June 15, 1916 
LAND & WATER 
13 
in the course of the southorly pursuit of von Hipper. I 
was also wrong in supposing that Sir Robert Arbuthnot's 
dash with the armoured cruisers was made after Sir 
David Beatty formed the gap between himself and Evan 
Thomas. The incident took place while the battle- 
cruisers and fast battleships were still fighting as a single 
squadron. 
Effect of Shell Fire 
Far too few details as to the effect of modern shell 
fire on modern ships are as yet available for it to be safe 
to draw sweeping deductions. But when it is remem- 
bered that the bad light made it necessary to engage at a 
range which this war has taught us to consider only moder- 
ate it seems astonishing that the battle cruisers should have 
( ome through such severe punishment with such insigni- 
ficant injuries. One hears of a ship receiving over fifty 
hits of II and 12-inch shell without losing a knot of speed, 
one-tenth of her complement, or having one-quarter of 
her guns out of action — as an actual fact, needing no 
essential repairs to make her just as fit for fighting at the 
end as she was at the beginning of the action, and suffer- 
ing no damages that very few weeks in dockyard cannot 
put right again. 
This is a thing that should perhaps make one cautious 
in believing every enemy sliip that was for any time 
under effective fire must be virtually destroyed, or 
shot to pieces. But it must be remembered that all 
through the action the British were using guns of far 
heavier calibre and, consequently, throwing far more 
destructive shells, than were the Germans. From 3.45 
till 6 o'clock, Sir David Beatty's force was firing first 
four, then three broadsides of 13.5's and four broadsides 
of. 15-inch guns. Only one of his ships was armed with 
12-inch. We can take it as certain also that in the 
short tinie that the Grand Fleet was engaged, it would be 
the 15-inch and 13.5 gun ships that were principally in 
action. Where, therefore, there is reliable evidence of 
these ships having brought enemy vessels under a succes- 
sion of salvoes, it seems reasonable to suppose that he 
must have suffered, hit for hit, far more heavily than we 
did. 
Spirit of the Fleet 
The Navy has had to wait so long for its first big battle, 
so many of the officers and men and ships had not been' 
in action before May 31st, that to the vast majority 
this was their baptism of fire— the first test to which 
their professional skill, long training and above all, 
their spirit had been put. Those who knew the Navy 
best have been least surprised at the triumphant egress 
of all from this ordeal. Those deeds of daring that end 
in death naturally claim our first tribute and impress 
themselves the more deeply upon our memories, so that 
the gallantry of Hood, the splendid heroism of Arbuthnot 
and his fellows on the cruisers, and the last hours of 
Onslow, stand out pre-eminent. It is much to be 
hoped, however, that of the innumerable instances of 
courage, intrepidity, of light-hearted facing of risks, and 
of the cheerful bearing of suffering, the more picturesque 
and striking will be recorded and preserved not only for 
the honour of their heroes but for the encouragement of 
future generations. Many yarns are current already, 
and as a first step towards the desired anthology I 
note the following. 
An officer of one of the light cruisers was reported in 
the official return as "severely wounded." Whitehall 
immediately received a telegram respectfully but ardently 
protesting against so misleading and humiliating a des- 
cription. " I have only got a chip knocked out of my 
shin and shall be ready for duty in a very few days " 
The P.M.O. was promptly wired to for a full description 
of this officer's injuries. It turned out that he had the 
right leg fractured, and left tibia chipped, a large piece 
of shell embedded in his groin, and seventeen other cuts 
and wounds. 
In the 6-inch battery of one ship an enemy shell set 
fire to a cordite charge, and there being others in close 
pro.ximity, the officer of quarters at once gave orders to 
clear the battery. Before the order could be obeyed, two 
boys were knocked over by the ignition of a second charge 
A naval chaplain went back, brushed the burning pro- 
pellant off them and pulled them out, and got badly- 
burned about the face and hands in doing so. With 
every feature disfigured and almost blinded, he was led, 
almost by force, below. The pain must have been ex- 
cruciating. But he protested he was an absolute fraud, 
not a bit hurt and that they ought to be giving their 
attention to people who were seriously injured. 
Another chaplain, hit in the spine, was told by the 
doctor that he only had a few hours to live. He sat in 
the chair, conversing cheerily with those around him 
till death came — -by fat the least concerned of all in 
the company. 
It is said that Sparrowhaivk having lost the whole 
of her fore part lay throughout the night of the 31st 
and 1st a helpless wreck. Early in the morning a cruiser 
was seen approaching. It soon became quite clear that 
she was an enemy. The men in the Sparrowhawk had 
no conceivable means either of attacking, or of defending 
themselves. There seemed no alternative to death or 
imprisonment. They watched the approach then of the 
cruiser with none too pleasant anticipations of the result. 
Suddenly, to their amazement, without a gun being fired 
or any notice being taken of them, the enemy cruiser 
up-ended and sank in half a minute. She had not ap- 
peared to be badly damaged ; there was no explosion 
or explanation whatever. Arthur Pollen 
Epitaphe 
By Emile Cammaerts 
TO' the Memory of Sergeant Jacques Bouvier, 
aged 23, killed at Dixmudc, while relieving 
a comrade buried under his dug-out, in an 
advance post. 
II n'est pas mort, 
II est parti. 
II a force la porta de sa vie. 
II a franchi, 
D'un bond, le seuil dc son sort. 
II n'est pas mort. 
II est sorti 
' D'un monde qui etait trop petit pour lui. 
Couvrez le tambour d'un voile noir. 
Couvrez son corps 
Du drapeau de la Victoire. 
II n'a pas eu, comme d'autres, la patience 
D'attendre jusqu' au bout. 
II n'a pas eu, comme d'autres, la prudejice 
De boire k petits coups. 
II n'est pas mort. 
II est parti. 
II a vide sa coupe jusqu' k la lie. 
II a franchi, 
D'un bond, le seuil de son sort. 
II a fait, d'un geste, tout ce qu'il avait a faire, 
II a dit, d'un mot, tout ce qu'il avait at dire, 
II a livre sa guerre 
Et souffert son mar tyre. 
Battez le tambour at petits coups xas, 
Portez son corps 
A petits pas. 
II n'est pas mort, 
Mais nous mourrons 
Chaque fois que nousi songerons a lui 
Et que nous nous souviendrons 
Que nous ne I'avons pas suivi. 
11 n'est pas mort, 
Mais nous vivrons 
Bien des jours et bien des nuits 
Sans jamais voir la ]Dorte d'or 
Qui s'est ouverte de\iant lui. 
Plantez une croix sur son tombeau— 
II n'est pas mort — 
Gravez son nom, son numero, 
Et tirez sur son corps 
La salve des heros 1 . 
[All Uichts RESERinol 
