Part 15: 18:50 - 19:05
Ordersquote:
Freidrich der Große: Turn 180 degrees to port, new heading 090, Increase speed to 23. Target Iron Duke if she is in range.
3. II Squadron : Stay in line
5.III Squadron: Prior orders stand. Maneuver as necessary to reform battleline after gefechtskehrtwende is completed.
3.IV Scouting Group : Come about 90 degrees to the starboard, and FULL SPEED AHEAD!
4.IV Scouting Group: Right turn to 180, full speed (or at least as fast as the destroyer can keep up with). Fire torpedoes if we get a clear shot on the side of the British line, but only if we're close enough to have a good chance of hitting.
5.IV Scouting Group : maintain heading and speed and just to re-iterate my shooting orders - only if I can hit them and only if they are shooting at me. Big things before little things. Lets hope the Hamburg is not important.
1st Leader of the Destoyers: continue full speed ahead to keep trying to connect with 17 and what's left of 18 and open fire on those ships in front of me when Rostock enters range.
I Scouting Group: Alter 10 degrees away from the enemy BCs, speed 22 knots, (to about 165ish, but "10 degrees away" is what I mean, not 165), and switch fire from Tiger to Princess Royal unless Tiger shows any signs of still being able to fight.
Scouting Grp II: Increase speed to 25kts and turn to 090. Let's try to get out of range of those BCs and shadow the main fleet to the east of the battleline.
9.V Half Flotilla : Turn towards the enemy Battlecruisers and open fire with torpedoes and our (puny) guns.
18:50
The gefechtskehrtwende or "180 degree turn" begins.
18:51
The Monarch is hit, a shell going right through one of her stacks.
18:52
The Konig is hit in the rear, damaging her propulsion.
18:55
The Rhineland is hit and rapidly begins to sink.
This is a major blow, as yet another of our battleships goes down.
18:58
To the south, the battle cruisers duke it out, but its hard to tell who is winning at this stage.
19:00
The attempt to change course has ended in chaos.
Every ship is trying to come to a new course while avoiding the enemies fire, this has lead to ships heading in all directions, and the Konig is now heavily damaged.
19:03
The British line has no such problems, and continues to land hits on pretty much our entire battleship force.
19:04
The Markgraph is hit several times, and loses her Captain to a strike to the bridge.
It should be noted that the British ships are being hit as well, but we don't get detailed damage reports for them - we just have to look at the damage.
The entire British fleet is now in sight. Well, you have to hope its the entire British fleet....
Messages
Scheer to (Hipper):
DISPATCH ENEMY BATTLECRUISERS REJOIN FLEET OR RETIRE FROM FIELD DEPENDING ON AMMUNITION AND DAMAGE AT YOUR DISCRETION
I Scouting Grp to Scouting Units:
REQUEST LOCATION OF ENEMY BCs INDEFTATIGABLE, NEW ZEALAND, INVINCIBLE, INFLEXIBLE, INDOMITABLE
II Scouting Grp to 1.IV and 5.IV Scouting Grps:
ENEMY BATTLECRUISERS APPROACHING YOUR POSITION, HEADING 140 ON THE EASTERN FRINGE OF ENEMY SCREENS. CAN INFORM YOU FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE THAT THEIR GUNS HURT.
Lost Messages
Scheer to (Fleet):
REFORM BATTLELINE ON FDG WE WILL TRY TO OVERTAKE THE ENEMY AND CROSS THE T AGAIN ALL CAPITAL SHIPS ENGAGE ENEMY BATTLELINE
Scheer to (all):
ALL DESTROYERS AND CRUISERS NOT CURRENTLY ENGAGED FORM SCREEN BETWEEN HSF AND ENEMY SMALL SHIPS
Lots of firing, but no serious hits yet, but its only a matter of time, and god dammit if the numbers of British ships doesn't look imposing. the loss of the Rienland is a blow, and the sheer weight of British fire is starting to build up.