the closeness with which it followed conventional lines, both in the
types of vessels and weapons used and in the manner of using them.
Neither submarines nor Zeppelins played any part, although both were
at hand. Some effective scouting was done by an aeroplane sent up from
one of the British cruisers early in the afternoon, and the British
report that they saw and fired on a Zeppelin early in the morning of
June 1, 1916. But this is all.

There have been stories for many months of a 17-inch gun of marvelous
power carried by German dreadnoughts, but no such weapon made its
appearance on this occasion.

And the tactics employed on both sides were as conventional as the
weapons used. The fight was a running fight in parallel columns from
the moment when Beatty and Von Hipper turned simultaneously toward the
south upon their first contact with each other, until night and fog
separated them at the end. Beatty's constant effort to secure a "cap"
contained no element of novelty, and Von Hipper's reply, refusing the
cap by turning his head away and swinging slowly on a parallel
interior curve, was the conventional, as it was the proper, reply.
Unfortunately, as we shall presently have occasion to note, the German
fleet ultimately allowed itself to be capped, with results which ought
to have been far more disastrous than they actually were. The
destroyers availed themselves of the opportunities for attack
presented from time to time by smoke and fog, and their drive was
stopped by opposing destroyers.

So little is known of the German injuries that there is hardly
sufficient ground for comment on the British marksmanship, but it does
not appear to have been what the world had expected. Exactly the
reverse is true of the German marksmanship, especially at long ranges.
It was surprisingly good, and the most surprising thing about it was
the promptness with which it found the target. The _Indefatigable_ was
blown up ten minutes after she came under fire. Hood, in the
_Invincible_, had barely gained his place in line ahead of Beatty's
column when the ship was smothered by a perfect avalanche of shells.
If it is true that the Germans had the best of the fight so far as
material damage is concerned, the explanation must be sought in their
unexpectedly excellent marksmanship, with, perhaps, some sinister
factor added, either of weakness in the British ships or of amazing
power in the German shells, yet to be made known. It should