'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 To give a personal impression the following is a description of the night firing by an officer in a light cruiser:
In obedience to Sir John Jellicoe's orders six columns of destroyers steamed five miles astern of the Battle Fleet. The Eleventh and Fourth Flotillas were the most westerly of these columns, and naturally the first to bear the brunt of the German movement to the eastward across our rear. The forerunners had been engaged by our light cruisers. At 11.30 the bulk of the enemy began to loom out of the darkness, and in a moment our gallant destroyers were right in the midst of terrible fighting at close quarters. Tipperary, leading the Fourth Flotilla, was set on fire and dreadfully damaged by the hellish hail of shells. Captain Wintour and a great part of his splendid crew were lost, only a very few survivors being picked up next day. Spitfire (Lieut.-Commander Trelawny), the second astern, coming on full speed, fired her torpedoes at the misty shadow of a four-funnelled ship, and then dashed into a light cruiser, carrying away thirty feet of the skin-plating of the German before she scraped clear. Broke, leading her half·ilotilla, came close to a German on her starboardbow. |
"Full speed starboard! Hard a starboard! " Simultaneously the German challenged with coloured lamps and opened fire. An 11-inch shell struck the lower bridge, killing those on duty, smashing engine- room telegraph and wheel. The helm was over to starboard, the telegraph at full speed, while the port engine was only running at half speed. Round came Broke, striking the unfortunate destroyer Sparrowhawk just before the bridge, cutting off her bow and pressing her round. Another of the flotilla came head first at the poor, noseless boat and chopped off her stern also. The remainder drifted helplessly until sighted in the morning by Marksman, which rescued the crew and sank the wreck as too far gone for salvage. Half the crew of Broke were wounded or killed, the doctor amongst them, and the sick-bay steward did splendid work amongst the sufferers, being afterwards awarded the D.S.M. The crippled destroyer leader was put on a course which it was hoped would take her clear of further trouble, but instead it brought her amongst three German destroyers, which at once opened fire. Broke made reply with her only remaining gun. The enemy could not have known what an easy victory was within their grasp, for they drew off, leaving the ship so damaged that the navigators at first talked of making for Norway. A sporting chief, quite unmoved by the dreadful fighting he had been through, consulted a book as to where the best salmon fishing might be found in that country. The battered destroyer leader, navigated from the yvardroom table, as the charthouse was gone, afterwards had an adventurous journey as she tumbled towards home, being obliged to steam many devious courses, for, as the wind shifted, she must needs change direction to keep the seas from breaking into her broken fabric. On arrival in the Tyne her crew heard that they had been given up for lost. To return to the battle; at midnight the remainder of the Fourth Flotilla, still steaming to the south-east, ran athwart the ·enemy's Second Battle Squadron. |
The destroyer Fortune was sunk at once, but her sisters, Ardent, Arnbuscade and Garland, were ready with their torpedoes, though it is quite impossible to say which of these splendid little craft can claim the battleship Pommern. The enemy admitted that she was sunk at this time. So to one or other belongs the glory. Soon after this more German heavy ships came on the heels of the Second Squadron, so Ardent rushed again into the midst, firing her torpedoes with indomitable gallantry. Such a heavy fire crashed into the desperate little craft that she sank. Five hours afterwards Lieut.-Commander Marsden was rescued with one man - the only survivors. Later on the enemy's ships, steaming to the east, ran athwart another destroyer leader, Faulkner. A little before two in the morning Captain Stirling became aware of six ships on his starboard bow. They seemed to be of the "Kaiser" class. He increased speed to twenty-five knots, and, working his flotilla round into a favourable position, sent all his torpedoes at the enemy. The explosion on board the third ship was so tremendous that our sailors thought the magazine must have gone. One of Captain Stirling's destroyers, Maenad, had her torpedo tubes bearing to starboard, and so was not ready at the critical moment. Commander Champion therefore steamed ahead. He fired one of his torpedoes to port, and then altered course to the south-east, discharging two more of his torpedoes to starboard. With one he made a palpable hit, flames reaching the masthead of the German battleship, bringing with them death and disaster. The enemy have always denied that our destroyers had any success, saying that only the out-of-date Pornmern and a light cruiser had been sunk by torpedoes. The truth is that an up-to-date German battleship was very hard to sink either by gunfire or torpedo. Some German prisoners aboard Ganges solemnly declared that they had seen at Blohm and Voss a German battleship which ought to have been lying at the bottom of the Baltic. One does not, as a rule, attach much weight to the discredited word of a German, but somehow with the knowledge we possess this statement has the ring of truth. |
