Part 5 (1/2)
While the German light forces and the first cruiser squadron under Vice Admiral Hipper were following the British, who were retiring north-westward, the German battle cruisers sighted to the westward Vice Admiral Beatty's battle squadron of six s.h.i.+ps, including four of the Lion type and two of the Indefatigable type. Beatty's squadron developed a battle line on a southeasterly course and Vice Admiral Hipper formed his line ahead on the same general course and approached for a running fight. He opened fire at 5.49 o'clock in the afternoon with heavy artillery at a range of 13,000 meters against the superior enemy. The weather was clear and light, and the sea was light with a northwest wind.
After about a quarter of an hour a violent explosion occurred on the last cruiser of the Indefatigable type. It was caused by a heavy sh.e.l.l, and destroyed the vessel.
About 6.20 o'clock in the afternoon five wars.h.i.+ps of the Queen Elizabeth type came from the west and joined the British battle cruiser line, powerfully reinforcing with their fifteen-inch guns the five British battle cruisers remaining after 6.20 o'clock. To equalize this superiority Vice Admiral Hipper ordered the destroyers to attack the enemy. The British destroyers and small cruisers interposed, and a bitter engagement at close range ensued, in the course of which a light cruiser partic.i.p.ated.
The Germans lost two torpedo boats, the crews of which were rescued by sister s.h.i.+ps under a heavy fire. Two British destroyers were sunk by artillery, and two others-the Nestor and Nomad-remained on the scene in a crippled condition. These later were destroyed by the main fleet after German torpedo boats had rescued all the survivors.
While this engagement was in progress, a mighty explosion, caused by a big sh.e.l.l, broke the Queen Mary, the third s.h.i.+p in line, asunder, at 6.30 o'clock.
Soon thereafter the German main battles.h.i.+p fleet was sighted to the southward, steering north. The hostile fast squadrons thereupon turned northward, closing the first part of the fight, which lasted about an hour.
The British retired at high speed before the German fleet, which followed closely. The German battle cruisers continued the artillery combat with increasing intensity, particularly with the division of the vessels of the Queen Elizabeth type, and in this the leading German battles.h.i.+p division partic.i.p.ated intermittently.
The hostile s.h.i.+ps showed a desire to run in a flat curve ahead of the point of our line and to cross it.
At 7.45 o'clock in the evening British small cruisers and destroyers launched an attack against our battle cruisers, who avoided the torpedoes by manoeuvring, while the British battle cruisers retired from the engagement, in which they did not partic.i.p.ate further as far as can be established. Shortly thereafter a German reconnoitring group, which was parrying the destroyer attack, received an attack from the northeast. The cruiser Wiesbaden was soon put out of action in this attack. The German torpedo flotillas immediately attacked the heavy s.h.i.+ps.
Appearing shadow-like from the haze bank to the northeast was made out a long line of at least twenty-five battles.h.i.+ps, which at first sought a junction with the British battle cruisers and those of the Queen Elizabeth type on a northwesterly to westerly course, and then turned on an easterly to southeasterly course.
With the advent of the British main fleet, whose centre consisted of three squadrons of eight battles.h.i.+ps each, with a fast division of three battle cruisers of the Invincible type on the northern-end, and three of the newest vessels of the Royal Sovereign cla.s.s, armed with fifteen-inch guns, at the southern end, there began about 8 o'clock in the evening the third section of the engagement, embracing the combat between the main fleets.
Vice Admiral Seheer determined to attack the British main fleet, which he now recognised was completely a.s.sembled and about doubly superior. The German battles.h.i.+p squadron, headed by battle cruisers, steered first toward the extensive haze bank to the northeast, where the crippled cruiser Wiesbaden was still receiving a heavy fire. Around the Wiesbaden stubborn individual fights under quickly changing conditions now occurred.
The light enemy forces, supported by an armored cruiser squadron of five s.h.i.+ps of the Minatour, Achilles, and Duke of Edinburgh cla.s.ses coming from the northeast, were encountered and apparently surprised on account of the decreasing visibility of our battle cruisers and leading battles.h.i.+p division. The squadron came under a violent and heavy fire by which the small cruisers Defense and Black Prince were sunk. The cruiser Warrior regained its own line a wreck and later sank. Another small cruiser was damaged severely.
Two destroyers already had fallen victims to the attack of German torpedo boats against the leading British battles.h.i.+ps and a small cruiser and two destroyers were damaged. The German battle cruisers and leading battles.h.i.+p division had in these engagements come under increased fire of the enemy's battles.h.i.+p squadron, which, shortly after 8 o'clock, could be made out in the haze turning to the north-eastward and finally to the east, Germans observed, amid the artillery combat and sh.e.l.ling of great intensity, signs of the effect of good shooting between 8.20 and 8.30 o'clock particularly.
Several officers on German s.h.i.+ps observed that a battles.h.i.+p of the Queen Elizabeth cla.s.s blew up under conditions similar to that of the Queen Mary. The Invincible sank after being hit severely. A s.h.i.+p of the Iron Duke cla.s.s had earlier received a torpedo hit, and one of the Queen Elizabeth cla.s.s was running around in a circle, its steering apparatus apparently having been hit.
The Lutzow was. .h.i.t by at least fifteen heavy sh.e.l.ls and was unable to maintain its place in line. Vice Admiral Hipper, therefore, transs.h.i.+pped to the Moltke on a torpedo boat and under a heavy fire. The Derfflinger meantime took the lead temporarily. Parts of the German torpedo flotilla attacked the enemy's main fleet and heard detonations. In the action the Germans lost a torpedo boat.
An enemy destroyer was seen in a sinking condition, having been hit by a torpedo.
After the first violent onslaught into the ma.s.s of the superior enemy the opponents lost sight of each other in the smoke by powder clouds. After a short cessation in the artillery combat Vice Admiral Scheer ordered a new attack by all the available forces.
German battle cruisers, which with several light cruisers and torpedo boats again headed the line, encountered the enemy soon after 9 o'clock and renewed the heavy fire, which was answered by them from the mist, and then by the leading division of the main fleet. Armored cruisers now flung themselves in a reckless onset at extreme speed against the enemy line in order to cover the attack of the torpedo boats. They approached the enemy line, although covered with shot from 6,000 meters distances. Several German torpedo flotillas dashed forward to attack, delivered torpedoes, and returned, despite the most severe counterfire, with the loss of only one boat. The bitter artillery fire was again interrupted, after this second violent onslaught, by the smoke from guns and funnels.
Several torpedo flotillas, which were ordered to attack somewhat later, found, after penetrating the smoke cloud, that the enemy fleet was no longer before them; nor, when the fleet commander again brought the German squadrons upon the southerly and southwesterly course where the enemy was last seen, could our opponents be found. Only once more-shortly before 10.30 o'clock-did the battle flare up. For a short time in the late twilight German battle cruisers sighted four enemy capital s.h.i.+ps to seaward and opened fire immediately. As the two German battles.h.i.+p squadrons attacked, the enemy turned and vanished in the darkness.
Older German light cruisers of the fourth reconnoissance group also were engaged with the older enemy armored cruisers in a short fight.
This ended the day battle.
The German divisions, which, after losing sight of the enemy, began a night cruise in a southerly direction, were attacked until dawn by enemy light force in rapid succession.