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It was but two days later when news arrived of the bursting of the war-storm in real earnest. Like a clap of thunder came the word by cable, that the German Navy, in force, had left Kiel two days gone, and within 30 hours were expected to meet the British Navy in the North Sea, in the first deadly conflict of big guns and clash of arms. It was stated that the Fleet, comprised 14 Dreadnoughts and super-Dreadnoughts, 18 cruisers, 40 torpedo boats, 20 submarines, and a number of other vessels. One hundred mighty vessels had been counted as the procession steamed down the Little Belt of Denmark, prior to emerging into the sea where was to be fought the initial, and probably bloodiest, naval battle ever waged upon the bosom of the ocean.

The morning papers, in large double column headlines, flared forth the news of the first move of the giants in the impending struggle. In every capital of the Commonwealth, men's minds could hold no other thought—the war was commencing! Every editorial pen wrote war; every linotype, typograph and monoline was running on war articles. Every tongue talked war!

The man in the street vented every imaginable opinion.

The optimist said, "The Germans will be potted before they know where they are! They'll be blown out of the water inside of half-a-day!"

The pessimist: "There'll be a dreadful time, and who can tell how it will end?"

The street wit, "They'll fight, the devils, like the Kilkenny cats—till there's nothing left of them!"

Eagerly they watched for the mid-day editions of the papers, but they only brought confirmation of the first despatches. Later on in the day appeared cables that the British Navy was steaming north to meet the German Fleet. With these messages were conflicting accounts, probably "made up" to some extent in the paper offices, of the exact strength of the Imperial Fleet. It was gathered, however, that the Channel Squadron was moving in a concentrated body to the attack; that with the auxiliaries it was nearly as strong as the German Navy; though in point of numbers fewer in the aggregate. They were placed at 12 Dreadnoughts, 20 cruisers, 33 torpedo boats, 14 submarines—79 in all.

"Twenty vessels short!" the shaky critics cried.

"All the greater the worth of the victory!" was the rejoinder of the sanguine.

It was gathered also from the evening papers that, though the Germans meant to meet the strength of the English Navy, it was evident they were holding many ships in reserve. The destination of these, and where they were moving, were left matters of conjecture. And in all conscience conjecture was rife. Programmes of the general German plan of attack was outlined in diagram, map, chart, etc. The most alarming of these, as also one calling most attention, seemed to have some basis of fact—it represented that 100,000 German troops were posted at Heligoland and various of the handy ports along the German coast, where were hundreds of transports awaiting word for departure, for their embarkation was already complete.

This fact being known, it became apparent why the whole British Fleet could not move north, however great the attacking force there might be.

It was announced that seven of the grey-hounds of the Fleet—vessels which could steam 30 knots an hour—were patrolling the Channel, each with "wireless" on board, and that no surprise party in force could attempt the Channel unknown.

The Mediterranean Squadron had left Gibraltar, and would take up the policing of the whole Channel to the North Sea, to make it impossible for the Armada to touch the English coast, along where in the meantime were placed, under easy steam, a swarm of the lesser vessels, including not less than 30 of the pre-Dreadnought type.

Latest editions of the papers that night—which were issued up to 12 o'clock—contained statements that the German Fleet were emerging out of the Kattegat into the North Sea.

On the morrow morning early people awoke with but one thought in common, "What will the day bring forth?" In thousands of cases, where the dailies were wont to be thrown over the garden wall or put upon the door-step, the impatient house-keeper looked in vain for his morning paper. Soon the streets were alive with men in slippers, and lads sans cap, sans coats, chasing the paper boys, who were selling their sheets at double price, and giving no change.

"Expected Encounter of the Rival Fleets at Noon To-day!

"Every British Gunboat Under Steam.

"350 War Vessels Afloat.

"Every Fortress Manned.

"Every Man at His Post.

"England is Ready."

