cruisers interposed, and a bitter engagement at close range
ensued, in the course of which a light cruiser participated.

The Germans lost two torpedo boats, the crews of which were rescued
by sister ships under a heavy fire. Two British destroyers were
sunk by artillery, and two others--the Nestor and Nomad--remained
on the scene in a crippled condition. These later were destroyed by
the main fleet after German torpedo boats had rescued all the
survivors.

While this engagement was in progress, a mighty explosion, caused
by a big shell, broke the Queen Mary, the third ship in line,
asunder, at 6.30 o'clock.

Soon thereafter the German main battleship fleet was sighted to the
southward, steering north. The hostile fast squadrons thereupon
turned northward, closing the first part of the fight, which lasted
about an hour.

The British retired at high speed before the German fleet, which
followed closely. The German battle cruisers continued the
artillery combat with increasing intensity, particularly with the
division of the vessels of the Queen Elizabeth type, and in this
the leading German battleship division participated intermittently.
The hostile ships showed a desire to run in a flat curve ahead of
the point of our line and to cross it.

At 7.45 o'clock in the evening British small cruisers and
destroyers launched an attack against our battle cruisers, who
avoided the torpedoes by manoeuvring, while the British battle