Ahead of the larger ships now--the _Queen Mary_, the _Indefatigable_ and the _Invincible,_ advanced the speediest of light cruisers--the _Defense_, the _Biack Prince_ and the _Warrior_. Behind these, spread out fan-wise, came the destroyers _Tipperary, Turbulent, Nestore, Alcaster, Fortune, Sparrow Hawk, Ardent_ and the _Shark_. The _Albert_ and _Victoria_ also had fallen in line, though badly battered by the effects of the German shells during the night. Then the three battle cruisers advanced; and as the battle opened, far back came the battleship _Marlborough_, hurrying to join in the struggle. The German fleet advanced to the attack in a broad semi-circle. The flagship, the _Westphalen_, a dreadnaught of 18,600 tons, was squarely in the center. To her left was the battleship _Pommern_ and next the _Freiderich_; to her right the battleships _Wiesbaden_ and _Frauenlob_. Beyond the battleships to the left were the cruisers _Hindenburg_ and _Lutzow_, and beyond the battleships to the right the cruisers _Elbing_ and _Essen_. Torpedo boats, more than a score of them, also spread far on either side. Directly behind the single dreadnaught and the battleships came a flotilla of submarines, ready to dash forward at the proper moment and launch their deadly torpedoes. Overhead, and moving forward, were the three giant Zeppelins and a flotilla of other aircraft. Of all the vessels engaged, the _Queen Mary_ was the largest. The _Marlborough_, advancing rapidly, came next and then the German dreadnaught _Westphalen_. The British battle cruisers _Indefatigable_ and _Invincible_ were the next most powerful, in the order named, and the other German vessels were by far superior to the British. Now, as the battle opened with the greatest fury, another British vessel was sighted to the westward. It was the _Lion_, the flagship of Vice-Admiral Beatty, steaming at full speed ahead. Over the tops of the three British cruisers, light vessels travelled swiftly toward the enemy, the larger ships opened with their big guns. The range was found almost with the first salvo and shells began to drop aboard the enemy. The British cruiser _Defense_, making straight for the German dreadnaught _Westphalen_, hurled a shell aboard the German flagship that burst amidships. There was a terrible explosion and men were hurled into the water in little pieces. A hole was blown through the upper deck. But the _Defense_ paid dearly for this act. The forward guns of the _Westphalen_ poured a veritable rain of shells upon the British vessel and in a moment she was wounded unto death. There was nothing the other vessels of the fleet could do to aid her; and it was plainly apparent that she must sink. But the British tars stuck to their guns and they continued to hurl shells into the German line until the water of the North Sea washed over them. The _Defense_ was gone.