PROCEEDINGS OF FLOTILLAS.

ELEVENTH FLOTILLA.

The Commodore (F), in " Castor," with the Eleventh Flotilla, at 10.4 p.m. was on the right flank in position five miles distant and about seven points abaft the starboard beam of the Second Battle Squadron. The Fourth Flotilla was in the centre astern of the Fourth Battle Squadron, and the Twelfth Flotilla was on the east flank astern of the First Battle Squadron. " Castor " and Eleventh Flotilla came in contact with enemy battle-cruisers at 10.5 p.m., the enemy consisting of three or more vessels. Fire was opened on " Castor," which vessel returned it at a range of 2,000 yards, and " Castor " " Magic " and " Marne " each fired a torpedo and turned to port. A violent detonation was heard in the engine rooms of three destroyers.

The remaining destroyers, with " Castor " were uncertain whether the ships firing at " Castor " were really enemy vessels and thought a mistake had been made. They, therefore, withheld their torpedo fire. " Castor's " W/T and signalling gear having been disabled by the enemy's fire, the Commodore (F) was unable to signal to the destroyers to attack. The enemy disappeared and the flotilla proceeded south.

At 0.15 a.m. a German torpedo boat destroyer was sighted on the starboard bow of " Castor." She received the fire of all " Castor's " guns at point blank range and was not seen again, either by " Castor " or the torpedo boat destroyers following. It appears certain that she was sunk.

' Tipperary," " Broke " and the Fourth Flotilla came in

contact with enemy cruisers at 11.30 p.m., the enemy being on

a southeasterly course ; a heavy fire was opened on the flotilla resulting in " Tipperary " being set on fire forward ; she sank

at 2.0 a.m. " Broke " was badly hit, and her steering gear and

engine room telegraphs disabled, and before she could be got

under control she rammed " Sparrowhawk." Both vessels were under a very heavy fire, and " Sparrowhawk's " injuries were

such that her crew were taken off and she was sunk on the

following morning. " Broke " reached the Tjme.

One four funnelled enemy cruiser was torpedoed by " Spitfire "

(next astern of " Tipperary ") and took a heavy Ust, and appeared

to be in a sinking condition. " Spitfire " also rammed a fightcruiser and carried off 29 feet of her skin plating. She had two

cranes and three funnels, a red band being painted on each of

the latter. The remainder of the flotilla altered course to the eastward

and then southeastward, and at midnight came in contact with an enemy battle squadron consisting of sliips of the Deutschland

class. One enemy ship was torpedoed, either by " Ardent,"

" Ambuscade " or " Garland," and was observed to Ust over

considerably. It is probable that she was sunk. " Fortune " was sunk during this attack. The flotilla was eventually driven

off by gunflre and obhged to retire to the northward.

Shortly after turning off " Ardent " sighted four more large

German ships crossing her bows and steering N.N.E. " Ardent " attacked and fired a torpedo, but could not observe the result as a devastating fire was opened on her, and she sank with

colours flying after a gallant fight, her commanding officer (Lieutenant-Commander Arthur Marsden) being picked up by

" Marksman " on the following morning after being five hours

in the water.  TWELFTH FLOTILLA.

The Twelfth Flotilla formed astern of the First Battle

Squadron, which was on the port flank and somewhat astern of station owing to " Marlborough's " speed being reduced by

damage, although by revolutions she was steaming at seventeen

knots.

At 11.30 p.m. the flotilla was obhged to alter course to clear Another flotilla—probably the Fourth Flotilla—which was crossing on a southeasterly course, and this alteration caused the Twelfth

Flotilla to be about five miles to the eastward and ten miles to the northward of the First Battle Squadron by midnight.

At 1.45 a.m. an enemy battle squadron was sighted on the

starboard bow, steering S.E., consisting of six ships, the first four

of which were thought to be of the Kaiser class (it is interesting to note that this points to there being only six sliips of the

enemy's Third Battle Squadron left, thus confirming the evidence

already given that two were sunk during the day action).

The Captain (D), Twelfth Flotilla, altered to a parallel course and increased to 25 knots, leading round in order to attack on a

northwesterly com-se. The attack was carried out most successfully, torpedoes being fired at 2 a.m., at a range of about 3,000

yards, at the second and third sliips of the fine, the latter vessel

being particularly conspicuous bj^ a torjiedo boat being stationed

close under the quarter. Torpedoes took effect on the third

ship, wliich blew up, the magazine having apparently exploded.

Enemy cruisers astern of the battle line attacked the flotilla and

obliged the Captain (D) to alter course to north. The cruisers were shaken off and the flotilla altered round to south to resume

its course after the battlefleet. The following signal was made to the Commander-in-Chief

by the Captain (D) :

—

Enemy battlefleet steering S.E., approximate bearing

S.W. My position ten miles astern of First Battle Squadron.

