Overview  Strategy Order of Battle Battlecruiser action Fleet action Night action Result 


Battlecruiser action - "The Run to the South"

Betty and Hipper moved their battlecruiser fleets closer and closer to eachother. None of them was aware of their counterparts position but they knew that they where not alone. Hipper and Beatty had met before. They where both very progressive and skilled commanders.

The Danish tramp steamer N.J. Fjord was sailing in the area between the fleets and the smoke from the steamer came into sight of both forces. They both deployed a reconasaince force to investigate. These scouts met by the steamer and open fire on eachother. The Battle of Jutland commenced.

The Battlecruisers soon after came into sight of eachother. Hipper turned starboard 4.33 and steared SSE. He was certain that Beatty wouldn't hesitate to follow him and that way he could draw Beatty down to Scheers main fleet which was positioned about 60 miles to the south. This tactic has been used for 5.000 years and we still laugh at it when we see it movies. Nevetheless it worked and Beatty turned SSE on an almost parralel course 4.36. This part of the battle was later known as "The run to the South"

But this was not a run away - far from. Both commanders was eager to bring their counterpart to action and bells and drums sounded for action stations and the massive battlecruisers was made ready to fight.

Hipper opens fire

Beatty's guns had about 2,000 yards longer range than Hippers. Hipper therefore converged his course to close in on Beatty. At 4.48 when the range closed in to 18,300 yards Hipper opened fire almost simultaniously as Beatty. Beatty was with no doubt aware of his tactical advantage but the foggy horizon properly made difficoldtyes for the British sailors to estimate the range. The first British salvos felt about 1 mile to long. The German shells however felt very precise from the begining. The British shells closed in shortly after and both forces where recieving hits.

Another mishap for the British was that Princess Royal engaged Lützow which was the wrong target. This left her real target Derrflinger unengaged for a long time leaving him to focus his devestating fire into the British line.

 

Note that the charts does'nt show the position and movement of light cruisers, destroyers and torpedoboats. They where not late to take the initiative and make use of their high speed. They engaged eachother in a fierce fight in the area between the battlecruisers.

Battlecruiser action
 HMS Queen Elizabeth, HMS Warspite, HMS Barham, HMS Valiant and

The 5th Battle Squadron engange

The 5th Battlse squadron with Barham, Warspite, Valiant and Malaya was late to recieve the message of the sourtherly course change and proceeded several minutes on their original course. They therefor lost valuable minutes and was late to intervene in the figh between Hipper and Beatty.