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Operation Unicorn
by Tom B
Volume XVIII
SMS Scharnhorst 0215 hrs (GMT) Friday, February 19, 1915
The chief engineer shook his head vigorously, "We can manage 14 knots maximum for any continued time, admiral. Maybe 15 knots for a short period if there is a battle." Spee’s melancholia increased another notch. Haking his head he ordered, "Send a wireless message to First Scouting Group that we are going to be an hour late for the rendezvous." He then seriously considered implementing an idea he had been contemplating all night.
------SMS Seydlitz 0655 hrs
Admiral Hipper did appear to be his usual self to his chief of staff, Erich Raeder. Usually Hipper was imperturbable. When the barbette had exploded at Heligoland Bight Hipper had remained calm. At the climax of the Battle of Dogger Bank when the British battle cruisers tried to break through and there was tense close action fighting for several minutes he had been a tower of unflappable strength. Today though he was uncharacteristically ornery and irritable. Raeder had some good guesses for what caused the metamophosis. He knew that Hipper had to fight Grand Admiral von Ingenohl tooth and nail to get this sortie approved by the Admiralstab. He also knew that Hipper had been shown translations of the reports in the British newspapers about Monday’s skirmish—which they now glorified as the Battle of North Foreland. The distorted account of First Scouting Group fleeing in panic from the Channel Fleet infuriated Hipper. Raeder and others had tried to tell him it was only propaganda and he should simply put it out of his head, but it was clear now that it still bothered him. The latest source of irritation were the orders from Ingenohl in response to Spee’s message. He ordered Hipper to delay his arrival at the rendezvous point by one hour. Hipper saw this as yet another manifestation of Ingenohl’s negative attitude towards the mission.
------HMS Defence 0708 hrs
"Admiral, lookouts report dense smoke to the northeast" The 1st Cruiser Squadron was deployed 15nm to the east of the Grand Fleet with its four armored cruisers deployed 5 nm apart in a line. The light cruiser Active was positioned midway between 1st Cruiser Squadron and the Grand Fleet and acted as linking repeater vessel. Defence was the squadron flagship and was positioned on the left flank. Like the Grand Fleet they were steaming at 15 knots on a zigzagging course to the east with a 14 knot speed of advance. The sun was expected to peek above the horizon in 3 or 4 minutes. Visibility was nearly 8 nm-- neither very bad nor very good by North Sea standards as there was some haze and mist. The sky was partly cloudy with the clouds thicker in the west. A light wind blew out of the WNW. Rear Admiral Archibold Moore was the commanding officer. He briefly gave the matter some thought, then ordered, "Send a message by searchlight to be relayed through Active to Admiral Jellicoe informing him of this development. Signal all ships in the squadron to raise steam for 20 knots."
------SMS Dresden 0712 hrs
"Kapitan, lookout have spotted a large vessel to the WSW. It appears to be approaching." Kapitan Ludecke frowned. If this was one of Hipper’s ships she should be coming from the south or SSE. Dresden was currently heading SSE at 21 knots. Following approx 2000 yards behind her were the ocean liners Kronprinzessin Cecilie, Kaiser Wilhelm II and lastly the Vaterland. Admiral von Spee had decided to order these ships to speed on ahead to the rendezvous point. There were several possibilities for Ludecke to consider. "Merchantmen are common in these waters. Can the lookouts tell if she is a warship?" "Not, yet sir." "Use one of the short range frequencies and send a message to both Admiral von Spee and Admiral von Hipper informing them of our discovery." Despite the seriousness of his situation thinking about what he had just said changed Ludecke’s expression to a grin. After all these many months at sea so very far from Germany, he was finally sending a message to ships belonging to the High Seas Fleet! He found some glimmer of hope in that fact.
------HMS Defence 0714 hrs
"Admiral, the sun is making it hard for our lookouts to establish a firm identification but there is either 3 or 4 of them and one of them is described as being extremely large." "Hmm, that certainly sounds like Vaterland now doesn’t it? Notify Admiral Jellicoe immediately. Signal all ships to make 20 knots and raise steam for 22."
------SMS Dresden 0715 hrs
One lookout identified the approaching ship as a predreadnought battleship. Another thought it was an armored cruiser and still another a battle cruiser. They did agree though that it was the wrong shade of gray. None of these possibilities pleased Kapitan Ludecke. "Signal the liners to turn 8 points to port in succession. We will make the same turn as well but only after they begin to turn. Also send a wireless message to Admiral Hipper and Admiral Spee informing them of our situation."
------Vaterland 0716 hrs
"Wake up, Harry! Ireland needs you!" Harry Calahan awoke from a strange dream. In it he had been a cowboy out west—though in his life he had never been west of Cleveland. It had something to do with cattle rustling and a crow. Morgan was in it too. No it wasn’t one of those dreams. Harry was not normally one to assign importance to his dreams. He wasn’t sure if this one meant anything either, but it stick in his mind more than normal. He turned to Morgan. She looked as beautiful as ever. "What is it, my love? Did they start the great sea battle without me?"
------Kronprinzessin Cecilie 0718 hrs
When the squadron was at St. Pierre, Admiral Spee had sent to each of the liners a leutnant and 3 ratings to assist the civilian crews in working with the warships. The liners were not used to traveling in a precise formation, but they were the elite ships of HAPAG and NDL so their crews were all a notch above the usual merchant marine standard. The liners were sailing with an interval of 1,000 yards. They would now try to execute an 8 point turn in succession without colliding. "Vaterland has a very large turning radius," the captain remarked to the Lt.. "Understood, that is precisely why she was positioned at the tail."
------HMS Defence 0719 hrs
"The ships are turning away from us Admiral. Should we increase our speed? Should we open fire?" asked Captain Sowerby. Moore pondered the matter for nearly a minute before replying, "Hmm, Send a message to Admiral Jellicoe informing him that the enemy vessels are turning away. Request that we be permitted to pursue at full speed. Meanwhile you can commence firing on the cruiser," answered Admiral Moore.
------SMS Scharnhorst 0722 hrs
Admiral Spee was deeply concerned about the messages from Ludecke. He reminded himself that so far only enemy warship had been seen. Perhaps the arrival of First Scouting Group would eliminate the problem. He was not completely certain of that and this one British warship could simply be the vanguard of many more. "We are going to detach George Washington. She will proceed unescorted to Bergen at maximum speed. The rest of the squadron will turn 4 points to port. This way we will slowly converge with Dresden’s pursuer. Scharnhorst will continue at 14 knots but the other vessels are ordered to make 18 knots."
------HMS Lowestoft 0722 hrs
The 1st Battle Cruiser Squadron was deployed 30 nm to the south of the Grand Fleet on a parallel course, heading due east at 15 knots with frequent zigzagging. The 3 light cruisers of 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron were spread 4 nm apart in a line 12 nm ahead of the Battle Cruiser Squadron. The Lowestoft was currently the squadron flagship. The former flagship, Yarmouth had been torpedoed Monday. It was positioned on the left flank. Reports had now arrived from both the Gloucester and Birmingham of dense smoke between ESE and due east. The commander of the squadron was Rear Admiral Trevalyan Napier. "Admiral, Our own lookouts now report a small vessel—either a destroyer or a light cruiser-- to the east heading in a northerly direction." "Send a wireless message informing Admiral Sturdee of this."
------SMS Koln 0724 hrs
Admiral Leberecht Maas, the commander of 2nd Scouting Group peered through his binoculars. Lookouts had just reported a ship to the west. It was clearly running a perpendicular course, probably heading towards them. During the Battle of Heligoland Bight Maas had rushed into battle. He nearly lost his flagship and his life. As it was he spent several weeks in the hospital recuperating. After the battle the Admiralstab had criticized him not concentrating his forces properly. At Dogger Bank he had been more careful. He thought that was the reason one of the British light cruisers escaped. Last Monday he had been cautious too. He recalled bitterly having to turn away from the badly damaged scout cruiser. According to the British press it too had survived. It made his stomach sick just thinking about it. "Turn this ship 4 to starboard and prepare for action!" "Yes, admiral" "Signal rest of 2nd Scouting Group to turn 4 points to port and make 25 knots. Send a wireless message to Admiral Hipper that we have located an enemy vessel and are engaging." His stomach now felt better.
------HMS Iron Duke 0724 hrs
Admiral Sir John Jellicoe tried to digest all the reports. The information so far was in some ways promising, in other ways disappointing and in very many ways puzzling. "Signal Admiral Moore that he is to pursue the cruiser and liners vigorously. Signal Oak to head ENE at 30 knots. Also signal 2nd Flotilla to detach a division of 4 destroyers, which are to steam ENE at 26 knots. These 5 destroyers will be reinforcements for 1st Cruiser Squadron to assist with collaring the ocean liners." Jellicoe’s working hypothesis had previously been that the liners would follow behind Spee’s warships. He fretted over the possibility that the rest of Spee warships were ahead of schedule and already passed the rendezvous point.