Such were some of the poster headlines which struck the eye on opening the broad-sheet which was filled with messages, amplified into columns. The burden of the broad sheets may be thus epitomised:—

It was believed that the reason why the enemy's fleet had taken the comparatively long run round Denmark, instead of taking the short-cut by the new canal from Kiel (on the Baltic) to Brünsbuttal (only 400 miles, or 20 hours' steam to London) opening on to the North Sea, was to not give any opening to the British Fleet for attack at once, but to draw said Fleet away to the north as far as possible. That an attack in force would be imperative, to intercept an attack on Edinburgh, or even Newcastle. . . . That information of a reliable character was to hand that a second German Fleet was on the point of leaving Wilhelmshaven, accompanied by a huge flotilla of destroyers, submarines, and—fearful to contemplate—overshadowed and protected by 90 ærial war-ships of various designs, but all capable and calculated to spread death and disaster on a universal and unprecedented scale!

That London was excited, but not agitated; all the United Kingdom alert, anxious, but not fearful. That King George had sent a message to his people which had touched and roused every man in the nation—"Our Cousin Germany, without formal declaration of war, threatens invasion of our Empire. Britannia will know what reply to make. England is ready! And I know every man will do his duty. The hour to strike has come. Let us strike hard, fearing none—save only God!"

Mobilisation of British army complete.

The total number of men ready for home defence, under arms and fully equipped, was given at 290,000 men. The artillery batteries of Salisbury, Aldershot, and elsewhere were moving to the coastlines; the cavalry regiments were so posted as to move quickly to any spot indicated for the landing of the enemy. Every fortification was alive with men at the great guns: Newcastle, Hartlepool, Hull, Colchester, and all the forts about London to Chatham and Dover were ready to shoot; Portsmouth to Weymouth presented one long line of fortifications; likewise Plymouth to Devonport.

Every line of railway in the Kingdom would be at the disposal of the authorities. It was noted with satisfaction that one message stated that beside the Regulars, the Territorials throughout the land were hastening to place themselves at the disposal of the authorities for the defence of the homeland.

The evening editions of the papers had it that hostilities had commenced—that a flying scout in the Channel, between Helder and Yarmouth, had been chased and partially disabled, but had escaped in the direction of Borhum; that an immense fleet of mercantile ships and vessels of every possible tonnage had been sighted off Heligoland, outside of which lay a protecting fleet of battleships and cruisers. This was in part accepted as confirmation of the rumour previously circulated that the German Government had commandeered all available commercial ships of great carrying capacity to convey the German legions in the dash across the English Channel, to storm and break the power of mighty Britain!

* * * *

How long the hours seemed till yet another morn should break upon another day that must surely be yet more full of incident! Almost this day might settle the fate of a nation! The suspense now approached an agony. Judging by the popular feeling in every one of the Australian capitals, the day could not pass without the most momentous issues being, if not actually decided, so colored and balanced as to leave its mark upon the future, for good or ill, to the British Navy and the British Empire.

So intense had the public feeling now become that business was practically at a standstill. Even men on large contracts, buildings, etc., were seen to come down from their work, to scan the morning papers, and to exchange comments and opinions on what the day would bring forth and what the issues might be.

This eventful day was Thursday, the——day of May, 1912. The month of May, was ever marked by great, notable, and even tragic events in the history of the English Crown. In this case it is likely to be long-remembered as:—

"BLACK THURSDAY, OF 1912."

As was afterwards ascertained, the morn was grey with mist and fog, which, for four or five hours, hung thick upon the waters of the Channel, particularly between Sheerness and Flushing. It was under cover of this friendly fog that no fewer than nine Dreadnoughts, as many cruisers, 12 destroyers, and a number of submarines broke into sight in the sea, where but 100 miles of water separate England from Holland. By keeping to the Continental coast as far as possible, they had evaded the British scouts. Their object was now manifest—to draw away from the central passage of crossing the British gun-boats that remained in or about the estuary of the Thames, as the main fleet was destined to draw the superior vessels of the navy north.

It was this second-rate fleet which got in the first destructive work—more destructive than the first message of "Black Thursday" gave utterance to. That message simply stated: "Surprise attack in the morning ere the mists had cleared on three British ships of the line off Dover. British vessels in distress after the first hour's cannonading; overwhelmed in numbers. Rear Admiral——wired for support. Feared those will not arrive in time. Rumoured that one ship disabled, one run ashore, and, one captured by the enemy."