0152.

This signal w^as unfortunately not received in the battlefleet owing to telefunken interference.

Whilst the main torpedo attack by the Twelfth Flotilla was

being made, " Maenad " (Commander Jolm P. Champion),

having anticipated that the attack on the enemy would be made

with tubes bearing to starboard, was not ready when the turn was made and port tubes brought to bear. He, therefore, held on the southeasterly course and turned later to fire one torpedo

from the port side when the tube was trained. He then trained

both tubes to starboard, turned and went ahead, closing in again

to between 4,000 and 5,000 yards from the enemy and firing

two more toi-pedoes. The second torpedo struck the fourth ship

in the line. There was a heavy explosion, the flames topping

the mast heads, and the ship was not seen again, though those ahead and astern were distinctly visible. The time of tliis attack was twenty-five minutes later than the main attack. It seems therefore certain that two battleships were hit and there

is considerable probability that both were sunk by the Twelfth

Flotilla. It is to be noted that six ships were observed by the

Captain (D) at the commencement of the attack—only five were

seen by " Maenad " when " Maenad's " attack was made, and

only four were visible after " Maenad's " attack. The report

from '"' Maenad " was sent to me from Rosytli, before her

commanding officer had seen the Captain (D), Twelfth Flotilla, or knew that he had reported having blown up one of the

battleships.

NINTH AND TENTH FLOTILLAS.

At 7.30 p.m. the destroyers of the Ninth and Tenth FlotiUas

under the commanding officer of " Lydiard," took station on the

port beam of the " Champion " astern of the battlefleet. At about 11.30 p.m fire was opened on them by a line of

large ships, which were at first mistaken to be a British squadron.

Shortly afterwards the " Champion " went ahead and the

destroyers lost touch except " Obdurate " and " Moresby."

At 6.0 a.m. it was discovered that the destroyers of the

Thirteenth Flotilla and " Morris " were astern. The com- manding ofiicer of " Lydiard " detached " Narborough " with

the M-class destroyers to join the battle-cruiser fleet, and then

proceeded to Rosyth mth the L-class destroyers, which were short

of fuel. FIRST FLOTILLA.

" Fearless," not being able to keep up with the flotilla, formed

astern of " Agincourt " at 6 p.m., the destroyers remaining with

the battle-cruiser fleet during the night.

Shortly after midnight " Fearless " observed what appeared

to be a German battleship pass down the starboard side. Reports

from ships of the First Battle Squadron confirm this. As sliips

ahead did not open fire no action Avas taken, as her course led

directly to the destroyers following astern. A heavy explosion was observed not long after, which coincides Avith the Fourth

Flotilla attack on ships of the " Deutschland " class. 

THIRTEENTH FLOTILLA.

The Thirteenth Flotilla took station astern of the battlefleet. During the night all except " Obdurate " and " Moresby " lost touch with " Champion." At 2.30 a.m. course was altered to north and " Marksman " and " Nomad " joined.

At 3.25 a.m. four enemy destroyers were sighted, steering to the southeastward, and at 3.30 a.m. were engaged at a range of approximately 3,000 yards The enemy passed and disappeared

in the mist, after firing torpedoes at " Champion." At 4.30 a.m. " Obdurate " picked up two survivors from the

"Ardent." ' At 5.0 a.m. two rafts were sighted and " Moresby " rescued seven men and " Maenad " eleven men, survivors from the

" Fortune."

" Marksman " was detached to the assistance of the

*' Sparrowhawk " at CO a.m. and the flotilla proceeded to Rosyth.

At 0.30 a.m. the destroyers which had become detached and

were then under the orders of " Narborough " came under heavy

fire from an enemy ship, which was at first mistaken for one of our hght-cruisers or a ship of " Warrior " class. The " Turbulent " was rammed and sunk by gunfire. At daylight the

remainder attached themselves to the force under the commanding

officer of " Lydiard."

At 11.0 p.m. "Active," asteni of " Boadicea," astern of Second Battle Squadron, saw a German hght-cruiser come up

astern. A ship on the starboard quarter of " Active " switched on searchUghts and opened fire. The hght-cruiser was heavily

hit, stern cocked up in the air, and it was thought that the ship

went down. It seems possible that " Active " witnessed the

sinking of a German hghtcruiser by a German battle-cruiser.

At 11.15 p.m. " Active " struck a submerged object, removing

about fifteen feet of her starboard bilge keel. The position in' which this occurred was well clear of the scene of the action,

and it is possible that the object in question was an enemy

submarine.