The range was rapidly decreasing as the courses of the rival forces converged. A few minutes after 4 P.M. the "Lion" was heavily hit by a shell from the "Liitzow" which plunged into her midship turret and killed nearly the whole of the gun's crew. But for the presence of mind and devotion to duty of Major F. J. W. Harvey, R.M.L.I. (awarded a posthumous V.C.), who when mortally wounded saw to the flooding of the magazine, the flag ship would doubtless have been destroyed. Up to this time, owing to a misunderstanding, the "Derfflinger" had been left unfired at, but was now engaged by the "Queen Mary." In the rear of the line the "Von der Tann" and "Indefatigable" were fighting a furious duel when a salvo of three shells from the former crashed into the vitals of the British ship; she fell out of the line sinking by the stern; at 4.06 P.M. another salvo hit her and with a rending explosion she turned over and sank with her 57 officers and 96o men. Now came a moment's respite; both sides, finding the fight ing too hot, decided to open the range, and soon the German shells were falling short and their fire ceased.
Meanwhile Evan-Thomas, by cutting corners, had manoeuvred the 5th Battle Squadron into range, and shortly after 4 o'clock the "Barham" opened fire on the "Von der Tann" at about 19,000 yards. In spite of the poor visibility the battleships' firing was very accurate, and Hipper had to take to zigzagging to dodge the great 15 in. salvoes. Nothing but the poor quality of the British shells, which burst without penetrating the enemy's armour, could have saved his rear ships from destruction. The van of the German line was not long out of action.
At 4.10 Hipper turned inwards two points while Beatty, having established sufficient overlap, started to press his way to the east ward again. The effect was to close the range rapidly and the engagement was fiercely renewed.
The "Lion" seems to have been still enveloped in the smoke of her burnt-out turret, and practically invisible, with the result that she was left in peace while the "Seydlitz" concentrated her guns with those of the "Derfflinger" on the "Queen Mary." The latter was fighting gallantly when at 4.26, a salvo crashed into her forward, a red flame shot up and an explosion rent her asunder. In another instant only a great pall of smoke marked the grave of the "Queen Mary" and her 57 officers and 1,209 men.
About this time a subsidiary battle was being fought between the lines. The 13th Destroyer Flotilla, having attained a suitable position, was launched to attack. At the same moment a German flotilla advanced into the arena making for the 5th Battle Squad ron. The two flotillas met ; the enemy destroyers fired twelve torpedoes at long range and hastily retired before the superior gun-fire of the British craft. Evan-Thomas swung his Battle
Squadron away two points and safely avoided the torpedoes. Part of the British flotilla chased the fleeing enemy towards the van of the German battle cruisers, while Commander Bingham in the "Nestor," followed by the "Nicator," pursued those making for the rear. When within 5,000 yd. of the "Liitzow," the two de stroyers fired their torpedoes, but Hipper adopted the same dodging tactics and swung his ships away while the torpedoes ran clear or fell short of their mark. The gallant pair of destroyers pressed on and fired more torpedoes at a range of only 3,500 yd. under a hail of shell from the enemy's secondary armament. The "Nicator" escaped, but the light cruiser "Regensburg" appeared suddenly from behind the battle cruisers and crippled the "Nestor" with two shots in her boiler. The "Nomad," another destroyer, was also hit and left helpless between the lines. Another small force of British destroyers had accounted for two of their oppo nents, "V.27" and "V.29," when at 4.43 P.M. the "Lion" ran up the destroyers' general recall. Events suddenly took a new and dra matic turn. To Hipper, sorely pressed ahead and astern, came welcome and timely relief. The German battle fleet was in sight.
German Battle Fleet in Sight.—The head of the German battle fleet was first sighted by the "Southampton" in which was Commodore Goodenough leading his and Light Cruiser Squadron about two miles ahead of the "Lion." At 4.33 he made the signal "battleships southeast." Holding boldly to his course he was soon able to identify the High Seas Battle Fleet in full array. Mindful of the extreme importance of his information, he sent a wireless message direct to Jellicoe. Within ten minutes of this signal being dispatched the commander-in-chief had quickened the pulse of his own great command with the signal "enemy battle fleet is coming north." Goodenough stood down to within 13,00o yd. of the enemy so that he could identify him in detail before turning north under a hail of shell fire. An admirable piece of cruiser work had not only galvanised many and far distant forces into activity, but it had crystallised the whole position for the British commands. Beatty also held his course until the German battle fleet was in sight, then, at 4.4o, he turned 16 points in succession and started to run north, assuming the role of the pursued instead of that of pursuer. To Scheer it seemed as if his opportunity to fall on a de tached part of the British fleet had come, but Beatty was happy in the knowledge that if the enemy was not frightened off pre maturely he would be confronted with the whole Grand Fleet.