He thus had ten
dreadnoughts to fight Hipper's five. But he and Hipper were racing
south toward Scheer and away from Jellicoe. Yet that could not be
helped. Hipper must not be allowed to escape; and Scheer must first be
found and then lured on toward Jellicoe.
At twelve minutes to four both sides began firing at a range of eight
miles and a speed of nearly thirty (land) miles an hour. Jutland was a
gunner's battle, just as the naval experts had foretold; though
torpedoes played their part. It was much too fast and furious for
submarines; and the thickening mist made aircraft useless. Hipper's
five ships hit hard at Beatty's six; and one big German shell reached
the vitals of the _Indefatigable_, which blew up like a mine. There
was a shattering crash, an enormous spurt of flame, a horrid "flurry"
on the water; and ship and crew went down. That left five all. But,
after the battle cruisers had been at it for twenty minutes, the four
_Queen Elizabeths_ (that is, battleships of the same kind as the
"Q.E.") began heaving shells from eleven miles astern.
Pages:
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331