The last of the opposing battle lines would deliver up the most lopsided match-ups of the battle, and along with that a moment of bravery that would forever mark a young man who would, some years later rise to great position.
As Rear Admiral Mauve’s five old pre-dreadnoughts swung into place behind the rest of their confederates, and the towering water spouts marked where their enemy was seeking them out, most of their crews, standing to in their various positions did not see that their worst fears were about to take life.
Opposite them, those on the British battleships could not believe what was sailing in to oppose them. As the commander of HMS Revenge, Captain Edward Buxton Kiddle would write in his journals after the battle:
“I looked out in near disbelief at those last few ships in the German line. For a moment I would wonder that my sight had tricked me, but no, they were indeed as they were. In their day, the sight of these proud old warriors would have struck an enemy’s heart cold. At Tsushima, they would have been nearly invincible against either of the combatants, but here, here they would be no more than lambs before wolves.
What nature of a man would sail into battle with us in such ships? Foolhardy might be ones first impression, but truthfully, that would be the wrong choice. As our ranging salvoes sought them out I would understand that these men, our foe, must be some of the bravest and most resolute that had ever gone to sea to do battle. To be at that point, in those ships, they truly could be nothing less. Of those who had ordered their date with their coming dark destiny, I would hold a much lesser regard.
We would do battle with these men, and we would win, of course. While they would wound us, those wounds would be minor. However, for those small wounds, many of them would pay the most precious price.
There are those who would use our action to better describe the power and glory of the navy. While there were many great efforts that day that better deserve accolades regarding our effort, in this case I feel it is out of place, for in short order, we were about to deal with these brave men in a manner more befitting to how a cold hearted country lord might deal with an unwanted mongrel tied to a post.
Their guns could damage us a pittance, and they had not the speed to safely retire even if they had chosen to. They simply came on, and we delivered their fate on to them. Over three thousand sons of their Fatherland, most lost forever, there is no glory in that.”
To say that Mauve’s pre-dreadnoughts were overmatched would be understatement at the very least. Opposing them were the three Revenge class battleships of the 4th division of the 2nd Battle Squadron under Vice Admiral Cecil Burney, with the four old battleships of Vice Admiral Gaunt’s 4th BS bringing up the end of the British line.
Mauve’s flagship, SMS Deutschland, led these old warriors into action. Even as the old battleship’s initial salvoes were reaching out for their enemy, the ranging half salvoes from HMS Revenge were relentlessly drawing in on the fine old ship. So it would be that just as a pair of rounds ploughed up the sea close inboard to the starboard side of Revenge, a ranging salvo from that British battle ship fell across Deutschland. Out of the four shells in the salvo, the first fell short, casting fragments across the decks of the German ship. The second hit the water close inboard as well, however it would be near enough that it would strike the hull some fifteen feet below the water line, then detonate. The third shell would easily defeat the old ship’s armour, driving into her port side battery and detonating as it hit the rear of the structure. The fourth one would strike the upper decks, smashing boats, light mounts and equipment, before lodging in the base structure of the third funnel, without detonating.
The last hit, while causing much local damage, was of little effect, and while the damage to the funnel would leave funnel gases and soot billowing low out over the rear of the ship, there was little in the way of serious effect on the ship. The third hit would create bedlam in the portside battery deck, as a large portion of it was torn apart in the blast, then burnt out in the resultant fires. It was only the quick action of her crews in securing the magazines, that saved her from a much more direct end. While this hit was of a much more serious note than the first one, it would be the hit below the waterline, just forward of the other two, which would deliver what would be the ship’s killing blow.
For such a ship, with her essentially nonexistent under water protection, the hit would prove fatal, as along with the shell’s detonation as it struck the hull tearing open a large hole in her flank, and smashing the associated bunkers behind it, it would rend the inner bulkheads as well, which would allow the cold waters of the North Sea to find easy passage into her.
With little in the way of internal bulkheads and protection, water would find its way into the engineering spaces almost immediately. That the crew would struggle to save her was a given, but there was little to be done given her dated design.
With the range now set, the guns of HMS Revenge would deliver four full salvoes on the old warrior, and gain three more solid hits. One would tear through the front of turret Anton, deflecting off the breach of the portside gun, before smashing its way out the rear of the turret without detonating, and leaving a gory trail of destruction behind it. Out of the turret’s crew, only two bloodied survivors would struggle free of the carnage. The other pair would strike her portside belt. The first would detonate as it struck, shattering a large portion of the old plate, and driving those fragments back into the ship’s hull. The last one passed through the belt, and drove deep into the guts of Deutschland, detonating as advertised against one of her old reciprocating engines.
