Part 8: 17:05 - 17:20
Ordersquote:
Main fleet : Keep position in line of battle. Fire on Lion if she comes into range
I Scouting Group : Turn together to course 070. Hoist flags for Utmost Speed. Maximum speed for each individual ship and tell them to re-form on the lead at minute 12 of 15.Cease fire at Lion. Derfflinger is to fire at whichever ship it was Seydlitz had been firing at, I think Queen Mary. Standard orders about target priority (shoot the QEs) should anything drop out of range.
II Scouting Group : Adjust heading to 030, maintain speed at 27 kts. Fire on nearest enemy cruiser when range closes to 13km. If oncoming cruiser adjusts course eastwards, change course to 050 and attempt to bring all of my cruisers' 15cm guns to bear.
II Flottilla : DDs unable to make 25 kts to continue heading course 090. Wiesbaden and all other DDs to come to course 015, maximum possible speed.
3.IV Scouting Group : München, come about 90 degrees, cross the T of the enemy battleships. S54, move in and attack battleships with torpedoes.
11.VI Half Flotilla : Turn to bearing 270, reduce speed to full
17. IX Half Flotilla: Turn bearing 260 maintain speed. If we get behind the battlecruiser group, fire torpedoes if no friendly ships are in the way.
18.IX Half-Flotilla: Turn in succession to 195, make immediate torpedo attack against British BCs. Then reform to screen I Scouting.
17:05
You see the elements of I Scouting group turn towards you out of line.
These ships are defiantly firing at something, but you cannot see what.
17:10
Another explosion is seen on the horizon, and a minute later, there are but two funnels of smoke to be seen from Hippers force.
That's the Friedrich Der Grosse in the foreground.
17:15
It begins to rain, all over your ships, anyone who can seek cover does so. There is still no sight of enemy shipping, the action all seems to be happening to the west.
17:20
Hipper now seems to be sailing right for you, and is continuing to fire at ships that you cannot see.
Your map
Scouting & II Flotilla
17:05
The battle Cruiser make a sharp turn to port and attempt to foul the enemies firing solutions.
17:07
The Queen Elizabeth battleships are trying to reform in a northerly heading. We have nothing in the area that can engage them, but they don't seem to be engaging to many of our ships.
17:09
The enemy line of battleships is growing ever longer.
You have to feel for the captain of the G37, now the only remaining ship of the 12.IV Half-Flotilla.
17:10
I missed the sinking message, but its seems that the Moltke has also gone down!
I've never seen the German ships sink this quickly before in my life! I quickly check to make sure we're not in fact playing the British.
I check on the British ships, and at leas the Lion has now sunk.
17:14
The Derfflinger and Von Der Tann both take several more hits, then the torpedo boats of the 18.IX Half-Flotilla make a torpedo attack on the enemy while moving to screen the battle cruisers from enemy fire.
17:15
It begins to rain, and the G87 is hit by a 16 inch shell from one of the Queen Elizabeth battleships - the much smaller destroyer is blown out of the water.
17:20
The next five minute pass without much to comment on, as the battle crusier seem to be the only ship firing at this time. For Hippers successor, the sight of the quiet guns of the main fleet must be galling.
To the far north, the crew of the G37 and the lightly damaged Rensburg and her escorts can see the full power of the British fleet.
Maps for this turn.
II Flotilla
Messages
12.VI to all ships:HAVE SIGHTED MULTIPLE ENEMY BATTLESHIPS. PRESUME GRAND FLEET. CURRENTLY HEADING 170 SPD 19. HAVE SUSTAINED HEAVY LOSSES. REQUEST PERMISSION TO DISENGAGE.
II Flotilla to SCHEER (the one on Frederich der Grosse):
ENEMY BATTLELINE SIGHTED TO MY NW, DUE N OF CRUISER REGENSBURG. ENEMY
IS STEERING SSE AT 19 KTS. ENEMY IS WELL SCREENED BY LIGHT FORCES.
MESSAGE to SCHEER: LUTZOW. RIP HIPPER. AND THAT WAS THE SEYDLITZ. BOTH REPORTED ONLY MODERATE DAMAGE. RUNNING AWAY NOW. HOPEFULLY WILL DRAW ENEMY BCs INTO GUNS OF BATTLEFLEET.
Well this could be going better, we're now three battle cruisers and a number of destroyers down, but only have one battle cruiser and a destroyer kill to our name. This is pretty much all bad luck, but at least our big ships are nearly in range of the enemy.