Three ships of the line put out of action in the first onset! That was indeed disconcerting news!

The next was no less so. To meet this early repulse, a portion of the mid-Channel Fleet was ordered south. This was exactly what the enemy intended should take place.

The host from Emden was then put in motion. A slight breeze from the north-east helped the flotilla—the silent armada which joined the legion lying ready at Heligoland, which altogether numbered not a mere 100,000 men, but 160,000 men. These were to comprise the landing force, irrespective of the escorts, which now formed up in two formidable lines, one on either side the transports conveying the invading army.

The last message on that eventful Thursday was to the effect that the German Armada was advancing, and would be met on the morrow by what ships were left. . . . That a wireless from the Admiral in the North Sea stated that the great sea fight had commenced, at a general range of from 17 to 18 miles.

All that night every newspaper (daily) was kept open all night, so keen and imperative was the demand for news that "war-sheets" were issued almost every hour. One of the earliest of them told how the first disaster to the British ships had come about. They were not met together, but seriatim, and so over-powered. These battleships were the Prince of Wales, The Implacable and Albemarle. The Prince of Wales was the ship that ran ashore (near Dover).

2 p.m.—The battleships which had hastened out to strike vengeance for this cowardly attack in the dark were Cornwallis, Queen, Albion, Formidable, and Russell. These five ships were followed by several destroyers and submarines. In the evening, an hour before dusk, these ships encountered the enemy in the vicinity of where the morning disaster occurred. They were waiting in anticipation of a return attack. Firing began at from 13 to 15 miles. The sea was choppy. But the marksmanship of the Germans was so faulty at the distance that no damage was done. Better results followed from the British guns; at least 19 or 20 shots had been placed, as proved by observations. Finding they were still in majority, however, the German Fleet put on steam, and were sending out their submarines when the order was given for the British boats to slowly return, while firing, to the mouth of the Thames.

Now, for the first time was given the names of the chief battleships which had steamed north for the "battle royal." They were at once the flower and pride of the British Navy:—

Dreadnought.

Lord Nelson.

Bellerophin.

Agamennon.

Superb (F.S.)

Irresistible.

Temeraire.

Bulwark.

Blenheim.

Drake.

Blake.

Surprise.

The Admiral had chosen to fly his flag from the mighty and splendid ship Superb, improved Dreadnought, whose displacement was 18,600 tons; speed, 21 knots.

Following the battleships were 20 cruisers, several of which were themselves giant Dreadnoughts, among them being the Invincible, Inflexible, Indomitable, Minotaur, Good Hope, Black Prince and Donegal.

This encounter, destined to become an historic as Trafalgar, took place on a line of the North Sea which might roughly be drawn between Edinburgh and mid-Denmark.

The main line of the German Fleet, extending over one mile and a half, was encountered by the British Fleet on the right-hand of the latter, the procession of the enemy heading down Channel.

As the rival fleets approached they slowly converged to a nearer parallel line, so that the heavy guns became more deadly as they passed. Heading the British vessel was the Admiral's Flagship Superb. The order of battle, judging by the hastily-despatched cables was, on the British side, that, the 12 first-class battleships took the inner running; on the lee-side of every battleship steamed a torpedo-boat, as companion, awaiting directions as to when to begin to play out the torpedoes. Likewise, with each cruiser was an accompanying torpedo-boat; while the submarines and destroyers were again outside of the double line. The procession is said to have been imposing and orderly to a degree. In the first despatches, mention was made of only one German ship, by name The Kaiser Wilhelm, which was reported to have Prince Henry of Prussia on board. As to the German lines, the Flagship, in their case, was not first it seems, but midway in the procession, which steamed in more compact order than the British Squadrons, as the whole hundred ships seem to have occupied less length of sea-space than the 80 ships of the British line; while in place of being covered by their big ships the smaller craft followed in and out almost consecutively, but three torpedo-boats were noticed, following immediately behind the Flagship.

The weather was reported fine, but heavy clouds obscured the sun. The wind, which was moderate, was down Channel; the battle began at 1 o'clock on the Friday following Black Thursday.