“While still struggling vainly to hold off the effects of the earlier hit below, along with struggling to see to any possible survivor of turret Anton, and secure its magazines and powder stores, there came two more hits. The first would shake the ship, as it detonated on contact with our belt. The second was much more disturbing, as a detonation deep in the ship, followed by the moan and scream of high speed machinery tearing itself asunder. This was followed almost immediately by great billowing clouds of smoke and steam finding its way out of the ship from every conceivable place, as the ship began to lose headway.
Four more hits would follow in short order, on our doomed vessel, and with myself being the senior officer left on the bridge, after all the rest present there were cut down, there was little to be done by staying. As the ship was now nearly stopped, and rolling decidedly to port, there was nothing more for me to do than order the surviving crew off.”
- Lt.Kdr Willie Kahlert
As the result of this action, the flagship of the last squadron in the High Seas Fleet’s line, would be the first actual battleship lost in the battle. She would be joined by her division mate, SMS Schleswig-Holstein scant minutes later when that ship would have her stern blown off by the detonation of one of HMS Royal Oak’s shells in her aft 11” magazines.
Of the remaining trio, they would last a little longer. SMS Pommern, under fire from HMS Ramilles would take somewhat longer to be marked down by the more inexperienced crew of that new ship, and would eventually find her end in some time in the lonely pre-dawn hours of the next morning.
The remaining pair, each with a pair of the old battleships of Vice Admiral Gaunt’s 4th Battle Squadron engaging them, would initially gain some good result on their antagonists. While they would claim no victories, they would manage to deliver minor damage to both HMS Revenge and HMS Royal Oak, as well as several hits on two of the old battleships present, HMS Vanguard and HMS Collingwood.
While regrettably for the Germans the damage done to the two new battleships was negligible in the scope of the battle, the damages to the older pair, brought under fire by Schlesien and Hannover, was rather more substantial.
Both Vanguard and Collingwood were simple linear improvements of the original Dreadnought design, Old weathered and overloaded by the time of the battle, both ships rode so low that the better portion of their armour belt was submerged. As well, many of their earlier design principles were past their prime and they were without many of the features of more modern ships. The results of the damage taken by even the old patter guns on the German pre-dreadnoughts that engaged them would prove these points well.
SMS Schlesien, positioned at the end of the German line, would gain five hits on HMS Vanguard, causing significant damage on the British ship, before being battered to silence by that ship and her squadron mate HMS Superb. Vanguard would lose its starboard wing turret in the engagement, along with taking three serious hits amidships, two of which would pass in above the belt and strike the main deck. While not able to penetrate properly, fragments would find their way into the turbine and boiler rooms, causing significant damages, and forcing the old veteran from the line. The third would hole her close to the waterline, causing serious flooding issues that would further compromise her efforts to return home.
On HMS Collingwood, the fire from Hannover, would not be as damaging internally, however a glancing hit to the side of the forward turret very nearly had a negative impact on one of the British Empire’s more favoured sons, as in his own words he would describe that:
“… thus far, as the guns were under director control, and I had taken it upon myself to stand to at one of the currently unused spotting telescopes to better observe the battle, and be prepared lest we would be forced to use local control of our mount.
I watched in quiet amazement as our shells burst near or on our target, the second last battleship in the German line. While I was happy to see several hits strike home on that vessel, I was unable to discern if those hits were from our own guns or that of HMS Superb, which was following astern of us. However, even as our guns were lashing out at the German vessel, our own ship was shuddering under that ship’s return fire.
I had just observed a massive orange-brown eruption aft on the ship just ahead of our target, when our position was overtaken in turn by a great roaring explosion. Knocked from my station by its force, I fell to the deck, and rendered temporarily addled in the process. In my dazed state I would note the fractured bone of my left forearm pushing at the skin midway from my wrist and elbow, as fire, smoke and fumes would swirl about the hood. Gathering my senses, I found my feet and struggled toward a nearby hatch in an effort to make good my escape from that place. As I made my way clear at first I noted no other men about, yet as I neared the door I would stumble over a rating collapsed on the deck.