------Vaterland 0726 hrs
Harry and Morgan were watching the battle from the railing. "Why is the British bastard doing all the shooting? Why ain’t our German friend firing back?" Harry demanded to know. "I believe the German guns lack the range to fire back," Morgan answered. "Are you telling me that the British make better guns than the German?" "Not exactly, Harry. The German ship is a light cruiser and it has only 4.1" guns, whereas the British vessel appears to be an armored cruiser and it has larger guns." "So what you are saying is that the Germans only have little guns? Sheesh—no wonder you’re sleeping with me and not one of them!" It was the sort of comment that would make most women blush but Morgan merely laughed. Suddenly she pointed at bearded man writing in a notebook as he watched the engagement from the railing. "James, James!" she began yelling. The bearded man had been writing in a small notebook. He turned to them and walked slowly towards them yelling, "Morgan, is that you?" "It’s me. It’s been a while hasn’t it?" "Well I’ll say. I haven’t seen you since Cuba! Look at you! I swear, you haven’t aged a day." "Why thank you, James. Flattery will get you everywhere," she said with wink. Harry started to get jealous. However he noticed this James fellow had a unhealthy waxy complexion and he even gave off a strange odor. He looked way too sickly to be much of a rival. Morgan made the introduction, "Harry this is James Creelman. He is probably the best newspaper reporter in America. James, this is Harry Calahan, a New York police officer." Harry thought about saying, "former police officer" but he let it pass. The two men shook hands. Then Creelman said, "Uh-oh. This looks like trouble." Harry turned towards where a Creelman was looking. He saw a very upset purser approaching. Soon the purser began to yell. He said something in German, which Harry failed to understand then switched to English, "It is too dangerous out here! Passengers must remain in their cabins! Get inside immediately!" Harry let him approach. As the purser drew near Calahan said, "We have authorization to be out here." "What? What do you mean by authorization? You will have to show it to me!" "I will be happy to," replied Harry Calahan. He opened his overcoat and pulled out a very large revolver and pointed it at the purser, "This is my authorization."
------HMS Defence 0727 hrs
"Turn 20 degrees to port and make 22 knots. Signal the rest of the squadron to do likewise," ordered Admiral Moore after looking at the message from Jellicoe.. "Aye, aye, sir." "You were about to say something before, Captain Sowerby. What was it?" "Well Admiral the gunners are finding it very difficult to get the range on the cruiser due to the glare of the sun, " said Captain Sowerby. "Are you suggesting that we cease firing?" Sowerby licked his lips nervously, "Ah, not exactly, sir. You see the Vaterland is considerably closer and presents a much larger target, sir. We should be able to land a few rounds close enough to intimidate her into surrendering." Moore took his time responding, "I don’t feel very wonderful about this suggestion, but it does make some sense. Send a message by searchlight to Vaterland demanding that she heave to and surrender immediately. If she does not acknowledge within two minutes fire a single round across her bow and send another message."
------Vaterland 0732 hrs
There was a large splash off the ship’s port bow. The ship’s captain looked at the young Lt. and shook his head in dejection. "I am not going to risk the lives of my passengers," he said glumly. "Does that mean you are going to surrender?" asked the naval officer. The captain grimly nodded.
------SMS Seydlitz 0733 hrs
Smoke from the torpedo boats of the 1st Flotilla had been interfering with First Scouting Group’s visibility. With a British light cruiser chasing them they were getting out of the way. "Commence firing on the enemy cruiser," ordered Hipper.
------HMS Defence 0734 hrs
"Admiral, Vaterland is turning around!" "Cease firing immediately!" :"Guns, cease firing" "Admiral, we are receiving a signal from the Vaterland. It does indeed look like she is surrendering. What instructions do you wish to convey, sir?" "Hmm. Order to come to a heading of due west and then slow to 8 knots." "Are we going to slow to board her, sir?" "No. One of the destroyers that Admiral Jellicoe is sending us will do that." "What do we do next, sir?" "Let’s see if we can capture the next liner. Maybe this will force that cruiser to engage us."
------HMS Indefatigable 0738 hrs
Admiral Doveton Sturdee was ecstatic as he received the latest report from 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron.. "This is our lucky day, gentlemen. We will cut Hipper’s line of retreat and annihilate him. Flags, signal a 4 point turn to starboard in succession and make 23 knots. Hoist."
------HMS Gloucester 0739 hrs
The light cruiser had been chasing German torpedo boats. It was now fleeing the German battle cruisers. An 11" shell burst in her starboard engine room.
------Kaiser Wilhelm II 0739 hrs
"We should surrender, kapitan," suggested the first officer. The captain slapped him hard, "We are not cowards like that spineless piece of HAPAG shit aboard Vaterland—a name which he disgraces! I will not disgrace the name of the All Highest! I am not going to surrender." The captain wished he could slap the poor excuse for a German who captained the Vaterland. The Leutnant on the bridge smiled at the captain’s bravado. To encourage him he said, "The British gunners have the both sun in their eyes. It will be very difficult for them to spot splashes or even use their range finders. Our chances are very good. It is worth the risk."
------HMS Defence 0740 hrs
"She’s holding course, admiral. No response to any of our signals." "Damn stubborn German bastard. What sort of a bloody ocean liner captain would put his passengers at risk like that." "Maybe it’s the treasure ship, sir. That might explain it." "So is gold more important to these Germans than the life of innocent civilians?" Captain Sowerby bit his lip and looked soulful, "I can’t rightly say, sir though it does seem that way. Shall we resume firing, sir?" Moore exhaled loudly as we pondered the situation. Finally he waved his right hand in the air, "Oh bloody hell. If he’s going to be a fool it’s not my responsibility. Yes, you can resume firing."
------SMS Friedrich der Grosse 0742 hrs
Grand Admiral von Ingenohl was worried over the reports. As far as he could see all his misgivings about this sortie were being vindicated. The British were here in force. Once again they were expecting the Germans. His old pessimism now returned. "This is the wrong battle in the wrong place at the wrong time!" he yelled at his staff in frustration. They stared at him in bewilderment. In a calmer voice he ordered, "Send a wireless message to Admiral Hipper that he is to assume a SSE course and make 20 knots." Ingenohl seriously considered turning around the High Seas Fleet immediately. Instead he decided to continue north for a half hour and then turn around. That way he could support First Scouting Group if it got in trouble. Admiral Spee’s squadron was another matter entirely. They were expendable—that’s all there was to it. And to Hell with this "German Nelson" crap.
------SMS Dresden 0743 hrs
"Damn it! They’re still firing on Kaiser Wilhelm!" lamented a tortured Ludecke. "Sir, if we charge the enemy cruiser, she will likely turn broadside. That will give the liners a chance to escape." "Don’t you think I know that already? It is clearly what the scheming British want! Signal the liners to turn 2 points to port—that will move the battle closer to Admiral Spee."
------SMS Seydlitz 0746 hrs
An enraged Admiral Hipper waved the message from Ingenohl at Raeder, "This is dishonorable. Here we are engaged in a promising encounter and now we are ordered to break off and run for home like children scared by a thunderstorm. We are abandoning Admiral von Spee in his moment of need! And why? Because the Grand Admiral thinks we should not fight this far from home. He should change the name of the High Seas Fleet to the Not Too Far from the Bight Fleet! This despicable order emanates from cowardice." Raeder looked at Hipper with some concern. It was one thing to badmouth a senior officer in private—in this regard German admirals were worse than fishwives. To criticize a superior officer on duty in the presence of subordinates however was a very serious matter. "Uh, Admiral, we are going to comply with our orders, yes?" "Oh, hell. To my eternal disgrace and shame, yes, I will comply."
------HMS Defence 0749 hrs
"Sir, lookouts report three more ships to the north. Possibly cruisers. They appear to be on a nearly parallel course to ours." "What is the estimated range?" "We are working on that sir. They are roughly at the limits of our visibility." Due to the haze visibility had not improved much since dawn—it now ranged between 9 and 10 nm. "Quite likely this is more of Spee’s squadron. Send a message informing Admiral Jellicoe. They are clearly out of range. Hopefully they are coming to the aid of their liners. It will make things easier for us." Admiral Moore was not worried. He had the rest of his squadron to the south and what he regarded as the world’s most powerful naval force not far behind him.
------Kaiser Wilhelm II 0753 hrs
A 7.5" HE shell exploded in a second class cabin. The ship was only about one third occupied. This cabin was empty but the explosion badly wounded Emil Fortscher in an adjourning cabin. Emil survived but he lost his right arm, right eye, his American wife Alice and 17 month old daughter Inga. Pandemonium broke out amongst passengers already terrified by the sounds of shells exploding roundabout the hull.. A 81 man from Stuttgart died from a heart attack. A modest fire erupted in the quarters. The crew diligently and professionally fought to contain it.
------HMS Defence 0753 hrs
In an ambivalent voice Captain Sowerby announced, "We scored a hit, sir." "That damn stubborn German fool! Cease firing! Send another message. Maybe the bastard has learned his lesson." "Guns! Cease firing!" ordered Captain Sowerby. " I will give their captain 3 minutes to come to his senses. Meanwhile this ship will turn 10 degrees to port. Signal the other ships in the squadron to do likewise."
