THE BATTLE
Dawn.
With the breaking of the intense darkness what a surprise was in store
for the Germans!
Back of the four remaining British ships that had at first engaged the
Germans, interrupting their dash and holding them in check until the
arrival of a force strong enough to engage the foe more closely, came
now the relief promised by Vice-Admiral Beatty.
Gathered from various parts of the North Sea, they had steamed toward
Jutland, and, arriving there at almost the same time, they had assumed
battle formation in the darkness.
That the British were approaching must have been known by the German
admiral, for their wireless apparatus had been working unceasingly,
telling of their approach, and these signals must have been caught by
the German warships, though, because sent in code, they were
undecipherable. Nor could the enemy tell, by the sound, just how close
the British were.
Captain Raleigh, too, as well as the other British commanders, had
known the other English ships were forming some distance back. Toward
these they now retreated; and just as dawn broke, and the British
sailors obtained their first view of the promised assistance--and
greeted the new arrivals with cheers--the British advanced to the
attack.
The German admiral, taking in the situation, knew that he still
outnumbered the British--that the advantage was still with him. He
determined to give battle. He knew, too, that it was only a question of
time until the main British fleet would approach and he determined to
win the battle before the arrival of new foes. He signalled an advance.
The British fleet was great and powerful--but not so great and powerful
as the German by far. As the _Queen Mary, Indefatigable_ and the two
torpedo boats fell back, still the center of German fire and still
hurling shell, seeking their proper places in the battle line, the
other British vessels came on. And presently the _Queen Mary_ and
others had gained their places in the formation.
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.
This left the _Black Prince_ and the _Warrior_ alone before the larger
British vessels and they stood to their work gallantly. The fire of
both cruisers was centered on the German flagship; and it was plain
that if they continued at their work the _Westphalen_ was doomed.
An order was flashed to the German Zeppelins. Two sped forward.
Captain Raleigh of the _Queen Mary_ saw them advancing and the forward
anti-aircraft gun was unloosened. The first Zeppelin, flying low, was
pierced before it had moved forward a hundred yards; and it fell into
the sea between the German battleships, a flaming mass. But the second
came on.
Above the _Black Prince_ the Zeppelin paused. Something dropped through
the air. There was a flash, an explosion and a dense black cloud rolled
across the water. When it had cleared the _Black Prince_ was gone!
The anti-aircraft guns of the _Queen Mary_ and the _Indefatigable_
fired furiously at the Zeppelin; and a few moments later a shot from
the latter struck home. The second Zeppelin fell into the sea. By this
time the _Marlborough_ had drawn up with the _Queen Mary_ and the other
large British ships; and now these advanced majestically.
The first to encounter the weight of their guns was the German
battleship _Pommern_, of 12,900 tons. Raked fore and aft, she was soon
ablaze. Her crew leaped into the sea, almost as one man, following an
explosion in her boiler room; and the water was dark with bobbing
heads.
The _Pommern's_ sister ship, the _Freiderich_, slowed down and gave
assistance in picking up the crew of the former vessel; and while she
was engaged in this work no British gun fired at her.
Gradually the _Marlborough_, the _Queen Mary_, the _Indefatigable_ and
the _Invincible_ drew closer together as they advanced upon the
Germans. Shells burst over them with regularity, but so far none had
reached a vital spot.
The _Queen Mary_ turned all her forward guns on the _Westphalen_ and
raked her fore and aft. In vain the other vessels of the German fleet
sought to detract the _Queen Mary's_ fire. Captain Raleigh had started
out with the intention of disposing of the German flagship and he was
determined not to heed the others until the _Westphalen_ had been sent
to the bottom.
It was no easy task he had set for himself, for he now was the center
of fire of the whole German fleet--almost. A submarine darted forward
to save the _Westphalen_. The quick eye of a British gunner caught it.
He took aim and fired. The submarine disappeared.
With a view to disposing of the enemy immediately, Captain Raleigh
ordered that one of the two forward torpedoes be launched.
There was a hiss as the little tube was released. The distance was so
close now that a miss was impossible. There was an instant of silence,
followed by a terrible rending sound; then a loud blast. The torpedo
had reached the _Westphalen's_ boiler room.
Quickly the German admiral and his officers clambered over the side and
rowed to the _Wiesbaden_, where they were taken on board and the
admiral's flag run up. The _Westphalen_ was abandoned; and she sank a
few moments later.
In the meantime, the British cruiser _Warrior_, of 13,500 tons, had
been sent down by the explosion of a German shell which had reached her
magazine. So rapidly had she settled that not a man of her crew
escaped. Thus had the three light battle cruisers of the British--the
vessels that had shown the way--been disposed of.
At this moment Vice-Admiral Beatty and his flagship, the _Lion_,
entered the battle. The great guns of the flagship roared above the
others and the battleship _Frauenlob_, singled out by her fire, soon
sank.
In spite of the German losses, the British, so far, had had the worst
of the encounter and the German admiral, despite the loss of his
flagship, had no mind to give up the battle. He pushed to closer
quarters.
Now the fighting became more terrific. Shells struck upon all ships
engaged at intervals of a few seconds apart. Frequently loud explosions
were heard above the voices of the great guns; and in most cases these
signified the end of a ship of war.
Among the smaller vessels--the torpedo boats--which had singled each
other out, the execution had been terrible. Dead and wounded strewed
the decks and there was no time for the uninjured to give aid. They
were too busy attending to their guns and manoeuvering their vessels.
But the outcome of an engagement such as this could have but one
result, it seemed. Outnumbered as they were and fighting as bravely as
they knew how, the British were getting the worst of it. Rather than
sacrifice more lives and ships, Vice-Admiral Beatty, on the _Lion_,
gave the signal to retire. He was in hopes that the Germans would
follow and thus fall into the clutches of the main British fleet which
was advancing at full speed and with which Vice-Admiral Beatty had been
in communication by wireless.
The Germans accepted the bait as the British drew off slowly; and as
they advanced more ships steamed up from the east. It was a second
German squadron advancing to the aid of the first.
There was a cry of surprise from the British, for they had not known
that there was a second fleet in such close proximity. These new
vessels evidently were the reserves the German admiral had been
depending upon to turn the tide of battle should his first line ships
not be able to overcome the British.
Seeing apparent victory within his grasp, the German admiral signalled
his fleet to full speed; so the British retreated more rapidly.
Suddenly there was a terrible explosion to the right of the _Queen
Mary_. Frank and Jack, as well as all others on the _Queen Mary_, gazed
in that direction. The battle cruiser _Invincible_ suddenly sprang into
a sheet of flame and parted in half. A German shell had struck her
vitals.
A cry of despair broke from the British as the _Invincible_--the
greatest British ship to suffer so far--dived beneath the waves.