I had the initial misfortune to step on his badly mangled leg, which brought out a scream from him. But for that I might well have not noted his presence there, so in the end his poor placement in the path of my stumbling attempt at egress, would be somewhat more positive. With little time to think, and the conditions in the turret fast declining, I simply reached down and took hold of him with my good arm, dragging him the last few feet to the now open hatch by the combination of the hair on his head, and his cotton flash hood, with him screaming hideously as I did so. As I reached the hatch, I could see through the smoke the shadowy outlines of men who would assist me and my fellow from our confines.
As we were carried below, I would start to be mindful of my several injuries, while at the same time trying to ignore the piteous cries of my wounded comrade. Arriving in the make shift ward, the doctor was immediately at my side, however I waved him off, with orders to see to several of the men more seriously injured than I. In spite of my pains, I managed somehow to find solace, and would drift into sleep shortly there after.”
- Prince Albert of York VC (later King George VI)
Excerpted from: “As Sons serve their Father – The Royal Princes in the Great War”
Prince Albert would be seen to in due course, even as the last of Mauve’s squadron was being overwhelmed, and along with his wounded comrades in arms, would arrive safely back at the Firth of Forth the following day.
---0---
On his battered flagship, HMS Iron Duke, Jellicoe held concerns with the battle, by that point well into its second hour. With the setting of the sun, along with the increasing overcast, smoke and haze of the battle, and the fast gathering twilight, there was all appearances that the successful completion of the battle would likely slip away.
While reports received were claiming heavy losses and damages delivered up on the High Seas Fleet, those numbers were in no way without question in several instances, and when compared with the losses and damages of his own fleet, there was little to chose between the numbers, that in actual fact might well present a numerical victory for the High Seas Fleet.
While the gunnery duel between the great ships was fast approaching a useful end, Jellicoe did have one more unused asset to commit. Even with his flagship exchanging salvoes with SMS Prinz Regent Luitpold, his usual clear calm manner would not desert him, as he would give the command to send the appropriate orders to Commodore James Hawksley, Commodore, Destroyers Flotillas, Grand Fleet.
Next would come the orders to his Battle Squadron commanders, after which Jellicoe would be treated for a splinter wound in his right shoulder by the ship’s surgeon.
---0---
As the last streaks of daylight were falling away to the west, Rear Admiral Benhke would suddenly note:
“… to our utter amazement, the Grand Fleet was turning away. It was not simply a turn at the head of the line, or even by division, rather it was a turn together to port, and all the British battleships would very shortly be lost in the haze.
In that moment, I was shocked to silence, as that terrible foe would draw off to the south. While I knew we had taken a horrible beating, and had earlier wondered that my battered command would surely be lost, if the action continued, the sudden appreciation that the Grand Fleet was giving up the fight was at first unbelievable. Yet there they were, turning away. For whatever the reason, I felt that we would gain our safe passage home.”
Rear Admiral Paul Benhke
Further back in the German line, Admiral Scheer was seeing the same thing from his flagship, but while happy with the idea that the Royal Navy had had enough, He was adamant, that the High Seas Fleet must follow the withdrawal and hunt down the retiring enemy fleet, before they might make good their escape.
That Scheer was still could consider such an option at that point in the battle was based on what little he could deduce from the comparative losses so far. Between the losses to the Grand Fleet he had witnessed, and what had been further gathered in reports from along his line, He was confident that a large portion of the Royal Navy present had either been, or soon would be lost; or was retiring in a damaged state to hopefully make good those damages.
While Scheer had an appreciation for his own fleet’s losses and damages, his opinion was by running down the English cripples, the hoped for great victory would be achieved.
“I had seen with my own eyes the power of our ships in the silencing of several of the Grand Fleet’s dreadnoughts, as well as observing the flame scarred smudge that marked the end of one of their vaunted Queen Elizabeth’s. That our ships in turn had suffered damage and loss, I would be foolish to deny. However, from what I could deduce, the Grand Fleet was at that point in a worse state of repair than our ships, and in that moment, I decided that they must not be allowed to escape.”
However, even as he would set about preparing orders for the chase, new sightings were coming in as the destroyers of the Grand Fleet, with light cruisers, behind them, appeared out of the darkening haze where Jellico’s fleet had just disappeared.
Quickly taking stock of the situation, Scheer would set out orders to his own remaining cruisers and torpedo boats, waiting at the ends of his battle line to counter the British light ships and deflect them from their tasks, while up and down the line, German sailors would stand to their guns in preparation to drive off the enemy.