------HMS Iron Duke 0754 hrs
"It appears that both of our lovers were late for their tryst. Oh well, so much for romance," Admiral Jellicoe commented to Madden. There were still some mysteries but things were becoming clearer to Jellicoe. Spee’s ships were to the northeast while Hipper’s were to the southeast. This divergence of the enemy forces was going to necessitate some decisions. Madden chuckled, "So much for German punctuality, eh? I take it we are heading south to chase the battle cruisers, sir. What should we be doing about von Spee and the ocean liners, sir?" "Admiral Moore has sufficient firepower if he can concentrate his squadron. The detached destroyers will round up the liners—starting with Vaterland which has already surrendered." "We could detach one of the battleships to reinforce him," suggested Madden. "I briefly thought about that as well. The battle to the northeast is shaping up as an extended chase. It would likely take any battleship we send a very long time to come into action. In the mean time it would deprive us of significant firepower if the High Seas Fleet is out in support " "Still not trusting the intelligence boys, I see" "Hmm, that’s a matter of degree. Let’s just say I allow for the possibility of error." "We could leave Active with Admiral Moore. She could be useful if Spee disperses instead of fighting." Jellicoe tapped his lips and arched an eyebrow briefly, "Hmmm. I am reluctant to further weaken our meager screening force. Yet we both know that the First Sea Lord will be livid if we let a liner or still worse one of Spee’s cruisers escape us. So go ahead, signal Active that she is now under Admiral Moore’s control until instructed otherwise. However, our most important task now is turn the Grand Fleet to a SSE heading and increase our speed to 18 knots."
------SMS Gneisenau 0756 hrs
"The British cruiser has resumed firing, Herr Kapitan." Kapitan zur see Maerker had withheld his fire patiently waiting to get a clearer view of the enemy cruiser. Gneisenau had expended a considerable portion of her magazines at Coronel and some more off Cape Cod. Maerker did not want to waste his precious ammunition. Leipzig was 1,000 yards of Gneisenau’s bow. Trailing close behind him was Kronprinz Wilhelm. Scouting further to the north was Nurnberg. Scharnhorst with its troubled engines was several miles behind. "It is time to express our displeasure. Forward turret will fire both guns at maximum elevation. Let’s see if we are in range."
------HMS Defence 0757 hrs
The crew had seen the flashes from one of the ships to north. Waterspouts erupted off their port bow. They were within about 600 yards After some thought Admiral Moore ordered, "Cease firing on the ocean liner. Train guns on the cruiser firing on us to the north." The admiral suddenly smiled. He almost felt grateful to the German cruiser for relieving him of an onerous duty.
------HMS Indefatigable 0803 hrs
Sturdee would not admit it aloud but he was disappointed that the German battle cruisers were arriving so soon. If he had a few more minutes he would have cut their line of retreat to the south. He was also surprised to see what appeared to be Moltke in the German formation. Apparently it’s damage at North Foreland was not as severe as reported. Sturdee also felt some resentment at Bayly being hailed so widely in the press. When this day was over they would forget about Bayly’s little skirmish. Sturdee regarded the presence of Moltke as a pleasant surprise. It would be one more German battle cruiser he would sink this day—adding to his glory. "Signal an increase in speed to 25 knots," he ordered.
------SMS Seydlitz 0804 hrs
First Scouting Group was heading SSE at 20 knots. To the WSW was 1st Battle Cruiser Squadron heading southeast at 23 knots. "Our range finders are showing 18,500 yards, Admiral" came the report. Hipper acknowledged it. He look to east and then towards the British ships. Turning to to Raeder he said, "There is enough sunlight poking through the clouds to dazzle their gunners." "That may not last too much longer, though" Raeder speculated. "Even if the clouds obscure the sun our British opponent will still have the wind blowing his smoke back into his face. I see us having the advantage. So what we have to ask ourselves is whether this British Admiral feels himself to be lucky," said Hipper to Raeder. He then turned towards the enemy battle cruisers and shook his fist defiantly, "Well do you, British Admiral? Go ahead. Make my day."
------HMS Indefatigable 0806 hrs
"Signal all ships to commence firing!" ordered Admiral Sturdee enthusiastically. Behind his flagship there was Inflexible, Invincible, Australia and Indomitable. His second in command was Rear Admiral George Patey RAN aboard the Australia. Following close behind the battle cruisers was the 6th Cruiser Squadron. This meant Drake was Number Six in the British line.
------Vaterland 0806 hrs
"I will tell you one last time, we are an ocean liner, not a scout cruiser," the ship’s captain said to the naval Leutant. They had spotted a light cruiser and another armored cruiser to the south as well as 4 large torpedo boats. A very large quantity of smoke was visible to the west. The leutant had thought he saw some large masts for a few minutes. He had wanted Vaterland to send a wireless message to Spee and Hipper warning them of the likely presence of a fleet. The ship’s captain adamantly refused. Not far from them was the destroyer Oak. A small boat launched from the destroyer was heading towards the Vaterland.
------SMS Scharnhorst 0809
The duel between Defence and Gneisenau had been going on for a few minutes. With her troubled machinery Scharnhorst was now finally limping her way into the battle. Admiral von Spee peered anxiously through his binoculars. "Fire two rounds of 28 cm at maximum elevation," he ordered.
------HMS Defence 0809 hrs
"The German gunnery sure is a thing of beauty," Captain Sowerby conceded. "In that case I sure would appreciate some ugliness right now," quipped Admiral Moore. "Uh oh, gun flashes now from the trailing cruiser. sir!"
------ SMS Friedrich der Grosse 0810 hrs
Grand Admiral Ingenohl was greatly annoyed that Hipper had allowed First Scouting Group to be engaged by the British battle cruisers. But he decided to make the best of what he regarded as a bad situation. He would come to Hipper’s aid. "Halt all zigzagging! Signal an increase in speed to 18 knots," he ordered.
------HMS Iron Duke 0811 hrs
"What should we do about 3rd Battle Squadron, sir" asked Madden, "They are still heading due east at 15 knots with zigzags." Jellicoe smiled slightly, "You must be reading my mind, Charles. I was just thinking the same thing. Hmm. Obviously the more important battle is to the south now. Signal Admiral Bradford to assume a due south course at 17 knots but to continue zigzagging."
------HMS Indefatigable 0819 hrs
An 11" APC shell from Seydlitz penetrated the roof of ‘A’ turret. It burst starting a fire. A prompt reaction by the turret crew caused the magazine to be flooded averting catastrophe. This was the 12th hit score by First Scouting Group—the 1st Battle Cruiser Squadron had managed only 3 hits in return. All the British battle cruisers now had finally found the range so Sturdee was confident that the British gunnery would now become much more effective.
------HMS Warrior 0821 hrs
The duel between the cruisers was a very cautious affair. Spee was rightly worried about running out of ammunition and continually emphasized accuracy over rate of fire. Aboard the Defence Admiral Moore did not want to get too close to Spee until he had superiority of numbers. The Germans had scored many more hits but at this range both sides’ armor kept their vitals safe. Defence had more fires than Gneisenau and some flooding its stern. Steaming at flank speed Warrior was now finally in range of the enemy and commenced firing on Scharnhorst.
-----HMS Inflexible 0823 hrs
A 12" shell punched through the ship’s 6" belt and burst in its port engine rooms, which quickly flooded.
------HMS Invincible 0827 hrs
An 11" AP shell penetrated and burst in the barbette of the port wing turret. A minute late there was a loud explosion followed by a still louder explosion. A pillar of smoke arose and when it dissipated there was only debris including bits of flesh that once were men.
------SMS Seydlitz 0828 hrs
"My God, one of them has just exploded," exclaimed Raeder. "The weakness the British demonstrated at Dogger Bank has not been rectified it seems. Good! One down four to go," answered Hipper. "What should be our new fire distribution, sir?" "Hmm. Derfflinger and Seydlitz will double up on the lead British ship, presumably their flagship. Moltke and Von der Tann should fire on the second and third battle cruisers respectively. Have Blucher target the lead ship in the armored cruiser squadron. "
------HMS Indefatigable 0829 hrs
An 11" APC shell exploded in the chain locker, causing considerable flooding in the bow. Sturdee barely noticed it as he tried to put aside his shock over the sudden loss of the Invincible. Together with the Inflexible hauling out of line his margin of superiority over the Germans had been reversed. It began to look like his best strategy at this point was to slow the German battle cruisers sufficiently for the Grand Fleet to overtake them. "Signal 4th Destroyer Flotilla to make an immediate torpedo attack on the German battle cruisers."
------HMAS Australia 0835 hrs
A pair of 11" shells from Moltke exploded in the superstructure amidships. Australia already had one serious fire going. It now had two more. Currently its guns were firing on Derfflinger, while Indefatigable was firing on Seydlitz and Indomitable targeted Von der Tann. This left Moltke unengaged and it was now downright deadly in its accuracy. Meanwhile the 4th Destroyer Flotilla led by the light cruiser Caroline, were coming under fire from the 9th Torpedo Boat Flotilla. Blucher switched its main battery from Drake to Caroline. The secondary batteries of the German battle cruisers began to fire on the destroyers as well.
