ng, while the British battle cruisers retired from
the engagement, in which they did not participate further as far as can
be established. Shortly thereafter a German reconnoitering group, which
was parrying the destroyer attack, received an attack from the
northeast. The cruiser Wiesbaden was soon put out of action in this
attack. The German torpedo flotillas immediately attacked the heavy
ships.

Appearing shadow-like from the haze bank to the northeast was made out a
long line of at least twenty-five battleships, which at first sought a
junction with the British battle cruisers and those of the Queen
Elizabeth type on a northwesterly to westerly course, and then turned on
an easterly to southeasterly course.

With the advent of the British main fleet, whose center consisted of
three squadrons of eight battleships each, with a fast division of three
battle cruisers of the Invincible type on the northern-end, and three of
the newest vessels of the Royal Sovereign class, armed with fifteen-inch
guns, at the southern end, there began about 8 o'clock in the evening
the third section of the engagement, embracing the combat between the
main fleets.

Vice Admiral Scheer determined to attack the British main fleet, which
he now recognized was completely assembled and about doubly superior.
The German battleship squadron, headed by battle cruisers, steered first
toward the extensive haze bank to the northeast, where the crippled
cruiser Wiesbaden was still receiving a heavy fire. Around the Wiesbaden
stubborn individual fights under quickly changing conditions now
occurred.

The light enemy forces, supported by an armored cruiser squadron of five
ships of the Minatour, Achilles, and Duke of Edinburgh classes coming
from the northeast, were encountered and apparently surprised on account
of the decreasing visibility of our battle cruisers and leading
battleship division. The squadron came under a violent and heavy fire by
which the small cruisers Defense and Black Prince were sunk. The cruiser
Warrior regained its own line a wreck and later sank. Another small
cruiser was damaged severely.

Two destroyers already had fallen victims to the attack of German
torpedo boats against the leading British battleships and a small
cruiser and two destroyers were damaged. The German battle cruisers and
leading battleship division had in these engagements come under
increased fire of the enemy's battleship squadron, whi