Their destroyers spouted forth an
immense grey smoke screen; the mist helped them to hide; and the sun
went into a bank of clouds. As they ran they fired shoals of
torpedoes, which are much deadlier for the chasers, who go toward them,
than for the chased, who go from them. The battleship _Marlborough_,
flagship of Sir Cecil Burney, Jellicoe's Second-in-Command, was hit and
began to list over. But she was so strong and so well handled that
within ten minutes she was at it again. She had already fought two
battleships and a cruiser while the British line was forming. Now she
caught another German battleship with fourteen salvoes running and
drove her out of line.
[Illustration: THE BATTLE OF JUTLAND--PLAN II. Jellicoe's battle line
formed and fighting. 6:38 P.M.]
The Germans fired every torpedo they could bring to bear; and nothing
but Jellicoe's supreme skill, backed by the skill of all his captains,
saved his battleships from losing at least a third of their number.
Observers aloft watched the enemy manoeuvring to fire and then reported
to Jellicoe, who, keeping in line as long as possible for the sake of
the guns, turned the fleet end-on, away from Scheer, just in time to
prevent the torpedoes catching it broadside on, and then left each
captain free to work his own ship till that shoal of torpedoes had
passed.
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