------HMS Indefatigable 0838 hrs
An 11" shell penetrated the forward port fire room. When notified of the damage it finally began to dawn on Admiral Sturdee that the battle was going against him. Reluctantly he ordered, "Flags, signal a 16 point turn to starboard by squadron. Hoist." Meanwhile the melee between the light forces continued apace. A German torpedo boat sank after a 4" detonated one of its torpedoes. One British destroyer was disabled by damage to its machinery.
------SMS Scharnhorst 0839 hrs
"Admiral, the enemy shell which hit our belt3 minutes ago did not penetrate but it smashed in one of the armor plates, which is causing significant leaking." This report did not surprise Spee much. At this long range a duel between armored cruisers would result in no clean penetration of the vital areas. Instead it would cause precisely this sort of leaking along with fires in the superstructure and upper works. The first British armored cruiser was not burning in several places—worse than either Scharnhorst or Gneisenau. It was also down by the stern but did not appear to be in a sinking condition. More disturbing was a vessel that looked to be a yet another British armored cruiser had been sighted. It would in range within a few minutes. "Send following wireless message to First Scouting Group: SITUATION WORSENING ENEMY CONCENTRATING CRUISERS NEED HELP SOON"
------SMS Seydlitz 0844 hrs
"Our British friends are so rude. They are leaving the party without even saying goodbye," remarked Hipper as he lit up another cigar. "You are thinking about pursuing, sir?" asked Raeder. "Yes, I am, as a bonus it would be an excellent evasive counter to their torpedo attack. I have decided! Flags—signal a 16 point turn to port in succession."
-------Vaterland 0848 hrs
On one occasion Harry Calahan had still been a policeman he had gotten into some serious trouble and had been worried for a while that he might end up in prison. Harry had heard horror stories about what happens to police officers in prison. He was certain that the British would throw all the Fenians aboard Vaterland into prison for a very long time. The thought made his blood run cold. It filled his soul with horror and then rage as well. Harry assembled a dozen of the Fenians and addressed them, "I just came from the main deck. I couldn’t see a single damn warship anywhere." "What’s yer fuckin’ pernt, Harry?" "My point is a mere handful of British sailors have taken control of this massive ship and are taking her back to England. Once we get there they are going to throw all of us Fenians into the darkest hole of a prison that they have—probably for the rest of our lives." "If they don’t simply hang us," said one of the others. "And what do you suggest we do about it, officer Calahan? Arrest the British sailors for trespassing?" This comment drew a few nervous laughs. Harry raised high his most prized possession a Browning shotgun. Most of the Fenians had brought a revolver with them but Harry had taken his shotgun along. He pumped the shotgun then raised it loft yelling, "And why not, Michael? Together we can take back this ship. The liberation of Ireland begins with the liberation of this vessel! I ain’t going to no fuckin’ British prison! Who of you is with me?"
------HMS Indefatigable 0849 hrs
"Well, it appears that Hipper is foolish enough to pursue. Excellent! He follows us to the Grand Fleet and destruction," proclaimed Sturdee.
------SMS Scharnhorst 0857 hrs
Admiral von Spee watched the fourth British armored cruiser approach with gloom. Did he come all this way to die at the edge of the North Sea. He wondered which precedent was more apropos—Tantalus, Sisyphus or the death of Moses. Or was it Eli, eli lama sabachtani? Spee reprimanded himself for having the last thought—it was too close to blasphemy. It was not a matter of being forsaken by Hipper—clearly there were reasons he was not here. And that thought was an added torment to soul. Could his mission be the cause of ruination for the Imperial German Navy? A British shell struck the hell. Spee still could not distinguish the 9.2" and 7.5" shells. He wondered if the British gunners could distinguish their splashes.
------HMS Defence 0901 hrs
The fires continued to worsen. Those in the bow were so serious that it was necessary to flood the forward 9.2" magazine. Another fire near the funnels was impairing the ship’s draught. With Black Prince joining the battle Admiral Moore decided to take his flagship out of it for a while As the ship began to turn to starboard he cast a worried glance at Warrior. She did not look too good either.
------Vaterland 0903 hrs
Harry led the way up with 8 of his fellow Fenians behind him—6 of them with revolvers and other two armed with knives and clubs—Harry stubbornly refusing to let either of them use cherished revolver. They weren’t sure exactly how to get to the bridge so they forced one of the English speaking crew members at gunpoint to lead them there. They tiptoed up to the door. Harry whispered, "On the count of three, we go in." "One-two--THREE!" Harry opened the door and ran into the room. A RN Lt. was standing near the ship’s captain. He was momentarily startled then began to raiser his pistol. Harry let him have it with his shotgun. It hit him high in the chest and in the throat was well. He collapsed with blood streaming from his neck. There was a British seaman on the bridge as well armed with a carbine. One of the other Fenians fired his gun and missed. As sailor tried to ready his weapon Harry pumped his shotgun and fired again. The sailor was knocked down to the deck by the buckshot, letting the carbine slip from his grasp. He stirred briefly groaning and then went into shock. The ships captain yelled some German things Harry failed to understand. The captain soon realized he was not speaking to Germans and switched to English, "Who are you? What the hell do you think you are doing?" One of the ship’s crewmembers hovered over the wounded officer. Before Harry could reply he spoke in German, "Captain, this one is alive. He requires immediate medical attention." "Quick! Go fetch the surgeon." The crewmember stood up and started to move. Harry jumped in front of him and leveled his shotgun at him, "Where are you running off to, Hans? What was all that German blabbering?" "He is going to fetch the doctor. This man is still alive but requires prompt medical attention," answered the captain. "Oh, he does, does he?" asked Harry sarcastically. He drew his revolver and went over to wounded officer and fired one round into his chest and another into his head, while the captain watched in horror. "He doesn’t need a doctor now," said Harry. "What?" shrieked the captain, "this is barbaric! Who are you and just what do you think you are doing?" "I am Harry Calahan and we came aboard your stinkin’ overrated ship to fight for free Ireland—not to rot in some filthy British prison. So my friends and I decided to claim this vessel for free Ireland!" "What! Are you mad? That’s the Grand Fleet out there!" yelled the captain pointing directly ahead frantically. "If it’s British there is nothing grand about it. Besides you are making this shit up. I don’t see nothing." "Here use these," said the captain in disgust handing Harry his own binoculars. Harry did not trust the German so he backed away from him while he used the binoculars. "Hmm, there is sure a lot of smoke. Yeah, but I think I see what you fellah’s are talking about. Lordy, lord, lord! Are those really battleships?" The first officer answered, "Yes, we heard the British seamen talking amongst themselves about it." "And did you then use your wireless to inform your own navy of this fact?" The captain opened his mouth but then decided to say nothing. Harry holstered his revolver and walked over to the captain and slapped him hard, "I asked you a question, Herr Kapitan Verstehen Sie?" "No we could not send a message! The boarding party controlled the ship." Harry slapped the captain again. He wanted very much to use his blackjack and beat the pathetic excuse for a man into a bloody pulp. But we thought the man might just have some utility though it looked like the only thing he was good for was surrendering. So he merely yelled, "What the hell is wrong with you stupid Germans? No wonder you are having so much trouble winning this war."
------HMS Indefatigable 0908 hrs
A 12" AP shell struck the starboard bow of the battle cruiser a few feet above the waterline It ripped through compartments without exploding to exit the port side below the waterline.
------SMS Friedrich der Grosse 0910 hrs
"Admiral, we have just received a very strange wireless message." "Uh, exactly what do you mean by very strange?" "It was unencrypted and claims to be from the Vaterland. It gives the position and heading of the Grand Fleet."
------HMS Indefatigable 0911 hrs
The ship was down by the bows with a list to port. The damage control party reported the bad news, "We are struggling to contain progressive flooding in the bow. Combined with the forward port fire room and ‘A’ turret magazine being flooded our forward buoyancy could become critical in the next half hour." Captain Sowerby turned to Admiral Sturdee, "We cannot afford another hit anywhere near the waterline in the fore part of the vessel, admiral." Sturdee shook his head and sighed. Admiral Patey had just signaled that the fires aboard Australia had reached a dangerous level. Inflexible had rejoined the battle line and was now its van dueling with Seydlitz. The Grand Fleet was on its way but it now looked like it would arrive too late to save Indefatigable and perhaps Australia was well. "Flags, signal a 6 point turn to port together. Hoist."
------Vaterland 0911 hrs
The great ocean liner was turning once again—this time to try to escape to the NNW. "Send the wireless message again, I want to make sure your navy got it" ordered Calahan, "But this time add something about the Free Irish Republic liberating this vessel." "Hey, Harry, that gives me an idea," said on of the other Fenians, "You know that flag Liam brought with him?" Harry grinned wide, "Oh, now that’s grand, me boy. Go fetch Liam and his flag. This ship sure could use it."
-----HMS Warrior 0912 hrs
The fires amidships flared suddenly reaching the ammunition hoist of one of the 7.5" guns. There was series of explosions. The ship was not broken apart but her hull was opened to the sea and she capsized.
