hard luck with our battle-cruisers,
but the loss of three great ships does not in any measure cripple our
control of the sea.

"The great battle had four phases. The first opened at 3:15 p. m., when
our battle-cruisers, at a range of six miles, joined action with German
battle-cruisers. Shortly afterward the second phase began with the
arrival on both sides of battleships, the Germans arriving first. But
before their arrival our three battle-cruisers had been blown up,
supposedly the result of gunfire, although possibly they were victims
of torpedoes. "Such close range fighting with battle-cruisers might be
criticized as bad tactics, but our fleet, following the traditions
of the navy, went out to engage the enemy, and on account of weather
conditions could do so only at short range.

"The third phase was the engagement of battleships, which never was
more than partial. This phase included a running fight, as the German
dreadnaughts fled toward their bases. All the big ship fighting was over
by 9:15 p. m.

ENEMY GONE BY DAWN.

"Then came one of the most weird features of the battle, as German
destroyers made attack after attack, like infantry following artillery
preparation, on our big ships. But these onslaughts were futile, not a
single torpedo launched by them getting home.

"With the morning these attacks ended and the scene of battle was swept
by Jellicoe's fleet. Not a single enemy vessel remained in sight.

"An incident of the great battle was the torpedoing of the
super-dreadnaught Marlborough, which is now safely an harbor. It must
have struck a veritable hornets' nest of submarines, as by skillful
maneuvering it avoided three of these before it was finally hit.

"Early in the engagement, according to Admiral Beatty's report, a German
battle-cruiser, after being hotly engaged, blew up and broke in two.

"Officers of the fleet also reported passing a closely engaged German
battle-cruiser which was left behind while the British pursued the
Germans. On their return this vessel was missing. Judging from its
previous plight it must now be at the bottom of the sea. This accounts
for two of the enemy's battle-cruisers, and we have their admission that
they had lost two battleships.

"Zeppelins did not play the important part attributed to them. Only one
appeared. It remained in action a brief time, retiring under heavy
fire, evidently badly damaged. Weather conditions were such that it is
doubtful whether