Here is an interesting description of the night firing from Agincourt: "From night time until almost daylight our small craft were attacking. Our upper deck was crowded with men watching the fight away to starboard. Volumes of tawny smoke intermixed with red flashes, and above, brilliant star shells lit up the clouds." When Captain Stirling had definitely fixed the position of the German Battle Fleet he did his very best to send the information to his Commander-in-Chief. The Germans, however, had no stomach for more fighting, even in retreat. If the British ships could have been turned to the east they would still have intervened between the enemy and his bases. The Germans, therefore, sent out strong Telefunken waves, interfering with our dots and dashes so that no message got through. Astern of our flotillas a number of scattered destroyers followed. These had lost touch with their leaders. At midnight a large vessel, which at first had been taken for one of our own, stole out of the darkness. She ran amok amongst our small craft, ramming and sinking Turbulent and doing much damage to Petard. The High Sea Fleet had now passed across the rear of our battle-ships. Having pushed their way, with some damage, through the British flotillas, they were now to meet a new danger. Abdiel was rather an odd-looking mine-laying flotilla leader. At first sight she seemed a destroyer, but at closer quarters it was evident that the boats, davits, guns and torpedo tubes were not real. Some artistic sailorman had painted them on the canvas screens which ran along both sides of the little ship. Concealed behind were rows of deadly mines. The light and shade on the boats and davits did not always correspond with the actual position of the sun at any moment, but the blue sky and cloud effects were admirable. |
Whilst the High Sea Fleet was pushing its way towards Hom Reef Abdiel was laying a neat row of deadly mines right across the German track. She signalled as follows to Admiral Jellicoe: "Abdiel to C.-in-C., Grand Fleet. Mines laid in position ordered at time ordered." Next morning one of our submarines stationed near Horn Reef heard several under-water explosions, and. it was judged that some of the enemy had struck Abdiel's mines. We will now follow the fortunes of Sir Cecil Burney's flagship.
At 2 p.m. on June 1 Marlborough had been obliged to reduce speed to twelve knots so as to ease the strain on her bulkheads. About 3 o'clock Fearless was ordered alongside like a picket-boat to transfer the Admiral and his Staff to Revenge. In the mist Marlborough had hauled out of the line. She had stopped her engines, but when boarded still had way on. The crew gave a spontaneous cheer as the Admiral went over the side. The gilded Staff were refreshed in the wardroom with hot cocoa, while Fearless raced after Revenge. In running alongside she unfortunately broke the fluke off her port anchor. The next task was to find Marlborough again and escort her to a British port. The pair met with many adventures. At first torpedoes were fired at the lame duck, and then you might have seen the old Fearless rushing round and pretending that she was a whole division of destroyers. When day dawned a Zeppelin was sighted, and it was a splendid sight to watch Marlborough blazing away with 13.5 shrapnel at her unwelcome visitor. About nine in the morning the two ships passed what looked like a Dutch trawler, and after she had dropped out of sight the wireless staffs heard a loud conversation in Telefunken, obviously reporting the position and course of Marlborough. Everyone, of course, expected to be attacked by German torpedo craft. Before leaving, Fearless had been told that an escort of four destroyers might be expected to overtake her at about 1p.m. The hour arrived. There was no signal. At two there was still nothing visible. About 3 o'clock, however, a signalman reported destroyers coming up on the port quarter - the direction of the German fleet. |
If you have Oldham and District items that we can include on our website, PLEASE visit the information page to find out how you can help.
