewhat
later, found, after penetrating the smoke cloud, that the enemy
fleet was no longer before them; nor, when the fleet commander again
brought the German squadrons upon the southerly and southwesterly
course where the enemy was last seen, could our opponents be found.
Only once more--shortly before 10.30 o’clock--did the battle
flare up. For a short time in the late twilight German battle
cruisers sighted four enemy capital ships to seaward and opened
fire immediately. As the two German battleship squadrons attacked,
the enemy turned and vanished in the darkness. Older German light
cruisers of the fourth reconnaissance group also were engaged with
the older enemy armored cruisers in a short fight.
This ended the day battle.
The German divisions, which, after losing sight of the enemy, began
a night cruise in a southerly direction, were attacked until dawn by
enemy light force in rapid succession.
The attacks were favored by the general strategic situation and the
particularly dark night.
The cruiser Frauenlob was injured severely during the engagement of
the fourth reconnaissance group with a superior cruiser force, and
was lost from sight.
One armored cruiser of the Cressy class suddenly appeared close to
a German battleship and was shot into fire after forty seconds, and
sank in four minutes.
The Florent (?) Destroyer 60, (the names were hard to decipher in
the darkness and therefore were uncertainly established) and four
destroyers--3, 78, 06, and 27--were destroyed by our fire. One
destroyer was cut in two by the ram of a German battleship. Seven
destroyers, including the G-30, were hit and severely damaged. These,
including the Tipperary and Turbulent, which after saving survivors,
were left behind in a sinking condition, drifted past our line, some
of them burning at the bow or stern.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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