------SMS Scharnhorst 0913 hrs
A cheer had gone up amongst the crew at the destruction of the enemy. Admiral von Spee had cheered as well. Yet deep in his heart he did not see this one final victory as being his salvation. Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were both nearly out of 8.2" shells. Both of them had serious fires of their own and some flooding. The British had stayed beyond the range of their 5.9" guns so far this engagement. He expected the British to close eventually. Then the 5.9" guns that remained operational would get their chance. He could not see them being decisive. Even more desperate was his plan to send Leipzig and maybe Nurnberg as well to charge the enemy so as to use their 10.5 cm guns and torpedoes. Dresden was definitely not part of that plan. She was his fastest warship and she would escort Kronprinzessin Cecilie and Kaiser Wilhelm II to safety at Bergen. Those two liners had been able to move out of range during the last hour.
------SMS Seydlitz 0915 hrs
"You think that the wireless message from Vaterland is a ruse?" asked Raeder. "Yes, I do. A rather desperate one at that. And look now, the British are turning to the west That message was meant to dissuade us from pursuing. I am sure of it." "But what if the Grand Fleet is actually heading straight for us?" Hipper shrugged, "We can still outrun them." "In this visibility we could wander into range for several vulnerable minutes." "Understood. I am willing to take that risk. Flags. Signal a 6 point turn to port in succession."
------HMS Iron Duke 0918 hrs
Most of the second transmission of the message from Vaterland was intercepted by the radiomen aboard Iron Duke. They brought it to Admiral Madden, who brought it quickly to Admiral Jellicoe’s attention. "Christ Almighty, this is completely insane! Irish rebels from the United States have seized control of Vaterland?" yelled an incredulous Jellicoe. "Apparently so sir. Vaterland is not longer in sight. Should we detach another destroyer to go fetch her back?" "By all means. Damn! Hipper likely now knows that we are coming. Then again he may not believe this message. Even with Vaterland absconding I scarcely believe it myself. Send a brief wireless message to Sturdee asking if the Germans are still pursuing him."
------SMS Friedrich der Grosse 0921 hrs
Since first light Admiral Ingenohl had been haunted by the suspicion that the Grand Fleet was waiting for him off Utsire Island. His staff was not so sure. Now there had come this message confirming his suspicions. His staff thought it to be a hoax. If it was he did not see a reason for it. He decided he would treat the information as genuine and use it as the basis to set a trap for the Grand Fleet. If the Grand Fleet did not fall into his trap he would have an excuse to present the Admiralstab and the Kaiser when he got back to Germany. "I am going to order 1st Scouting Group to break off its pursuit of the British battle cruisers," he announced to his staff.
------HMS Defence 0924 hrs
Neither of the two German armored cruisers had fired in the last few minutes. There was a good chance they had expended all their 8.2" ammunition. The tide had been turned against the fires aboard Defense though there was still one that was very stubborn. Admiral Moore decided it was time to move closer. Revenge for the loss of Warrior was a pleasing thought.
-----SMS Seydlitz 0925 hrs
The British 4th Destroyer Flotilla was struggling to position itself for another torpedo attack on the German battle cruisers. In their first attack they had only fired a single torpedo each. This time Admiral Sturdee ordered that they fire all their remaining torpedoes. The flotillas were again beginning to fire on each other. Von der Tann’s main battery was firing on Caroline without success. Blucher did much better disabling Tipperary with an 8.2" HE shell exploding in its boilers. This development should have pleased Admiral Hipper but he was distracted at the moment. "The Grand Admiral is a fool!" snarled Hipper, "he has either fallen for the British ruse or is using it as a wretched excuse to withdraw." His staff stared at him, looking a bit embarrassed. Hipper pounded his right fist on a table in frustration.
-----HMS Indefatigable 0928 hrs
"Admiral, the Germans are turning away." "Let me take a look," said Sturdee bringing his binoculars up, "Oh, yes, very good! They are definitely turning. But this could be temporary maneuver to counter our torpedoes. And then resume their pursuit in a few minutes. Signal 4th Flotilla to break off its attack. They are not to launch any more torpedoes. Instead they are to fall back and form a screen for us." Sturdee pondered the situation. Except for Indomitable all his battle cruisers were severely damaged. He had a hunch that Hipper’s next move would be a torpedo attack to finish them off. To counter that threat Sturdee would concentrate his cruisers and destroyers to form a screen around the battle cruisers. A few minutes earlier Sturdee ordered a brief positive reply be transmitted to Admiral Jellicoe. Sturdee sorely doubted that Hipper had given up the pursuit. Sturdee saw no reason to countermand his wireless message.
------SMS Seydlitz 0929 hrs
Hipper watched the British flotilla leader slowly sinking by the stern. That cheered him a bit helping him regain a semblance of calm. Hipper forced himself to consider the remote possibility that the Grand Admiral’s foolish plan might have a chance of succeeding. "I am attaching Blucher to 2nd Scouting Group, which is to tail the British battle cruisers. We want them to continue feeing to the west. Both of our flotillas are to head NNW at 27 knots."
------SMS Scharnhorst 0936 hrs
The British cruisers had closed with the Germans. Spee had brought Nurnberg and Leipzig into the battle. The former engaged Active in a furious close range duel while the latter tried to position itself for a torpedo attack on Black Prince. The British destroyers did not participate but continued their pursuit of Dresden and the ocean liners. Spee prayed. He prayed silently but he prayed fervently. He saw the end coming soon. British shells were now penetrating armor that had frustrated them previously—though 9.2" shells still apart sometimes against even thin armor. Scharnhorst and Gneisenau fought as best they could with their secondary guns. Meanwhile there was an endless chorus of damage control reports despite mounting casualties amongst the damage control parties. Spee grimly wondered if life itself was really little more than a protracted exercise in damage control.
----HMS Indefatigable 0938 hrs
"The forward flooding continues to worsen, sir. We need to slow to 15 knots if this ship is going to have any chance of making it." Admiral Sturdee carefully studied the chief engineer’s face. He saw signs that the man was even more pessimistic than he was admitting. The ship was very down by the bow. So far the dreaded attack by German torpedo boats had not materialized. Sturdee expected the Grand Fleet to arrive very soon, so he began to worry less about a German attack. The Grand Fleet was about 5 nm further north that he was estimating, though. He reached a decision, "I am going to transfer my flag to Indomitable."
------SMS Friedrich der Grosse 0940 hrs
Admiral Ingenohl decided he was at the right spot. "Flags. Signal fleet to turn 7 points to port in succession." His orders did not apply to the 7th TB Flotilla, which raced due north at 27 knots.
-------SMS Stettin 0941 hrs
The lookouts had been seeing a large amount of smoke to the north. They were now seeing a large number of vessels as well. In this visibility they were in range of the British guns. The captain immediately ordered a turn to the south at 23 knots, while he transmitted his discovery by searchlight.
------HMS Iron Duke 0942 hrs
"Lookouts have sighted a small ship ahead of us, admiral. Either a light cruiser or a torpedo boat, sir" "What is its heading? Is it one of ours?" "Can’t tell just yet, sir" There had been no further word from Sturdee since a brief confirmation that the Germans were still pursuing. Sturdee had never informed Jellicoe that he had changed his course from NNW to due west. The horizon was black with smoke. That at least confirmed that they were heading in the right direction and getting close. But there were no gun flashes. "Should we open fire, admiral." "Not yet."
------Old Admiralty Building 0945 hrs
McKenna, Fisher, Oliver, Jackson and Wilson waited for more news. They had learned of Invincible’s catastrophe but not Warrior’s. "There is going a thorough investigation of Invincible’s magazine explosion when this is over," announced Fisher. "Yes, sir, we will identify and correct the problem," answered Jackson. "I am still confident in our ultimate victory, mind you," continued, "those ships are fundamentally sound. You’ll see. You and all those mindless wags in the press who ridicule me for saying the ‘Speed is armor.’ They don’t have half a brain between them."
------HMS Iron Duke 0950 hrs
"Admiral, lookouts report at least eight large ships in a line ahead of us!" Jellicoe remained outwardly calm but his heart race. Using his own binoculars his eyes strained desperate to see what was in front of him. Haze, mist and smoke blurred the shapes but after a few anxious seconds it was painfully obvious that after an initial group of 4 large ships—quite possibly battle cruisers followed not too closely by 3 smaller ships which could be cruisers. But following behind the cruisers were at least 4 more large ships. Grand Fleet was still in cruising formation. It was now painfully obvious that the High Seas Fleet was dead ahead. Jellicoe hesitated slightly. He briefly considered forming his line to port, which would put them on a reciprocal course with the High Seas Fleet. After a few minutes exchanging rounds as they passed it would be easy to disengage. But to decline battle this far north would likely mean being relieved of command. The tactical disadvantage should dissipate quickly and he would be at long range from the Germans. It was time to do battle. "Damn it! Flags! Signal immediately the formation of battle line to starboard. Hoist."
------SMS Friedrich der Grosse 0952 hrs
" The range finders now indicate 18,000 yards Admiral." The Grand Fleet had arrived several minutes early—probably a navigation error on the part of Vaterland. Ingenohl had hoped to catch the Grand Fleet formed into a line and cross its ‘T’. Catching it in cruising formation would provide a more transient tactical advantage. The High Seas Fleet deployment was not yet optimal—1st Battle Squadron had just begun its turn. It was not perfect but it would do. "Flags! Signal all ships to commence firing immediately!" Now it was time to adjust his plans for the flotillas.
