djdalton
Recruit
March 4th, 1916
To: Admiral von Tirpitz
From: Vize Admiral Dj Dalton
Regarding: Action at Sea of March 4th, 1916
It is my sad duty to inform you that upon this day, Admiral Reinhard Scheer was lost to the Imperial German Navy and the Empire of Germany in morning action off the coast of Jutland. Also lost to Germany in battle this day was the SMS Helgoland, her captain and her crew.
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As you know, the bulk of the High Seas Fleet put to sea on March 3rd pursuant to Admiral Scheer’s plan to separate and engage a portion of the British Grand Fleet. Additionally this day, Admiral Scheer was attempting a rendezvous with the raider Mowe in an attempt to escort her back to Germany.
Extensive Zeppelin and Submarine reconnaissance was employed by Admiral Scheer throughout the evening of March 3rd and into the early morning of March 4th in the attempt to locate, isolate and engage the British 1st Battle Squadron. Reconnaissance revealed the 1st Battle Squadron shadowing the Grand Fleet off the West coast of Jutland. With consecutive contacts Admiral Scheer determined both British Fleets Westbound, but separate with the Grand Fleet to the west and the 1st Battle Squadron to the East. He slipped between them from the South and arrayed his capital ships to engage 1st Battle Squadron as it passed through his position Westbound.
Contact was made minutes before sunrise. The initial reports seemed to indicate a few widely scattered lesser ships consistent with the force of the 1st Battle Squadron. As the daylight slowly spread, suddenly all 4 of the Queen Elizabeth Class Battleships appeared on the West within 12 thousand meters and without a screen of escorts! The Grand Fleet had doubled back! Admiral Scheer’s first order was an in succession turn to the east to try and outrun the main body of the Grand Fleet before full daylight revealed our position. Suddenly, the 1st Battle Squadron appeared from the east. The British forces had converged! We were facing the full force of the British Navy without our Battlecruisers or Brauschweig and Deutschland Class ships. That said, earlier engagements had left the British with only the 3 Battlecruisers of the 3rd Squadron remaining!
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Admiral Scheer turned and said to the officers on the bridge, “We can’t outrun them south with the day just beginning. If we try, they will bleed us slowly from long range and have all day to do so. If we fight now, we have them within killing range and we may be able to take on one division at a time as the light reveals them.” Admiral Scheer then stated further: “This Fleet was built to test the British Navy, who would forfeit the opportunity to test them with German guns and German armor?” Scheer then gave his final two orders. The first was for his just turning ships to DECREASE their speed so that they would remain in broadside position with the Queen Elizabeth’s longer and the second was “Two ships to Concentrate Fire on each Queen Elizabeth” Moments later a shell hit the bridge of the Frederich der Grosse
Things developed quickly from that moment on, but Admiral Scheer’s final orders had the entire High Seas Fleet on a slow turning parabola positioning the High Seas Fleet across the front of the engagement, while the British divisions generally came to the front head on and into the full broadsides of numerous German ships.
The first ship to go was the Barham. It’s likely that the British no longer have any Queen Elizabeth’s. Three were gone and the Warspite was listing badly when contact was lost with her.
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Confirmed British losses are:
Hercules
Vanguard
Colossus
Collingwood
Orion
Monarch
Conquerer
Centurion
Dreadnaught
Canada
Barham
Malaya
Queen Elizabeth
An Armored Cruiser
Likely British Losses are:
Warspite
Marlborough
Superb
Reinhard Scheer is Germany’s Nelson and this battle was our Trafalgar.
Sir, the North Sea is now a German Pond.
Vize Admiral Dj Dalton
To: Admiral von Tirpitz
From: Vize Admiral Dj Dalton
Regarding: Action at Sea of March 4th, 1916
It is my sad duty to inform you that upon this day, Admiral Reinhard Scheer was lost to the Imperial German Navy and the Empire of Germany in morning action off the coast of Jutland. Also lost to Germany in battle this day was the SMS Helgoland, her captain and her crew.
View attachment 24113
As you know, the bulk of the High Seas Fleet put to sea on March 3rd pursuant to Admiral Scheer’s plan to separate and engage a portion of the British Grand Fleet. Additionally this day, Admiral Scheer was attempting a rendezvous with the raider Mowe in an attempt to escort her back to Germany.
Extensive Zeppelin and Submarine reconnaissance was employed by Admiral Scheer throughout the evening of March 3rd and into the early morning of March 4th in the attempt to locate, isolate and engage the British 1st Battle Squadron. Reconnaissance revealed the 1st Battle Squadron shadowing the Grand Fleet off the West coast of Jutland. With consecutive contacts Admiral Scheer determined both British Fleets Westbound, but separate with the Grand Fleet to the west and the 1st Battle Squadron to the East. He slipped between them from the South and arrayed his capital ships to engage 1st Battle Squadron as it passed through his position Westbound.
Contact was made minutes before sunrise. The initial reports seemed to indicate a few widely scattered lesser ships consistent with the force of the 1st Battle Squadron. As the daylight slowly spread, suddenly all 4 of the Queen Elizabeth Class Battleships appeared on the West within 12 thousand meters and without a screen of escorts! The Grand Fleet had doubled back! Admiral Scheer’s first order was an in succession turn to the east to try and outrun the main body of the Grand Fleet before full daylight revealed our position. Suddenly, the 1st Battle Squadron appeared from the east. The British forces had converged! We were facing the full force of the British Navy without our Battlecruisers or Brauschweig and Deutschland Class ships. That said, earlier engagements had left the British with only the 3 Battlecruisers of the 3rd Squadron remaining!
View attachment 24116
View attachment 24114
View attachment 24115
Admiral Scheer turned and said to the officers on the bridge, “We can’t outrun them south with the day just beginning. If we try, they will bleed us slowly from long range and have all day to do so. If we fight now, we have them within killing range and we may be able to take on one division at a time as the light reveals them.” Admiral Scheer then stated further: “This Fleet was built to test the British Navy, who would forfeit the opportunity to test them with German guns and German armor?” Scheer then gave his final two orders. The first was for his just turning ships to DECREASE their speed so that they would remain in broadside position with the Queen Elizabeth’s longer and the second was “Two ships to Concentrate Fire on each Queen Elizabeth” Moments later a shell hit the bridge of the Frederich der Grosse
Things developed quickly from that moment on, but Admiral Scheer’s final orders had the entire High Seas Fleet on a slow turning parabola positioning the High Seas Fleet across the front of the engagement, while the British divisions generally came to the front head on and into the full broadsides of numerous German ships.
The first ship to go was the Barham. It’s likely that the British no longer have any Queen Elizabeth’s. Three were gone and the Warspite was listing badly when contact was lost with her.
View attachment 24117
View attachment 24118
Confirmed British losses are:
Hercules
Vanguard
Colossus
Collingwood
Orion
Monarch
Conquerer
Centurion
Dreadnaught
Canada
Barham
Malaya
Queen Elizabeth
An Armored Cruiser
Likely British Losses are:
Warspite
Marlborough
Superb
Reinhard Scheer is Germany’s Nelson and this battle was our Trafalgar.
Sir, the North Sea is now a German Pond.
Vize Admiral Dj Dalton