The last stage of the day’s battle was about to begin.
---0---
As Rear Admiral Mauve’s five old pre-dreadnoughts swung into place behind the rest of their confederates, and the towering water spouts marked where their enemy was seeking them out, most of their crews, standing to in their various positions did not see that their worst fears were about to take life.
Opposite them, those on the British battleships could not believe what was sailing in to oppose them. As the commander of HMS Revenge, Captain Edward Buxton Kiddle would write in his journals after the battle:
“I looked out in near disbelief at those last few ships in the German line. For a moment I would wonder that my sight had tricked me, but no, they were indeed as they were. In their day, the sight of these proud old warriors would have struck an enemy’s heart cold. At Tsushima, they would have been nearly invincible against either of the combatants, but here, here they would be no more than lambs before wolves.
What nature of a man would sail into battle with us in such ships? Foolhardy might be ones first impression, but truthfully, that would be the wrong choice. As our ranging salvoes sought them out I would understand that these men, our foe, must be some of the bravest and most resolute that had ever gone to sea to do battle. To be at that point, in those ships, they truly could be nothing less. Of those who had ordered their date with their coming dark destiny, I would hold a much lesser regard.
We would do battle with these men, and we would win, of course. While they would wound us, those wounds would be minor. However, for those small wounds, many of them would pay the most precious price.
There are those who would use our action to better describe the power and glory of the navy. While there were many great efforts that day that better deserve accolades regarding our effort, in this case I feel it is out of place, for in short order, we were about to deal with these brave men in a manner more befitting to how a cold hearted country lord might deal with an unwanted mongrel tied to a post.
Their guns could damage us a pittance, and they had not the speed to safely retire even if they had chosen to. They simply came on, and we delivered their fate on to them. Over three thousand sons of their Fatherland, most lost forever, there is no glory in that.”
To say that Mauve’s pre-dreadnoughts were overmatched would be understatement at the very least. Opposing them were the three Revenge class battleships of the 4th division of the 2nd Battle Squadron under Vice Admiral Cecil Burney, with the four old battleships of Vice Admiral Gaunt’s 4th BS bringing up the end of the British line.
Mauve’s flagship, SMS Deutschland, led these old warriors into action. Even as the old battleship’s initial salvoes were reaching out for their enemy, the ranging half salvoes from HMS Revenge were relentlessly drawing in on the fine old ship. So it would be that just as a pair of rounds ploughed up the sea close inboard to the starboard side of Revenge, a ranging salvo from that British battle ship fell across Deutschland. Out of the four shells in the salvo, the first fell short, casting fragments across the decks of the German ship. The second hit the water close inboard as well, however it would be near enough that it would strike the hull some fifteen feet below the water line, then detonate. The third shell would easily defeat the old ship’s armour, driving into her port side battery and detonating as it hit the rear of the structure. The fourth one would strike the upper decks, smashing boats, light mounts and equipment, before lodging in the base structure of the third funnel, without detonating.
The last hit, while causing much local damage, was of little effect, and while the damage to the funnel would leave funnel gases and soot billowing low out over the rear of the ship, there was little in the way of serious effect on the ship. The third hit would create bedlam in the portside battery deck, as a large portion of it was torn apart in the blast, then burnt out in the resultant fires. It was only the quick action of her crews in securing the magazines, that saved her from a much more direct end. While this hit was of a much more serious note than the first one, it would be the hit below the waterline, just forward of the other two, which would deliver what would be the ship’s killing blow.
For such a ship, with her essentially nonexistent under water protection, the hit would prove fatal, as along with the shell’s detonation as it struck the hull tearing open a large hole in her flank, and smashing the associated bunkers behind it, it would rend the inner bulkheads as well, which would allow the cold waters of the North Sea to find easy passage into her.
With little in the way of internal bulkheads and protection, water would find its way into the engineering spaces almost immediately. That the crew would struggle to save her was a given, but there was little to be done given her dated design.
With the range now set, the guns of HMS Revenge would deliver four full salvoes on the old warrior, and gain three more solid hits. One would tear through the front of turret Anton, deflecting off the breach of the portside gun, before smashing its way out the rear of the turret without detonating, and leaving a gory trail of destruction behind it. Out of the turret’s crew, only two bloodied survivors would struggle free of the carnage. The other pair would strike her portside belt. The first would detonate as it struck, shattering a large portion of the old plate, and driving those fragments back into the ship’s hull. The last one passed through the belt, and drove deep into the guts of Deutschland, detonating as advertised against one of her old reciprocating engines.
