ment | | |speed*| |ment | | |speed
-----------|------|-----|-------|------|-----------|------|-----|-------|------
Lion |26,350| 9" |8 13.5"| 31.7 |Derfflinger|26,180| 13" | 8 12" | 30
Tiger |28,500| 9" |8 13.5"| 32 |Seydlitz |24,610| 11" |10 11" | 29
Princess |28,350| 9" |8 13.5"| 31.7 |Moltke |22,640| 11" |10 11" | 28.4
Royal | | | | | | | | |
New Zealand|18,800| 8" |8 12" | 29 |Bluecher |15,550| 6" |12 8.2"| 25.3
Indomitable|17,250| 7" |8 12" | 28.7 | | | | |
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[Footnote *: Jane's FIGHTING SHIPS, 1914.]

[Illustration: THEATER OF OPERATIONS IN THE NORTH SEA]

Settling at once to a stern chase, the British ships increased
speed to 28.5 knots; while the Germans, handicapped by the slower
_Bluecher_, were held down to 25. At 8.52 the _Lion_ was within
20,000 yards of the _Bluecher_, and, after deliberate ranging shots,
scored her first hit at 9.09. As the range further decreased, the
_Tiger_ opened on the rear ship, and the _Lion_ shifted to the
third in line at 18,000 yards. The enemy returned the fire at
9.14. Thus the action continued, both squadrons in lines of
bearing, and Beatty's ships engaged as a rule with their opposites
in the enemy order.

[Illustration: DOGGER BANK ACTION, JAN. 24, 1915]

At 9.45 the German armored cruiser had suffered severely, and ships
ahead also showed the effects of the heavier enemy fire. Under
cover of a thick smoke screen from destroyers on their starboard
bow, and a subsequent destroyer attack, the Germans now shifted
course away from the enemy and the rear ships hauled out on the
port quarter of their leader to increase the range. The British
cruisers, according to Admiral Beatty's report, "were ordered to
form a line of bearing N.N.W., and proceed at their utmost speed."
An hour later the _Bluecher_ staggered away to northward. Badly
crippled, she was assigned by Beatty to the _Indomitable_, and was
sunk at 12.37. At 10.54 submarines were reported on the British
starboard bows.

Just after 11 the flagship _Lion_, having received two hits under
water which burst a feed tank and thus put the port engine out of
commission, turned northward out of the line. Though the injury
was spoken of as the result of a "chance shot," the _Lion_ had been
hit 15 times. About