It has been reserved for a German naval officer, Commander G. von Base, to expose che absurdity of the German claim that the Battle of Jutland was a great victory for them, but even more interesting are his remarks on the shooting of the British, "The British shot superbly and at. a fabulous speed. At times ce effective was the British gunfire that we stood powerless before the enemy, unable to return his fire." What happened to the Derfflinger gives some idea of the damage done by British gunnery.
"One 15.in. shell pierced the armour of turret and exploded, killing 73 of the 78 men, and setting the ship on fire at that part. Another 15 in. shell penetrated a roof of D turret, killing 80 meo in all, instantly. With every moment, the British fire seemed to grow more intense and accurate. Another shell wrenched two armour plates from the bows of the Derfflinger and tore a hole 20 ft. by 26 ft. in the hull, through which the water, poured whenever the vessel pitched. All her yards were shot away, the flags burned and searchlights wrecked, and all voice-pipes and tele. hone cables had been shot away."
that more German vessels were: not sunk was due to their excellent defensive arrangements in the way of sub-division and armour, but Commander von Base's tribute to the shooting of the British gunners shows why the German fleet cluded the British during the night and never came out to fight again.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.