THE FIRST GUN
Skagerak, in which the greatest naval battle of history was about to be
fought, is an arm of the North Sea between Norway and Denmark. The
scene of the battle was laid off Jutland and Horn Reef, on the southern
extremity of Denmark.
From the reef of Heligoland, the main German base in the North Sea, to
Jutland, is about one hundred miles as the crow flies. Therefore, it
became evident that the German high sea fleet must have left the
protection of that supposedly impregnable fortress some time before.
That the advance of the German fleet had been well planned was
indicated by the very fact that it could successfully elude the British
cruisers patrolling the entrance to the mine fields that guarded
Heligoland itself. Could a British fleet of any size have got between
the German high sea fleet and Heligoland the menace of the German fleet
would have ended for all time.
At the moment, however, the British warships were scattered over the
North Sea in such a manner as to preclude such an attempt; and the best
Admiral Beatty and Admiral Jellicoe could hope for was to come up with
the German fleet and give battle, preventing, if possible, the escape
of any units of the fleet to other parts of the sea and to drive all
that the British could not sink back to Heligoland.
The German dash of one hundred miles across the North Sea was a bold
venture and one that the British had not believed the Germans would
attempt at that time. British vigilance had been lax or the German
fleet could never have gone so far from its base without discovery; and
this laxity proved costly for the British; and might even have proven
more costly still.
Above the German fleet came a fleet of aircraft, augmented to a great
degree by three powerful Zeppelin balloons. Lying low upon the water
also was a fleet of German submarines.
As the German fleet approached Jutland on the night of May 31, it was
shrouded in darkness. The night was very black and a heavy fog hung
over the sea. The night could not have been better for the attempt,
which would, in all probability have succeeded, had it not been for the
fact that the British had been forewarned.
Forewarned is forearmed; and this fact alone prevented the Germans from
carrying out their designs. It is history that the approach of the
German fleet had been reported to the commander of the British cruiser
_Glasgow_ by an aviator, who had sailed across the dark sea in a
hydroplane. Whether the Germans knew that there were but three British
vessels in the Skagerak cannot be told, but certainly they believed
they were in sufficient strength to force a passage, particularly by a
surprise attack, which they believed the present venture would be.
Therefore, it must have been a great disappointment to the German
admiral when a single big gun boomed in the distance.
This was the voice of the British battleship _Queen Mary,_ which,
taking directions from the _Glasgow's_ aviator, had fired the opening
shot, telling the Germans that their approach had been discovered and
that the passage of the Skagerak would be contested.
Immediately the German fleet slowed down; for the German admiral had no
means of knowing the strength of the British fleet at that point.
Hurried orders flashed back and forth. A few moments later three
aeroplanes, which had been hanging low above the German fleet, dashed
forward.
They had been ordered forth to ascertain the strength of the British.
In almost less time than it takes to tell it they were directly above
the British fleet, which, so far, consisted only of five ships of war--
besides the _Glasgow,_ an armored cruiser, the _Albert_ and _Victoria_,
torpedo boats, being the _Queen Mary_ and _Indefatigable_.
As the Germans approached in the air, a hydroplane ascended from each
of the British ships and British aviators gave chase to the enemy. One,
which had come too close, was brought down; but the other two returned
safely to the shelter of the German fleet, where the British dare not
follow them because of the presence of a superior force of the enemy.
But the German aviators had learned what they had been sent to learn.
They had discovered the strength of the British. Again sharp orders
were flashed from the German flagship.
The fleet came on faster.
Captain Raleigh, because of his seniority, had taken command of the
small British squadron. He had drawn his ships up in a semicircle,
heads pointed to the foe. As his aviators signalled that the Germans
were again advancing, Captain Raleigh gave the command that had been
long eagerly awaited by the men--a command which the commander of the
_Queen Mary_ had delayed giving until the last moment because he
desired to give his men all the rest he could.
"Clear for action!" he thundered.
Jack glanced at his watch and as he did so eight bells struck.
"Midnight!"
The exclamation was wrung from Frank.
"And no aid for at least three hours," said Jack, quietly.
As the lad spoke the fog suddenly lifted and gave to the British a view
of the advancing German fleet.
"Forward turret guns!" cried Captain Raleigh, "Fire at will!"
A terrible salvo burst from the 16-inch guns in the forward turret.