------HMS Iron Duke 0952 hrs
"Send a wireless message to 1st Cruiser Squadron including the attached destroyers that it is to head SSW at flank speed. Likewise order 3rd Battle Squadron to head due east at flank speed immediately." "Admiral, gun flashes to the south!" "Flags, signal all battleships to commence firing. Hoist. And damn it all where the hell is Sturdee?"
-------HMS Indomitable 0957 hrs
The report of gun flashes to the east was very satisfying to Admiral Sturdee. It meant the Grand Fleet had engaged the German battle cruisers. He was saved. "This wireless message from Admiral Jellicoe just arrived, sir" Sturdee looked at the piece of paper. WHERE IS 1ST BCS REPEAT WHERE IS 1st BCS? THE WORLD WONDERS
------HMS Iron Duke 0958 hrs
The two great battle lines were squared off against each other. Their guns blazed. It was steel against steel--the great battle many an officer in both fleet had dreamed of. But for some in the High Seas Fleet that dream had been a nightmare. Since the war had started the attitude of the German sailors had grown more confident. They now thought they could defeat the British at their own game. The Grand Fleet had been on SSE course when it deployed out of cruising formation. With the High Seas Fleet on a due west heading the range was slowly closing. This did not please Admiral Jellicoe, who wished to fight a long range engagement. He had no expectation of annihilating the High Seas Fleet. He hoped that at long range 13.5" shells crashing down the German decks would prove decisive. For that reason he was glad that the superdreadnoughts were at the front of the division columns and would come into action almost immediately. He expected to prevail despite the initial German tactical advantage. With only a limited number of destroyers available he thought the best he could hope for would be to sink 3 or 4 German dreadnoughts without losing any of his own. This would more than compensate for the loss of Invincible. The Grand Fleet’s margin of superiority would be increased and Britian would retain control of the sea lanes. This was how wars were won. "Flags, signal a 20 degree turn to starboard in succession."
------SMS Scharnhorst 0959 hrs
Hail May, full of grace, the Lord is with thee-- Spee’s prayers were interrupted, "Admiral, look! I think the British are breaking off."
------Vaterland 0959 hrs
Harry thrust his blackjack into the captain’s face, "Don’t you even think about surrendering again!" HMS Nemesis had spotted chasing them a few minutes ago. Despite the frantic efforts of the German stokers, the destroyer was overtaking them. It would soon be in range. The captain had tried to explain to the Irish madman just how vulnerable ocean liners were to fire. He prayed that the British captain might be a humane sort and wait until he got close enough to disable the rudder. Even though his ship was in danger the thought of the British catching up with Harry gave him some comfort. Maybe they will shoot him in the kneecaps, groin and stomach. Or maybe they would take him alive and torture him for a few days before they hung him. Just as long as the Vaterland wasn’t turned into a blazing inferno in the process. A crewmember suddenly spoke in German, "Captain, the pursuing warship appears to be turning away."
------SMS Roon 1001 hrs
Leading the German battle line was 1st Scouting Group. Between 1st Scouting Group and 3rd Battle Squadron was the 3 old armored cruisers of 3rd Scouting Group commanded by Kontreadmiral Rebeur-Paschwitz He had been given very firm orders from the Grand Admiral to withhold his fire until the British came with 15,000 yards. Ingenohl wanted the capital ships to find the range without interference from the 21cm shell splashes. Rebeur-Paschwitz seethed with frustration. His poor ships were being used merely to distract British gunners, soaking up shells like a sponge. Roon now took its second hit. The 13.5" shell from Iron Duke easily penetrated it 4" belt between the middle and lower deck. The shell burst in a coal bunker immediately after penetrating. If it had struck a few feet lower the resulting flooding might have ultimately sunk the vessel. As it was it admitted enough seawater into the boilers to force Roon to haul of line before too long. The reports coming from Yorck were also disturbing. While it had not yet been hit it had been straddled—by a salvo with an awfully large number of shells.
------HMS Iron Duke 1003 hrs
"How in blazes did Sturdee get that far west?" demanded a very upset Jellicoe looking at the wireless reply, "is he having some navigational problem with his longitude?" "I do not know so, sir," answered Madden, "Do you wish to recall him as well?" Jellicoe frowned pensively while making a tent of his fingers, "Yes and no. The downside to recalling Sturdee is ironically that except for Indomitable his ships are so battered that having them join this battle would make it much more difficult for us to disengage if we need to." "Our screen is weak, we sure could use 4th Flotilla, though" "That is a good point, Charles. But Sturdee may need them as well for all we know. It is so absolutely bloody infuriating to be told less than half what I need to know." They were silent for nearly half a minute. Madden then suggested, "To be safe we could let him keep 4 destroyers and send us the rest, including Caroline" Jellicoe thought that over for a few seconds, "A sound suggestion, Charles. Make it so." "Admiral Jellicoe, message just arrived from Admiral Gamble." "What is it, sir?" asked Madden as Jellicoe read the message. "Admiral Gamble is convinced that this vessel along with Agincourt and Bellerophon have been firing on cruisers and has ordered a change the in fire distribution. "
------SMS Friedrich der Grosse 1003 hrs
The explosions were very near. "Admiral, the British straddled us on the last salvo." Friedrich der Grosse had not been scratched during Dogger Bank. Grand Admiral von Ingenohl did not think it would be so lucky this time. The British took their time finding the range but now they had it. Between that delay and deploying from cruising formation, the first 10 minutes of the gun battle had been very satisfactory—the British had scored only 12 hits to 33 for Germans. Ingenohl knew that the ratio would be much more even from now on. At this range he did not think he had much to fear from the British shells, even the 13.5" ones. The vitals of his ship were well protected. "Signal Admiral Hipper to turn 2 points to starboard and make 25 knots. His mission is to disable the lead British battleship. Signal Admiral Scheer to make 20 knots and move his fire distribution forward one ship," ordered Admiral Ingenohl.
------HMS Bellerophon 1007 hrs
The 12" APC shell penetrated the 1.25" upper armor deck amidships and then burst upon striking the 1.75" lower armor deck. The armor was holed and some fragments ruptured the steam lines for the starboard engines.
------SMS Seydlitz 1009 hrs
"The two ships at the head of the British battle line are definitely superdreadnoughts," remarked Raeder. Hipper removed his cigar and spit, "Well, one of the many advantages of getting closer to the enemy is that we get a better look at them It’s a damn shame that the Grand Admiral is depriving himself of the wonderful experience." Raeder did not know what to say. He had already taken Hipper aside once and warned him about openly criticizing his superior in front of junior officers. "Ssuperdreadnoughts, you say," continued Hipper, "Well then we should be grateful to Him that HE has only ordered us to sink one of them." "Our orders merely said "disable the lead ship’, sir" corrected Raeder. "I stand corrected, Erich. So, merely ‘disable’ will do. That should be a snap. We should have that done in no time," he said snapping his fingers. Raeder merely looked awkwardly at Hipper, who then gave his cigar a few good puffs. Seydlitz and Derfflinger were both firing on the lead British battleship. Hipper removed the cigar and in a less sarcastic tone of voice ordered, "This vessel will go to full salvos while Derfflinger will continue shooting half salvos. Hopefully that will reduce the difficulty is distinguishing splashes."
------HMS Iron Duke 1011 hrs
When it was trying to rescue Admiral Sturdee, Grand Fleet had been steaming at 20 knots when it encountered the High Seas Fleet. Initially Admiral Jellicoe saw no compelling reason to reduce speed Now came news that Bellorophon was losing speed. "If she hauls out and takes position behind First Battle Squadron the German predreadnoughts will be able to concentrate on her," Jellicoe commented to Madden. "And First Squadron would mask her guns while she’s falling back." "Yes, that too. Flags! Signal a reduction of speed to 17 knots. Hoist."
------SMS Blucher 1012 hrs
In accord with Admiral Jellicoe’s orders Admiral Sturdee sent Caroline and 6 destroyers (one of which had its forward 4" gun disabled) back to reinforce the Grand Fleet. Sturdee knew that there were at least 2 possibly 3 German light cruisers shadowing him to the east. He thought Caroline would be sufficient to handle them allowing the destroyers to reach Jellicoe. He did not know that Hipper had reinforced 2nd Scouting Group with Blucher. While the 3 light cruisers of 2nd Scouting Group intercepted the destroyers, Blucher opened fire on Caroline.
------HMS Erin 1013 hrs
A 12" shell penetrated and burst in the ship’s port secondary battery. A fierce fire cordite fire ensued causing more than a 100 casualties and disabling the entire battery. Only prompt damage control measures averted an explosion in the 6" magazine.
------SMS Von der Tann 1014 hrs
A 12" AP shell from Dreadnought crashed into the face of the aft turret. It penetrated the armor and burst destroyed the turret.
------HMS Iron Duke 1015 hrs
"Iron Duke is shooting extremely well but overall the Germans are still scoring more hits," Jellicoe told Madden, "I am convinced the smoke is impacting us more. The wind is blowing it in our gunners’ faces. The Germans seem to have less of a problem." Madden nodded, "That is my impression as well. However if we move closer then the German advantage would become almost negligible." "Engage the enemy more closely, eh?" asked Jellicoe. Madden nodded enthusiastically, "Why, yes sir, my point exactly." Jellicoe shook his head and sighed, "Et tu, Brute?" "Uh, I don’t understand what you mean, sir," answered Madden defensively. "Oh, Never mind. I will consider your suggestion but hold off for the time being."
