e the losses
were heavy.

"The German battle fleet aided by low visibility avoided a prolonged
action with our main forces. As soon as they appeared on the scene the
enemy returned to port, though not before receiving severe damage from
our battleships."

The battle was one in which no quarter was asked or even possible. There
were no surrenders, and the ships lost went down and carried with them
virtually the whole crews. Only the Warrior, which was towed part way
from the scene of battle to a British port, was an exception.

Of the thousand men on the Queen Mary, only a corporal's guard was
accounted for. The same was true of the Invincible, while there were
no survivors reported from the Indefatigable, the Defense or the Black
Prince.

TELL OF BATTLE HORRORS.

After the battle there were many stories of ships sinking with a great
explosion: of crews going down singing the national anthem; of merchant
ships passing through a sea thick with floating bodies.

From survivors came thrilling stories of the horrors and humanities of
the battle. The British destroyer Shark acted as a decoy to bring the
German ships into the engagement. It was battered to pieces by gunfire,
and a half dozen sailors, picked up clinging to a buoy by a Danish ship,
told of its commander and two seamen serving its only remaining gun
until the last minute, when the commander's leg was blown off.

A lifeboat with German survivors from the German cruiser Elbing rescued
Surgeon Burton of the British destroyer Tipperary. He had sustained four
wounds.

THE FIRST OFFICIAL STORY.

The first account in detail of the battle was given by a high official
of the British Admiralty, who said on June 4:

"We were looking for a fight when our fleet went out. Stories that the
fleet was decoyed by the Germans are sheerest nonsense. In a word,
with an inferior fleet we engaged the entire German high sea fleet,
interrupted their plans, and drove them back into their harbors.

"In carrying out the plan decided upon we sustained heavy losses, which
we expected, but we also attained the expected result of forcing the
enemy to abandon his plan and seek refuge after we had given battle in
his own waters near his coast.

"With the exception of two divisions, part of which was only partly
engaged, the brunt of battle was borne by the battle-cruiser fleet, and
with one exception our battle fleet is ready for sea service. I must
admit that we had exceptionally