'THE GREAT WAR', 'THE WAR TO END WAR', 'WORLD WAR 1'
'What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
- Only the monstrous anger of the guns.'
from 'Anthem for Doomed Youth'
by Wilfred Owen
31st MAY - 1st JUNE 1916
THE NAVAL SEA BATTLE
OF JUTLAND
Transcript from: 'More Sea Fights of the Great War'
by W.L. Wyllie, C. Owen & W.D. Kirkpatrick
pub. 1919
CHAPTER VIII The Battle of Jutland, as described in the previous chapter, was begun by Sir David Beatty and Admiral Evan Thomas. To understand what followed when Sir John Jellicoe came on the scene it must be remembered that the greater part of the Battle Fleet had left Scapa Flow on the evening of May 30. Next day, as prearranged, Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Jerram's squadron from Cromarty joined up, and in the afternoon the whole of the ships were steaming towards Horn Reef on the coast of Jutland. Sir John Jellicoe had formed the fleet in six columns. Vice- Admiral Sir Cecil Burney was leading the starboard division in Marlborough, with Revenge, Hercules and Agincourt. Rear-Admiral Ernest F.A. Gaunt led the next division in Colossus, with Collingwood, Neptune and St. Vincent. Vice-Admiral Sir Doveton Sturdee commanded the next column in Benbow, followed by Bellerophon, Temeraire and Vanguard. Sir John Jellicoe led the next division in Iron Duke, with Royal Oak - a new ship - Superb and Canada, while Rear-Admiral Arthur C. Leverson led the next division in Orion, his flagship, with Monarch, Conqueror and Thunderer, and Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Jerram, in King George, guided the port division - Ajax, Centurion and Erin. When Commodore Alexander Sinclair sent the wireless message to Sir David Beatty saying that he had sighted the enemy his report was intercepted by the wireless staff of Iron Duke. Sir John Jellicoe at once gave orders to raise steam for full speed. By this time the Battle Fleet had succeeded in increasing speed to twenty knots. |
Every ship was ordered to keep clear of the wake of her next ahead so that this rate should be maintained. At 4.24 Sir John Jellicoe signalled to Admiral Evan Thomas: "Are you in company with the Battle-Cruiser Fleet?" The reply returned: "Yes; I am engaging the enemy." The Commander-in-Chief sent the following order to attached cruisers soon after five: "Take station for the approach." Our readers may like to see a copy of the Commander-in-Chief's next signal as it was received on board every ship. At six o'clock the British Battle Fleet altered course from south-east by south to south. Its speed had now fallen to nineteen knots. By 6.16 it was clear that the German fleet would come into sight almost at once. Sir John Jellicoe made the signal: "Deploy into single line S.E. by E." |
While this evolution was being carried out the officers on watch in the Battle Fleet obtained their first clear view of "Windy Corner" and the terrible fighting raging in that crowded, shell-torn patch of water. Rear-Admiral Hood's three "Invincibles," half hidden in smoke, were to the south-east in hot action with the German van. Defence and Warrior had crossed before the bows of Lion, and were rushing headlong to destruction, firing incessantly at the little "mad-dog" Wiesbaden, now in a sinking condition but still keeping in action with one small gun, while columns of steam were rushing out of her. An officer who was in the fire control of Benbow has said that as he was watching a large salvo fell on the quarter-deck of Defence; another struck near the bridge, and then a third, when a huge column of flame and smoke towered into the air. The ship was gone. Warrior appeared to him to hide herself in smoke. The German fleet beyond showed only when the flashes of guns broke The sea between Sir David's ships and the main Battle Fleet was crowded with armoured cruisers, light cruisers and destroyers. They were rushing in all directions, and it appeared to the officer that Piccadilly had gone afloat in a chaos of smoke and flame. Many shells sent up their tall columns, but no ship was seen to be hit. The following may give a notion of the point of view of the bluejacket when his ship is cleared for action. All woodwork on quarter-deck is removed, buckets and barrels are filled with water, hoses rigged, and all extra ammunition is up in place. Signal from Galatea: " Sighted enemy." News was piped through the ship and was greatly cheered. 4.30 p.m. - Signal : "Battle-Cruiser Fleet are engaging enemy." Cheers again greeted this news. Signal: "Thirteen battleships sighted steaming north." 5.50. - "Our light cruisers sighted enemy." Once again went up a chorus of exultation. |
