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364 Cruisers: " Seydlitz " (10 ll-in., 25! knots, port engine disabled, under repair); 1st S.G., " Moltke " (10 ii-in., 25^ knots); "Von derTann"(8 ll-in., 25i knots); "Blucher"(i2 8-2-in., 23 J knots). Battleships: 1st Squadron," Ostfriesland," "Oldenburg" and "Thii- ringen" (relieved "Helgoland" about 8:30 A.M.); 3rd Squadron, " Prinz Reg. Luitpold," " Kaiser," " Kaiserin," " Konig Albert."

In Wilhelmshaven : " Coin " (Rear-Adml. Leberecht Maas, Flo- tilla Admiral; 1909, 4,350 tons, 12 4-i-in., 24^ knots, coaling); " Strassburg " (12 4-i-in., 26 knots); " Stralsund " (12 4-i-in., 26 knots) ; " Rostock " (2nd Leader, Flotillas), 12 4-i-in., 26 knots; " Hamburg " (Chief of 1st U. Flotilla), in dock.

In the Elbe: 2nd Squadron (Deutschlands).

At Brunsbiitteh " Danzig," " Munchen " (lO4-i-in., 2O knots).

Off the Ems: " Mainz " (1909, 4,350 tons, 12 4-i-in., 25 knots).

The movements of all the heavy German ships were governed by one dominant consideration the time of low water on the outer Jade bar. This fell at 9:33 A.M., and though there is not a word of the tide in any operation orders or despatches, it could hardly have occurred more fortunately for the British attack, for it meant that between 7 A.M. and noon no German battle cruiser or battleship could put to sea, a striking instance of the serious handicap imposed on the Germans by their river harbours.

The first signal of anything unusual came in at 5:26 A.M. The British submarine E 7 had fired a torpedo at G 104 about 4:45 A.M. and on the report reaching the "Seydlitz" about 5:26, Rear-Adml. Maas, the German Flotilla Admiral, was ordered to send out the sth Flotilla to look for the submarine, and they left Heligoland for this purpose at 6:45 A.M. Such was the situation just before the British forces came on the scene. The sea was smooth, with a light wind from N.W., the sky overcast and weather dull. At 6:53 A.M. the " Arethusa " struck the outer patrol line, and, seeing G 194 on the port bow about 3^ m. away, sent her flying towards Heligoland with the 4th Div. of the ist Flotilla (" Laurel," " Liberty," " Lysander " and " Laertes ") in chase. G 196, the next German boat on patrol to the N., sighted the British cruisers and reported them at 7:6, but the report from G 194 did not get through till about 7:30 A.M. V 187, the German flotilla leader's boat, to the S. of G 194, had also sighted two destroyers, possibly the " Lurcher " and " Firedrake," and two cruisers on a S.E. course, and sent in a report of them. The " Laurel's " division drew away to E., and at 7:26 Comm. Tyrwhitt turned to port to support them. The " Fearless," 2 m. astern of him, followed suit. A few minutes later the German 5th Flotilla was sighted coming up from Heligoland, and turned back hotly pursued. Between 7:45 and 8 A.M. it became clear to the German Admiral of Scouting Forces that a considerable force of British destroyers had penetrated the Bight and at 7:47 the " Stettin " and " Frauenlob " were ordered to proceed in sup- port. The " Stettin " had already weighed at 7:32 and by 7:58 was under way, though she had not raised steam in all boilers. Orders were also issued to the " Coin " and " Strassburg " to support, to the " Kolberg " to get steam up, and to the " Stral- sund " to proceed to the Roads. The German sth Flotilla was being slowly overtaken and was crying for cruiser help (7:45).

