JUNE 2, 1916

Superior German gunnery and skillful seamanship has apparently ended England's long dominance of the seas.

Picking its way from its base in the Kiel Canal, the German High Seas Fleet on Wednesday afternoon emerged into the North Sea and off the coast of Jutland engaged a British fleet throughout the afternoon and night in what was probably the greatest naval battle in the world's history.

By the time the battle ended, Great Britain had lost the battlecruisers Lion, Indefatigable, Queen Mary, Invincible, and the armored cruisers Black Prince, Warrior, and Defense. In addition, the battleships of the 5th Battle Squadron, Malaya, Barham, Warspite, and Valiant, surrendered to German forces after suffering terrible damage and loss of life. Germany had lost the light cruisers Ebling, Rostock, and Weisbaden, and the cruiser Frauenlob as well as several light torpedo craft.

That the casualties in the fighting off Jutland were heavy is indicated by the fact that of the crew of some 900 on board the Indefatigable, only two men are known to have been saved.

If the reports are true, it appears the famed Royal Navy has suffered the most devastating loss of its storied history.

In London, the Admiralty has not yet issued a statement; the facts so far come from jubilant German sources, as well as scattered reports from Dutch and Danish trawlers and fishing vessels coming into port bearing dead and wounded men from the naval battle.

The Imperial German Chancellor has sent a congratulatory telegram to the commander of the High Seas Fleet, according to a Berlin dispatch. A similar note has reportedly been sent by King George V to the Royal Navy's Admiral Jellicoe. The content of this message remains unknown, but is said to be considerably more somber than its German counterpart.

The main engagement apparently occurred about 125 miles south-southwest of the southern extremity of Norway and 150 miles off the Danish coast. The day engagement began at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon and continued until dark, at about 9 o'clock. This was followed by a series of separate engagements throughout the night.

A detailed description of the battle will be forthcoming as soon as that information becomes available.