-------KM 6th Torpedo Boat Flotilla 1016 hrs
The German torpedo boats approached the van of the Grand Fleet as if they were making a torpedo attack. However they were armed with obsolete 45cm torpedoes. This attack was intended as a feint. It succeeded in drawing 7 British destroyers of the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla.
------Vaterland 1018 hrs
"I hate sardines! I don’t want to go to fuckin’ Norway!" yelled Harry Calahan. Wishing to spare his poor captain any further abuse the first officer spoke, "Uh, and just what are you suggesting, Mr. Calahan?" "That British warship—the destroyer—it’s out of sight now, right? So why the fuck are we still heading northwest?" "North northwest," corrected the first officer. "It could be north, north, north fucking northwest for all I fucking care, you dick head! The point is that we are going away from Germany. You do remember where Germany is, don’t you, Mr. Smarty Pants?" "Yes, I know where Germany is." "Let’s turn this baby around. Uh, how about southwest for a while in case there are still some of those Limey bastards back where we were. That way we slip around them and can make a bee line for some German port like Hamburger or Frankfurter once the sun goes down."
------HMS Agincourt 1019 hrs
When she was laid down she was the Rio de Janeiro. Then for a while she was the Sultan Osman I. Now she flew the British flag and was called Agincourt. She was positioned right behind Iron Duke as part of the 4th Battle Squadron. The 12" APC shell penetrated the 3" crown of Thursday turret at a range of 16,500 yards. It burst inside. A minute later fire erupted from the turret and the ship exploded.
-----SMS Rostock 1020 hrs
The destruction of Agincourt did not take Kommodore Hartog by complete surprise. He had been at Dogger Bank where 3 British capital ships had exploded. Still it was too jarring an event to be casually dismissed. For about a minute it seized his attention filing it with a macabre mixture of horror, fascination and triumph. It inspired hope. It instilled dread. His attention returned to another vessel. A British flotilla leader was rapidly approaching. Following close behind it were 7 British destroyers. When the High Seas Fleet had opened fire Rostock had been abreast of Preessen at the head of Second Squadron. It had already raised steam for 25 knots and soon made that speed. Behind it was the 5th TB Flotilla and the 16th TB Half-Flotilla. Like the attack of the 6th Flotilla Kommodore Hartog’s attack was intended to draw the British screen to the south. However, unlike the 5th Flotilla his attack was not a feint. These torpedo boats had 50cm tubes.
------HMS Iron Duke 1021 hrs
A piece of debris from the Agincourt crashed hard on Iron Duke’s boat deck damaging one of the boats. The news that ship next in line had just had a sudden demise of extreme violence deeply disturbed Admiral Jellicoe. He recalled yet again that Queen Mary had exploded at Dogger Bank and now earlier this day so had both Invincible and Warrior. It made him wonder if any of Warrender’s battleships had exploded as well. That was a distinct and deeply disturbing possibility. Even before the loss of Agincourt, Jellicoe had not liked the way the battle was going. Smoke continued to impair the British gunnery more than the Germans. There was no sign that the British 13.5" shells were making a decisive difference. There were reports of more than a dozen German torpedo boats approaching from the southeast. Apparently the German admiral was going to make a two pronged torpedo attack even though the smoke of the flotillas would interfere with gunnery. One prong was approaching the van. Jellicoe thought this the more dangerous due to it more favorable position. The other force was threatening 1st Battle Squadron from SSE. Jellicoe had already sent 2nd Destroyer Flotilla to intercept. The 6 destroyers he had detached to pursue von Spee and the German ocean liners were now beginning to look like a precious commodity. His screen was insufficient. "Signal a 2 point turn to starboard by subdivision," he ordered. This maneuver would soon take him out of range. It would make it easier for him to break off the engagement—something he was now seriously considering.
------SMS Friedrich der Grosse 1022 hrs
"The flotillas are converging on the Grand Fleet. It is time for the next phase," announced Grand Admiral von Ingenohl, "Signal 1st Scouting Group to turn 3 points to starboard. Signal Third Squadron to turn 2 points to starboard in succession. It is also time to change the fire distribution of Third Squadron. They are now to target the corresponding enemy ship in line."
------KM 1st and 9th Torpedo Boat Flotillas 1023 hrs
The torpedo boats were having a busy week. They were the screening flotillas for 1st Scouting Group. Monday they had participated in the attack on Dover Patrol sinking 2 small obsolete British destroyers. Today they had skirmished twice with the British 4th Destroyer Flotilla when it made torpedo attacks on 1st Scouting Group. They had lost V.27 and two more of their ships were too badly damaged to participate in their present mission. The remaining 13 were now heading SW by ½ S at 30 knots in a formation of half flotillas abreast. Ahead of them they could now see the disengaged side of the Grand Fleet What they did not see was any screen—other than the two repeater cruisers and they were not moving to intercept.
------HMS Iron Duke 1025 hrs
"Admiral, there are reports coming in of light ships to the northwest steaming rapidly on an intercept course." Jellicoe blanched, "What!? Did you say northwest? How many?" "Yes, sir, from the northwest. Reports range from 7 to a dozen, admiral" "It could be 4th Destroyer Flotilla," Admiral Madden speculated, "Though it would mean that Sturdee was not so far west after all." "I pray to God that is what is happening. Determine their identity at once!"
------HMS Broke 1026 hrs
Hits from the German cruiser had caused the helm to jam and knocked out the telegraph lines to the engine room. Out of control the flotilla leader rammed HMS Sheldrake in the bow.
-----SMS Rostock 1026 hrs
Kommodore Hartog was amused by the chaos he had caused amongst the British flotilla. There was a possibility that a 3rd British destroyer might collide with the others His gloating was interrupted by large waterspouts blossoming in front of him. One of the British battleships was now firing its main guns at him. Around him there was a fiercely melee of flotillas. The Germans had a modest superiority of numbers, compensating somewhat for their lighter guns. "I believe we are close enough. Signal the 7th Flotilla to fire a single torpedo each immediately. This vessel will do the same."
------KM 1st and 9th Torpedo Boat Flotillas 1028 hrs
Splashes from the secondary batteries of the Grand Fleet and the two light cruisers were everywhere. The torpedo boats’ 8.8 cm guns returned fire on the light cruisers. Two of the German torpedo boats had been forced out formation by damage. Another continued on despite a nasty fire in its mainmast. Their orders had specified that they were not to get too close. Each vessel was to fire 3 torpedoes rapidly then the flotillas would withdraw behind a screen of smoke and artificial fog. The first of the torpedoes began to hit the water.
------HMS Benbow 1029 hrs
The commander of the 4th Battle Squadron was Vice Admiral Douglas Gamble. His flagship was at the van of the Grand Fleet. While the firing along most of the battle line was becoming more sporadic in the last few minutes due to the smoke of flotillas interfering with gunnery, the Benbow on the other hand was finding herself subject to an increasingly intense bombardment. Benbow had sustained a dozen hits and her armor had performed well so far—though there was some damage to superstructure and a serious fire in the sick bay. Thunderer, which followed her was also coming under heavier fire. Their opponents had been identified as the German battle cruiser squadron. Gamble had thought they would be relatively easy to defeat, but not only were they holding their own so far they were had gradually moved closer. Now they had altered course more to starboard." "Do you think they are going to try to cross our bows, admiral," Captain Parker asked him, "Should we inform Admiral Jellicoe?" Gamble frowned slightly, "It is too soon to tell for certain. They may just be reacting to our own turn. I am going to wait before bothering Admiral Jellicoe."
------Harwich naval base 1031 hrs
"Commodore, here is an urgent cable from the Admiralty!" Commodore Tyrwhitt took the message. His intuition was that the Germans were making another attack on the Channel. His intuition was wrong. URGENT GRAND FLEET HAS ENGAGED GERMAN BATTLEFLEET NEAR UTSIRE. RAISE STEAM IMMEDIATELY AND PROCEED AT FULL SPEED TO 57º N 4ºE.
-----SMS Rostock 1032 hrs
A 13.5" shell exploded in the cruiser’s engines. Both of them were disabled and the ship was soon dead in the water. Kommodore Hartog signaled the torpedo boats to each fire two more torpedoes.
------HMS Australia 1033 hrs
The fire reached the forward turret. It set off charges in the turret itself but thankfully the flash was sealed off from the magazine. The entire crew of the turret was killed. Most of the turret crown was blown clean off. The roof tumbled in the air then landed on the bridge killing two officers and causing some damage. Admiral Patey escaped injury but remembered standing in that spot a few minutes earlier.
------KM 5th Torpedo Boat Flotillas 1034 hrs
This flotilla had been part of the High Seas Fleet’s screen. It had swung around to the north when the Grand Fleet approached. It now charged southwest at in two columns at 30 knots. It too was armed with 50cm torpedoes. They could not see the Grand Fleet. All they could see ahead of them was the opaque mass of smoke and fog created by the 1st and 9th Flotillas. It provided them excellent protection but when they emerged from it they would need to react quickly to position themselves and fire their torpedoes effectively before the secondary batteries of the battleships could react.
