Hipper, it so happened, was too occupied with the British de stroyers' attacks to take advantage of the target presented by the British battle cruisers as they wheeled in succession round the same point. By 4.5o Beatty with his line now reduced to four ships had straightened up on a northerly course and was re engaging his late enemy. Hipper had just resumed his southerly course, after turning away from the British destroyers, when a torpedo hit the "Seydlitz" tearing a huge hole under water and putting a 15 cm. gun out of action. The ship's stout construction saved her, however, and she kept her place in the line. By 5 P.M. Hipper, too, had turned 16 points to the northward and taken up his station ahead of the battle fleet. Meanwhile the 5th Battle Squadron could not see the "Lion's" flag signal to turn about. Evan-Thomas saw Beatty turn, but was intent on hanging to the rear of the enemy's battle cruisers, who were still on a southerly course, with the result that the two British squadrons passed each other at high speed. The "Lion" now repeated the signal to turn, direct to the 5th Battle Squadron, but before it could be obeyed, that squadron found itself under the guns of the German battle fleet.
Evan-Thomas turned 16 points at practically the same instant as Hipper, but in the process the "Barham" received a heavy shell which cost her casualties and the use of her wireless gear. The rear battleship of the line, the "Malaya," was a target for at least a whole division of enemy battle ships and suffered even more severely. ("Barham" lost 26 killed and 37 wounded, "Malaya" 63 killed and 33 wounded.) For some 20 min., she was straddled again and again and received serious damage below the waterline, but held on and eventually the whole squadron forged ahead and got clear. A plucky attempt by the destroyers "Onslow" and "Moresby" to attack the enemy battle cruisers just as they had turned north was defeated by the German light scouting group, but the "Moresby" stood on to within 8,000 yd. of the enemy's battle fleet and fired a torpedo at the third ship of the line; it did not take effect, but both destroyers escaped miraculously under a very hot fire. Scheer continued to hasten north after the ap parently hard-pressed British squadrons. As he did so the motion less "Nestor" and "Nomad" came drifting down between the lines. They scorned surrender and fired their last torpedoes at the on coming battleships but without effect. A moment later they were overwhelmed in a storm of shell. The undaunted "Nestors" gave three cheers for their sinking ship and sang a verse of "God Save the King" before the crews took to boats and Carley rafts, from which they were chivalrously rescued by enemy destroyers.
Once the 5th Battle Squadron had shaken off the German battle fleet the firing slackened. At 5.40 P.M. Hipper's squadron reap peared out of the mist and there was a temporary burst of firing from the British battle cruisers and the leading battleships, but Beatty was intent on joining his commander-in-chief and was reserving his forces for the greater issues impending.
Meeting of the Battle Fleets.—Coming down from the north-west was Jellicoe in the "Iron Duke," at the head of a centre division of his six lines of battleships, each in single line ahead at manoeuvring distance apart. Directly ahead of him was the 4th Light Cruiser Squadron which with the destroyer flotillas was acting as an anti-submarine screen. Further ahead and spread for scouting were the 1st and and Cruiser Squadrons. Twenty one miles to the eastward were Hood's three ships of the 3rd Battle Cruiser Squadron, with two light cruisers and four de stroyers.
Up to 2.45, the fleet had been steaming at economical speed, but, with the arrival of wireless messages indicating the presence of an enemy to the southward, the commander-in-chief increased to 17 knots and ten minutes later to 18 knots. Course was shaped southeast by south for Horn Reefs as previously ar ranged. At 3.59, as soon as he learnt that the enemy's battle cruisers had been sighted, Jellicoe increased to 20 knots and then sent Hood on to Beatty's support, so that when the report was received that the enemy's battle fleet was coming north there was nothing better to be done at the moment than to stand on as he was doing. The battle fleet was closed up in cruising forma tion, and it would have been useless, indeed dangerous, to deploy into line of battle until it was known on what bearing the enemy would be met. The leaders of divisions were already disposed at right angles to the most likely line of bearing on which to sight the enemy in order that they might wheel their ships into line with a minimum of delay. So the rival battle fleets approached, charging towards each other at a rate of nearly 4o knots, but as yet out of sight.
When in due course contact was made it did not come about quite as Jellicoe expected. The "Iron Duke" and "Lion" had communicated their respective positions from time to time, but zig-zagging and many other alterations of course had caused both flagships to be out in their reckoning. The "Iron Duke" was in fact some 44 m. ahead (i.e., to the southeastward) and the "Lion" 64 m. to the westward of their estimated positions as they approached each other. The reports of the enemy re ceived by the commander-in-chief were therefore somewhat per plexing, and by the time it became evident that the German Battle Fleet would be met on a starboard bow bearing instead of right ahead it was too late to alter his dispositions. Hood, also, was thrown out in his calculations. Steering as he thought to join Beatty he found himself on the opposite side, i.e., to east ward of the enemy. It was at this juncture that fighting broke out with renewed vigour.