This splendidly skilful and
most daring move so alarmed the Germans that they trained every gun
they could on him in a furious effort to wipe out the deadly overlap.
He led the gallant line, "bringing his squadron into action ahead in a
most inspiring manner, worthy of his great naval ancestors." (He was
the great-great-grandson of the Lord Hood whom Nelson always called the
best of naval officers.) His flagship, the _Invincible_, hit back with
all her might, helped by the ships astern. "Keep it up," called Hood
to his gunnery officer, Commander Dannreuther, one of the six
survivors, "every shot is hitting them." But the converging fire of a
hundred giant guns simply smashed the _Invincible_ from stem to stern.
At last a huge shell reached her magazine, and she blew up like a
volcano; sheets of flame leaping higher than her masts, boats and loose
gear whirling higher still, like leaves in an autumn gale, and then one
sickening belch of steamy smoke to tell that all was over. After this
Hood's two remaining battle cruisers took station astern of Beatty's
four.
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