Even if the German account proves to be correct, there
is nothing that our Navy need be the least ashamed of in regard to the action, though, of course, we all deeply regret the loss of a British ship like the Monmouth' and of her gallant crew. In the five German ships which took part in the action there were sixteen 8.2 in. guns and no fewer than seventy-two smaller pieces. In the three British ships which are assumed to have engaged the Germans there were only two 9.2 in. guns and forty-two smaller guns. It is clear, therefore, that the Germans not only had the superiority in numbers, but a great preponderance in gun-fire. In addition, the German vessels were more heavily armoured than ours. Our ships were fairly old types, while the Scharnhorst ' and the Gneisenau ' were amongst the newest and best cruisers in the German Navy. The Times Naval Correspondent gives as a possible explanation that the Germans laid a trap for our ships, and while the Canopus' was coaling lured us to attack with our cruisem
alone. In this context we may mention that the German cruiser ' Yorck,' stated by the Germans to have been blown up by a mine, is now thought to have been sunk by one of our submarines.
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