“While still struggling vainly to hold off the effects of the earlier hit below, along with struggling to see to any possible survivor of turret Anton, and secure its magazines and powder stores, there came two more hits. The first would shake the ship, as it detonated on contact with our belt. The second was much more disturbing, as a detonation deep in the ship, followed by the moan and scream of high speed machinery tearing itself asunder. This was followed almost immediately by great billowing clouds of smoke and steam finding its way out of the ship from every conceivable place, as the ship began to lose headway.
Four more hits would follow in short order, on our doomed vessel, and with myself being the senior officer left on the bridge, after all the rest present there were cut down, there was little to be done by staying. As the ship was now nearly stopped, and rolling decidedly to port, there was nothing more for me to do than order the surviving crew off.”
- Lt.Kdr Willie Kahlert
As the result of this action, the flagship of the last squadron in the High Seas Fleet’s line, would be the first actual battleship lost in the battle. She would be joined by her division mate, SMS Schleswig-Holstein scant minutes later when that ship would have her stern blown off by the detonation of one of HMS Royal Oak’s shells in her aft 11” magazines.
Of the remaining trio, they would last a little longer. SMS Pommern, under fire from HMS Ramilles would take somewhat longer to be marked down by the more inexperienced crew of that new ship, and would eventually find her end in some time in the lonely pre-dawn hours of the next morning.
The remaining pair, each with a pair of the old battleships of Vice Admiral Gaunt’s 4th Battle Squadron engaging them, would initially gain some good result on their antagonists. While they would claim no victories, they would manage to deliver minor damage to both HMS Revenge and HMS Royal Oak, as well as several hits on two of the old battleships present, HMS Vanguard and HMS Collingwood.
While regrettably for the Germans the damage done to the two new battleships was negligible in the scope of the battle, the damages to the older pair, brought under fire by Schlesien and Hannover, was rather more substantial.
Both Vanguard and Collingwood were simple linear improvements of the original Dreadnought design, Old weathered and overloaded by the time of the battle, both ships rode so low that the better portion of their armour belt was submerged. As well, many of their earlier design principles were past their prime and they were without many of the features of more modern ships. The results of the damage taken by even the old patter guns on the German pre-dreadnoughts that engaged them would prove these points well.
SMS Schlesien, positioned at the end of the German line, would gain five hits on HMS Vanguard, causing significant damage on the British ship, before being battered to silence by that ship and her squadron mate HMS Superb. Vanguard would lose its starboard wing turret in the engagement, along with taking three serious hits amidships, two of which would pass in above the belt and strike the main deck. While not able to penetrate properly, fragments would find their way into the turbine and boiler rooms, causing significant damages, and forcing the old veteran from the line. The third would hole her close to the waterline, causing serious flooding issues that would further compromise her efforts to return home.
On HMS Collingwood, the fire from Hannover, would not be as damaging internally, however a glancing hit to the side of the forward turret very nearly had a negative impact on one of the British Empire’s more favoured sons, as in his own words he would describe that:
“… thus far, as the guns were under director control, and I had taken it upon myself to stand to at one of the currently unused spotting telescopes to better observe the battle, and be prepared lest we would be forced to use local control of our mount.
I watched in quiet amazement as our shells burst near or on our target, the second last battleship in the German line. While I was happy to see several hits strike home on that vessel, I was unable to discern if those hits were from our own guns or that of HMS Superb, which was following astern of us. However, even as our guns were lashing out at the German vessel, our own ship was shuddering under that ship’s return fire.
I had just observed a massive orange-brown eruption aft on the ship just ahead of our target, when our position was overtaken in turn by a great roaring explosion. Knocked from my station by its force, I fell to the deck, and rendered temporarily addled in the process. In my dazed state I would note the fractured bone of my left forearm pushing at the skin midway from my wrist and elbow, as fire, smoke and fumes would swirl about the hood. Gathering my senses, I found my feet and struggled toward a nearby hatch in an effort to make good my escape from that place. As I made my way clear at first I noted no other men about, yet as I neared the door I would stumble over a rating collapsed on the deck.