The chief of the German 2nd S/M Flotilla, on board the " Stettin," ordered U 25 to take up a position at the N. end of 'the Heligoland-Weser line; the remainder of theGermansubmarines, U 5, U 16, U 24, U 28, as they became available, were sent towards the Jade to guard the entrance of the river. The alarm had gone in Heligoland and the 8-in. guns were manned at 7 :3O A.M. ; by 7:50 A.M. the whole fortress was standing to. The pursuit was rapidly approaching the island, and the British flotillas were gradually overhauling the rear destroyers of the German sth Flotilla. S 13 and V i were falling behind; the latter's range had fallen to 3,900 yd., and at 7:50 a 4-in. shot penetrated her stokehold, reducing her speed to 20 knots; another shot got home on the starboard side, damaging the steering connexions, and the British destroyers were gradually drawing closer when the " Stettin " arrived on the scene at 7:58 A.M. and opened fire at 9,200 yards. At 8:5 A.M. the " Fearless " was sighted, and the " Stettin," breaking off the action, retired behind Heligoland to get steam up for full speed, while the " Fearless " turned to W.jS. at 8:12. The brief respite, however, had enabled the Ger- man sth Flotilla to get clear, and they were now streaming down

towards Heligoland, though some of the 3rd Minesweeping Div., which had formed the inner patrol line, were not so fortunate. They came under a heavy fire from the " Arethusa," and D 8 was hit by a 6-in. shot which killed the captain, lieutenant and doc- tor and disabled a score of men. T 33 too was brought to a standstill, but at 8:8 A.M. the " Frauenlob," which had left the Jade on hearing the guns, suddenly arrived on the scene from the S., and engaged the " Arethusa " on a S.W. course. The range fell from 6,000 to 4,000 yd., and the " Arethusa," which had only commissioned the previous day, suffered severely. Lt. Eric Westmacott, the signal officer, was killed by the commodore's side. Only the forecastle 6-in. gun remained in action, and one officer and 8 men were killed. The " Frauenlob " did not go unscathed. She received about 10 hits and five dead and 32 wounded. About 8:25 the "Arethusa" turned to W.^S., and the " Frauenlob " turned to S. and broke off the action.

The approach to Heligoland and the engagements with the " Stettin " and " Frauenlob " may be called the first phase of the action. By 8:30 A.M. it was over and both the flotillas were proceeding to the W., the " Fearless " some 6 m. to the N. of the "Arethusa." Goodenough's light cruisers were about I2m. to the W. and had also turned W. at 8:30. Beatty's battle cruisers were about 45 m. off to the north-west. The original plan had miscarried. The German patrols, instead of being swept to the W., had broken back and had all reached home with one excep- tion. As the " Fearless " made to the W., she sighted V 187 at 8:15. This was the German flotilla leader's boat, and the sth Div. of the British ist Flotilla went off in chase. V 187 ran to the S.W., hoping to make the Jade and Ems, when at 8:45 the " Lowestoft " and " Nottingham," which had been detached by Comm. Goodenough to support the flotillas, suddenly emerged to the N.W. and opened a heavy fire at 4,300 yd., hitting her for the first time. The captain turned to the N. to break past the pursuing destroyers. He had passed them and was about to turn to the E. when the 3rd Div. of the ist Flotilla came down on him from the north. He was now enveloped in a heavy fire from three sides. One shot put the foremost gun out of action, another penetrated the stokehold, another struck the bridge. The boat was brought to a standstill, and was sunk by the " Goshawk," " Phoenix " and " Ferret " at 9:10 A.M. The " Defender " had lowered boats to rescue the survivors, but the " Stettin," which had now got steam up, sighting V 187*5 smoke, reappeared on the scene, too late to help her but in time to scatter the destroyers, though she received one or two hits in doing so. The " Defender," in the hurry and scurry, had to leave her boats behind, but E 4 (Lt.-Comm. Leir), after making an unsuccessful attack on the " Stettin," waited till she was out of the way, then suddenly emerged, rescued the " Defender's " men, took an officer and a couple of V i87's men " as a sample," gave the remainder a compass to find their way to Heligoland, then submerged as suddenly as she came.

At 8:55 the " Fearless," making W., had sighted the " Are-