------SMS Friedrich der Grosse 1035 hrs
Grand Admiral von Ingenohl watched in satisfaction the unfolding of the battle. The initial phase when he caught the Grand Fleet in cruising formation yielded a more transient and limited tactical advantage than he had hoped. On the other hand, the loss of a British battleship to a magazine explosion was encouraging. None of the German capital ships had been seriously hurt though there were some fires. Ingenohl’s current plan was to attack the center and rear of the Grand Fleet with 50cm torpedoes launched from different directions so the British could not turn away from one without running into another. Hopefully this attack alone would sink some of the British dreadnoughts. But just as importantly it would severely disrupt the middle and rear of the British battle line. This would allow 1st Scouting Group and 3rd Squadron to concentrate on the leading British battle division. Like Jellicoe did not fantasize about a complete annihilation. His hope rather was to sink 6 maybe 7 British dreadnoughts and then return to Germany. The attack on the British van by 1st Scouting Group was the most hazardous part of the operation. He accepted that there was a good chance he would lose a battle cruiser in the process. But if he sank a half dozen dreadnoughts it would be worth it. Tirpitz and Bachmann had repeatedly told him that a battle where he sinks one or two battleships and returns home without loss would not decisively impact the war—especially if there was another two months spent repairing damaged ships. Ingenohl had grudgingly come to see the wisdom of that argument. But surely to destroy a third of the Grand Fleet would make a difference. Probably force the British to negotiate their way out of the war. Ingenohl would carry out his plan and go home. He had no intention of pursuing. Some of his torpedo boats were near the limits of their range—many of them had left the Jade with piles of coal on their deck. He still thought this was a shitty place to do battle. Ingenohl had found an opportunity to weaken the enemy despite the disadvantages. Surely he had done his duty as best he could. He did momentarily wonder if he was forgetting something.
------SMS Scharnhorst 1036 hrs
Admiral Graf von Spee watched the boat approaching from Kronprinz Wilhelm with mixed emotions. Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were in very bad shape. They were both listing dangerously and there was fire everywhere. They staggered their way at a mere 8 knots through the waves like a pair of punch drunk prizefighters on their last legs. Their smokestacks had been shot away so the smoke from their engines languidly coiled over their decks to intermix with the effluence of their many fires. Leipzig and Nurnberg were in better shape but not by much. None of them had a working wireless. Kronprinz Wilhelm did. Admiral von Spee was going to transfer his flag to the AMC. He needed very badly to find out what else was happening.
------HMS Marlborough 1037 hrs
Admiral Cecil Burney was dismayed at what was happening to the formation of 1st Battle Squadron, which he commanded. Trying to evade torpedoes from NNW and southeast it was already breaking apart. He wondered and fretted about getting them back together. Crumph! The explosion of a torpedo amidships gave him something else to worry about. It detonated near the front edge of the screen protecting the forward magazine on the starboard side. The screen kept the explosion out of the magazine but it cracked in several places letting seawater leak into the magazine. There was also more rapid flooding in the compartment of the bow near the explosion.
------SMS Derfflinger 1038 hrs
1st Scouting Group was closing with the van of the Grand Fleet. It was close enough to use its 5.9" guns. A 13.5" shell from Thunderer pierced the belt of Defflinger at the waterline. It detonated in the wing compartment, perforating the torpedo bulkhead. Water entered the fire room.
------HMS Bellerophon 1039 hrs
Some of Bellerophon’s 4" guns were sited on the top of the main turrets. These weapons were now proving completely worthless. The casement mounted guns at least got to fire—except for the one wrecked earlier by a German shell. Against small torpedo boats trying to get very close the 4" guns were more than adequate but against larger boats capable of launching torpedoes further out their utility was unimpressive. Like the others she turned desperately trying to avoid the torpedoes. It was hit amidships on the starboard side. The torpedo had run shallow and hit the lower edge of the belt, which it buckled badly. The wing compartment flooded but the bulkhead kept the machinery dry.
------HMS Iron Duke 1041 hrs
Admiral Jellicoe tried not to think about Audacious as he watched the torpedo approach. His flagship had side stepped one but this one looked certain to hit. He held his breath awaiting the detonation. The torpedo hit but mercifully it failed to explode. The admiral stopped clenching his fists and exhaled. His tension was only partially relieved, though. "Admiral Jellicoe, Marlborough has reported that it has been torpedoed." "Damn! We will wait a few minutes then request a damage report," Jellicoe commanded. The battle was looking worse and worse. He reached a decision, "Send a wireless message to Admiral Sturdee that he is come hither at utmost speed with Indomitable, Lowestoft and Birmingham. Admiral Patey will assume command of the remaining forces."
-------HMS Erin 1042 hrs
The battleship turned too late and the torpedo took her in the stern, where it flooded several compartments. It jammed the rudder and the ship turned out of control to port.
------HMS Dreadnought 1042 hrs
The battleship, which had created a new standard for battleships and started a naval race, was positioned between Superb and Iron Duke. A 12" shell from Kronzprinz plunged into the water and struck beneath the belt, bursting after it penetrated the ship’s side. There was no torpedo bulkhead to protect the forward boiler room and the shell fragments caused it to flood.
------SMS Seydlitz 1043 hrs
"Derfflinger is losing speed, sir. Should we order her to haul out and take position behind Von der Tann?" asked Raeder. "No, If she turns to port her guns will be masked for a while. If she turns to starboard she will make mask the others. Moltke and Von der Tann will reduce speed behind her." "But not Seydlitz?" "No, just the opposite," said Hipper who turned to Kapitan zur See von Egidy, "Turn this ship 15º to starboard and hit the flank bell. Be ready to fire starboard torpedo tube. We are going to try to crow the bows of the Grand Fleet!"
------SMS Rostock 1043 hrs
A 12" shell exploded in the mainmast just below the bridge of the disabled cruiser. It killed everyone on the bridge including Kommodore Hartog.
------SMS Friedrich der Grosse 1044 hrs
In the last few minutes there had been considerably fewer splashes around the flagship. And he had not heard any more of that ever so annoying "whang" sound. Part of it was on account of the smoke from the flotilla battle and maybe some of it was due to the exhaustion of the gun crews—for the ship’s guns were also firing less. Still Ingenohl regarded this as another sign that most of the British battle line had been disrupted by the torpedo attack. The smoke from the flotillas had now largely cleared in the westward portion of the battle where 1st Scouting Group and 3rd Squadron were engaged and the German rate of fire was picking up . What was less satisfying to Ingenohl was how slowly 3rd Squadron was closing the range on the British van. What was not satisfying was that the British admiral had so far frustrated his efforts to slowly bring his 3rd Squadron in closer to the British 4th Battle Squadron—the range was still about 16,000 yards. It was time for another change of course, "Signal Admiral Scheer and order a 1 point turn to starboard in succession. Signal Admiral Lans to follow Third Squadron" Ingenohl now paused biting his lower lip. He had been praised by the Admiralstab for splitting up his squadrons at Dogger Bank. Bachmann had even described it as "Nelsonic". He was already allowing some separation of 3rd and 1st Squadron. What was tempting him now was a bolder idea. At this distance reports of torpedo hits on the enemy battleships were very unreliable. But even with the limited visibility it was obvious that the enemy battle line was in disarray as he had planned. "Signal Admiral Mauve that his squadron is to turn 7 points to starboard in succession."
------HMS Hercules 1044 hrs
The torpedo had not been seen until the last minute. It struck the port engines. Hercules had only screens protecting its magazines. The unprotected engines flooded very rapidly.
------HMS Collingwood 1045 hrs
Collingwood had just evaded a torpedo coming from the southeast. But another torpedo coming from the north could not be evaded as well. It struck the bow on the starboard side. This torpedo had also run shallow hitting the lower edge of the 7" belt. There was a pronounced concussion effect causing the entire ship to vibrate and starting a fire in the sick bay. The protective bulkhead did not extend this far forward and several compartments flooded very quickly. Less than minute later still another torpedo approached. The ship turned hard but it was struck abreast the starboard engine room. The torpedo bulkhead ruptured in one section and sea water poured into the engines.
------HMS Temeraire 1046 hrs
Temeraire was positioned at the tail end of the 4th Battle Squadron. A 12" APC shell from Konig Albert plunged through the roof of the port wing turret at a range of 16,100 yards. It wrecked the turret and started a fire, but prompt damage control caused the magazine to be flooded.
-------HMS Erin 1047 hrs
A torpedo was approaching from the north. Unable to steer the crew of the Erin were certain it would hit them. But now it appeared to be slowing. It ended up passing a few feet behind their stern. The crew breathed a sigh of relief, but they were not completely out of danger. Shells were exploding around her.. The Erin was beginning to come under concentrated fire from the German 1st Battle Squadron. Her own guns fired as best they could but the constant turn made effective shooting very difficult and the turrets were placed under local fire control.
------HMS Benbow 1047 hrs
A pair of 12" SAP shells from Konig struck Benbow. One sliced into the base of the mainmast and started a massive fire. An |