I had the initial misfortune to step on his badly mangled leg, which brought out a scream from him. But for that I might well have not noted his presence there, so in the end his poor placement in the path of my stumbling attempt at egress, would be somewhat more positive. With little time to think, and the conditions in the turret fast declining, I simply reached down and took hold of him with my good arm, dragging him the last few feet to the now open hatch by the combination of the hair on his head, and his cotton flash hood, with him screaming hideously as I did so. As I reached the hatch, I could see through the smoke the shadowy outlines of men who would assist me and my fellow from our confines.
As we were carried below, I would start to be mindful of my several injuries, while at the same time trying to ignore the piteous cries of my wounded comrade. Arriving in the make shift ward, the doctor was immediately at my side, however I waved him off, with orders to see to several of the men more seriously injured than I. In spite of my pains, I managed somehow to find solace, and would drift into sleep shortly there after.”
- Prince Albert of York VC (later King George VI)
Excerpted from: “As Sons serve their Father – The Royal Princes in the Great War”
Prince Albert would be seen to in due course, even as the last of Mauve’s squadron was being overwhelmed, and along with his wounded comrades in arms, would arrive safely back at the Firth of Forth the following day.
---0---
On his battered flagship, HMS Iron Duke, Jellicoe held concerns with the battle, by that point well into its second hour. With the setting of the sun, along with the increasing overcast, smoke and haze of the battle, and the fast gathering twilight, there was all appearances that the successful completion of the battle would likely slip away.
While reports received were claiming heavy losses and damages delivered up on the High Seas Fleet, those numbers were in no way without question in several instances, and when compared with the losses and damages of his own fleet, there was little to chose between the numbers, that in actual fact might well present a numerical victory for the High Seas Fleet.
While the gunnery duel between the great ships was fast approaching a useful end, Jellicoe did have one more unused asset to commit. Even with his flagship exchanging salvoes with SMS Prinz Regent Luitpold, his usual clear calm manner would not desert him, as he would give the command to send the appropriate orders to Commodore James Hawksley, Commodore, Destroyers Flotillas, Grand Fleet.
Next would come the orders to his Battle Squadron commanders, after which Jellicoe would be treated for a splinter wound in his right shoulder by the ship’s surgeon.
---0---
As the last streaks of daylight were falling away to the west, Rear Admiral Benhke would suddenly note:
“… to our utter amazement, the Grand Fleet was turning away. It was not simply a turn at the head of the line, or even by division, rather it was a turn together to port, and all the British battleships would very shortly be lost in the haze.
In that moment, I was shocked to silence, as that terrible foe would draw off to the south. While I knew we had taken a horrible beating, and had earlier wondered that my battered command would surely be lost, if the action continued, the sudden appreciation that the Grand Fleet was giving up the fight was at first unbelievable. Yet there they were, turning away. For whatever the reason, I felt that we would gain our safe passage home.”
Rear Admiral Paul Benhke
Further back in the German line, Admiral Scheer was seeing the same thing from his flagship, but while happy with the idea that the Royal Navy had had enough, He was adamant, that the High Seas Fleet must follow the withdrawal and hunt down the retiring enemy fleet, before they might make good their escape.
That Scheer was still could consider such an option at that point in the battle was based on what little he could deduce from the comparative losses so far. Between the losses to the Grand Fleet he had witnessed, and what had been further gathered in reports from along his line, He was confident that a large portion of the Royal Navy present had either been, or soon would be lost; or was retiring in a damaged state to hopefully make good those damages.
While Scheer had an appreciation for his own fleet’s losses and damages, his opinion was by running down the English cripples, the hoped for great victory would be achieved.
“I had seen with my own eyes the power of our ships in the silencing of several of the Grand Fleet’s dreadnoughts, as well as observing the flame scarred smudge that marked the end of one of their vaunted Queen Elizabeth’s. That our ships in turn had suffered damage and loss, I would be foolish to deny. However, from what I could deduce, the Grand Fleet was at that point in a worse state of repair than our ships, and in that moment, I decided that they must not be allowed to escape.”
However, even as he would set about preparing orders for the chase, new sightings were coming in as the destroyers of the Grand Fleet, with light cruisers, behind them, appeared out of the darkening haze where Jellico’s fleet had just disappeared.
Quickly taking stock of the situation, Scheer would set out orders to his own remaining cruisers and torpedo boats, waiting at the ends of his battle line to counter the British light ships and deflect them from their tasks, while up and down the line, German sailors would stand to their guns in preparation to drive off the enemy.
The last stage of the day’s battle was about to begin.
---0---