At almost the same moment the leading German ships opened fire.
The first few salvos from each side did no damage, for the range had
not been gauged accurately.
It became apparent now that the German admiral had no intention of
risking all his first line ships in this encounter. Apparently he had
decided that his smaller vessels were fully capable of coping with the
small number of the enemy that was contesting his advance.
From the shelter of the larger ships advanced the battle cruisers. Not
a battleship nor a dreadnaught came forward. But the smaller ships
dashed on swiftly and presently their guns found the range.
A shell burst aboard the _Glasgow's_ bridge, carrying away nearly the
entire superstructure. The captain and his first officer were killed,
and many men were injured as huge splinters flew in all directions.
Under the command of the second officer, the _Glasgow_ fought back.
A shell from her forward turret burst aboard the closest German vessel
and there was a terrific explosion, followed by a series of blasts not
so loud. Came fearful cries from aboard the enemy.
And then the whole sky was lighted up for miles around as the German
ship sprang into a brilliant sheet of flame. For perhaps two minutes it
lighted up the heavens; then there was another violent explosion and
the German cruiser disappeared beneath the water with a hiss like that
of a thousand serpents.
A cheer rose on the air--a loud British cheer.
"One gone," said Frank, quietly.
"Yes, but only one gone," replied Jack.
"Yes, but it's two o'clock now," said Frank, hopefully.
"About time to begin our retreat then," said Jack.
And the order for retreat came a few moments later.
The five British ships--for all were still able to navigate in spite of
the damage that had been inflicted--came about in a broad circle and
headed westward.
Then it was the Germans' time to cheer and they did so with a will. It
was not often that a British battleship had fled before a German ship
or ships and the Germans, since the war opened, had little chance to
cheer such a procedure. But now that they had such a chance, they
cheered their best Apparently, they had lost sight of the fact that the
British were retiring before superior numbers, and that, even in spite
of that and the fact that they now were retreating, they still had the
best of the encounter so far.
For one German cruiser lay at the bottom of the sea.
The British retreat was slow; and, for some unaccountable reason, the
Germans did not press forward as swiftly as they might have done.
Whether they feared a trap, or whether the German admiral had
determined to await the coming of day before disposing of the enemy,
was not apparent. But that he had some plan in mind, every Briton
realized.
"The longer he holds off the better," said Frank.
"Right," agreed Jack. "Of course, we probably could run away from them
if they pressed us too hard, but we wouldn't; and for that reason he
should be able to dispose of us if he came ahead swiftly."
"Wonder why some of these Zeppelins and airships haven't come into
action?" said Frank.
"I don't know. Perhaps the Germans are afraid of losing one of them.
They probably have other uses for them, for, should they break through
here, it is likely they have their plans laid. What time have you?"
"Three thirty," said Frank, after a glance at his watch. "An hour,
almost, till daylight. Do you suppose the others will arrive on time?"
"I hope so. It would be better, of course, if they arrived while it is
yet dark, for then they might come up unseen. But with their arrival we
still will be outnumbered; and, realizing that, the Germans, when the
day breaks, will press the attack harder."
"I guess we will manage to hold them till the main fleet arrives in the
morning," said Frank, hopefully.
"We will have to hold them," declared Jack.
At this moment the lads' attention was directed to the cruiser
_Glasgow_. Already badly damaged, a second German shell had now burst
amidships with a loud explosion.
"And that settles the _Glasgow_," said Jack, sadly.
He was right. Gamely the _Glasgow_ fought back, but it was apparent to
all, in spite of the darkness, that she was settling lower and lower in
the water.
"And we can't rescue the men," said Frank. "Remember the admiralty
orders. No ship in action is to go to the aid of another. It would be
suicide."
"So it would," said Jack. "Poor fellows."
Slowly the _Glasgow_ settled; and for a moment the fire of all the
other vessels--Germans as well as British--lulled a bit. All eyes were
bent on the sinking ship.
A wireless message was flashed from the _Glasgow_ to Captain Raleigh of
the _Queen Mary_.
"Goodbye," it said. "Hold them!"
After that there was no further word from the doomed cruiser.
The searchlights of both fleets played full upon the _Glasgow_ as she
settled lower in the water. She staggered, seemed to make an effort to
hold herself afloat, and then sank suddenly.
The duel of big guns broke out afresh.