Part 19: 19:50 - 20:05
Ordersquote:
FDG: Maintain speed and heading, target southern BC.
3. II Squadron orders: Follow the battleship line as usual.
5.III Squadron: Prior orders stand.
I Scouting Grp : come about to 180, make best speed, try and take up position at the head of the HSF's line. Carry on shooting the closest BC until it's out of range. As soon as the cruiser to the S comes in range, shoot it. We don't need that thing telling Jellicoe where we are. The BBs can kill the BCs.
II Scouting Grp : Maintain course and speed, turn away to starboard at maximum speed if engaged.
4.IV Scouting Group : Maintain course and speed.
Rostock: move towards those BCs in the middle and fire at them.
9.IV Half Flotilla : Match course with the main German battle line and slow speed to let them catch up. If they catch up, match speed and course.
10.V Half-Flotilla : Maintain Heading, but increase speed as we pass the enemy BCs. Once we're past them, try to swing around and put torpedoes into their tails.
13. VII Half Flotilla : Maintain speed and heading
17 IX Half Flotilla: Turn bearing 320 degrees, fastest possible speed. Fire torpedoes into English battle line regardless of whether its possible or not.
19:51
The Princess Royal continues to be hit two or thee times a second by the numerous light and heavy guns being fired in her direction, only one of her turrets seems to be in action, but there is little external sign of damage.
19:53
At the edge of the British Fleet, the S34 attracts the fire of the three remaining Queen Elizabeth Class battleships, and is quickly sunk. We've lost a huge number of these little ships, and I've not been able to keep track of them all I'm afraid.
She does get to see the crippled Centurion, dead in the water, listing heavily and being carried sideways by the current.
19:54
Lifeboats start being lowered from the Princess Royal, and we soon see her begin to settle into the water.
Our boys continue to pound her though, taking all of their anger out on this lone British ship, cheers ring up, occasionally heard over the sound of guns firing.
19:55
The cheers are short lived however, as the Grosser Kurfurst takes a hit from a 15 inch shell and explodes.
Seconds later, another 15 inch shell slams into the Bridge of the Fredrick Der Gross, and Germany loses her second Admiral of the day.
Her Captain is then killed a few seconds after this as a 13.5inch shell, most likely from the Queen Mary, hits the bridge.
19:57
The Fury of the German Grand Fleet turns to the Queen Mary.
28 ships fire at her, and most of their shells strike as the gunners give their all for Germany and their now deceased Admiral.
8:00
The Centurion has begun to sink, finally giving in to her wounds.
8:01
The Queen Mary, who has all but disappeared for the last five minutes behind explosions and gouts of water, begins to sink.
8:05
You are now without a commander, the FDG can only issue one message per turn, and I have no idea who is in command at this point.
In good news, there is now only 25 minutes until sunset.
Main force :
I scouting:
Messages
Sheer to (fleet):
SHIPS INCAPABLE OF RUNNING 18 KNOTS TURN TO HOMEPORT REST TURN IN LINE TO 090 AFTER ENEMY BATTLECRUISERS HAVE BEEN SUNK
I Scouting Grp to Scheer:
Heading S to take up position at head of battle-line, sink enemy Cruiser to S, prevent it giving away our position at night.
II Scouting Grp to Scheer: ENEMY BATTLELINE REFORMING AND HEADING SOUTH AT 18KTS. BATTLESHIP CENTURION HEAVILY DAMAGED AND IMMOBILE.
Lost Messages
4.IV Scouting Group to Scheer : MOVING AROUND EAST SIDE OF BRITISH FLEET. READY
TO ENGAGE AFTER NIGHTFALL, OR AT YOUR COMMAND.
German ships exploding, British ships taking massive amounts of damage but remaining afloat, this is a complete reversal of the real battle.
Fleeing south, we continue to make the enemy pay for the engagement, we lose one more ship, but the massed guns of our line punish the battle cruisers. but now Scheer, the head of the fleet is dead, and there is no clear succession.
If Scheer had avoided the main fleet, hammered the Battle cruisers and withdrawn, then the HSF would have been in a great position to sally out again.
But avoiding that many battleships is not an easy task.