iately 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 centre 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 Seheer determined to attack the British main fleet,
which he now recognised 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, which, shortly
after 8 o'clock, could be made out in the haze turning to the
north-eastward and finally to the east, Germans observed, amid the
artillery combat and shelling of great intensity, signs of the
e