Action stations. All men at their posts wore life·jackets and respirators. " We cannot see what is taking place now, and have to depend on what comes down voice-pipe from upper conning tower. My station is with repair party. I can honestly say there is not the least excitement or flurry, and, knowing that the safety of the ship greatly depends on rapidly obeying orders, everything is done very smartly. All is working smoothly." When Sir John Jellicoe's deployment was complete the battle line measured eight miles from van to rear, and the cruisers extended another five miles. The German van, however, had turned away to the south-east to a distance where little more than smoke and flashes could be seen from the leading British ships. They seemed only three or four dim ghosts. The rear of Sir John's line, on the contrary, was well within range of the enemy, and at a quarter-past six the shells of the Germans were falling quite thickly. Marlborough's division, indeed, had been in action ever since the ships had turned for deployment. The range was only 13,000 yards, and the nearest enemy bore well abaft the starboard beam. Agincourt was the last ship in the line; she fired fourteen of her 12-inch guns in one salvo - not one gun in each turret, but the whole of them all at once. The sheet of flame was big enough to create the impression that a battle-cruiser had blown up; it was awe inspiring. Just before half-past six a three-funnelled German rushed to the westward between the rival fleets. Many of the heavy ships fired at her with their turret guns, for though her identity was doubtful, her colours could be distinctly seen. She was soon disabled, and sank. In the First Battle Squadron only Colossus was actually hit by gun-fire, but the "Königs," or perhaps invisible destroyers sent quite a number of torpedoes at the rear of the battle-line, and as the tracks could be plainly seen from aloft the ships made many alterations of course to avoid them. Marlborough had successfully dodged one torpedo, but at 6.54 there was a heavy explosion right under her fore bridge, and the water came pouring into the hydraulic engine-room, listing the ship seven degrees to starboard. |
This mishap did not prevent the stout ship from continuing in action. She fired fourteen salvos at one of the "Königs" and struck her so often that the German turned out of the line. Marlborough also avoided three more torpedoes. They had all been fired from very long range and were not running at top speed, and therefore easy to dodge. One officer was in a cabin very hard at work plotting courses when the explosion occurred. It was close by, but he continued his work undisturbed. By and by he said to himself: "Here we are in the middle of an action. I suppose this is the proper time to have cold feet, and - yes, my feet are cold." Then, looking down, he found that he had been standing in sea water for some time. A fine example of a man absorbed by his duty to the exclusion of everything else. Sir John Jellicoe, now becoming aware that the majority of his battleships were too far from the German line to do much execution, at 6.50 gave the order to turn four points to starboard by divisions.
The picture above shows Rear-Admiral Arthur C. Leverson's command in the act of carrying out the order. In the forefront a part of his flagship is seen with all the 13.5 guns trained on the beam. A salvo has just been fired, and compressed air is rushing from the long muzzles brushing away scraps of burning cordite and silk. Monarch, Conqueror and Thunderer, also in action, are seen following, and beyond is the fleet flagship Iron Duke turning to starboard, with Royal Oak, Superb and Canada. Benbow's division is lost in the haze astern. Many tracks of torpedoes were reported during this phase of the action, but they were near the end of their run, and the captains, by frequent alterations of course, successfully dodged them. The German turret guns seem to have been strangely idle. One admiral near the van stated that not only had his ship not been hit, but he believed that no one ever tried to hit her. On the other hand he saw quite clearly the bright flash in the haze as his own shells landed on the enemy. |
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