31st May to 1st June 1916.
Taken from "The Fighting at Jutland" published prior to the 1920s when the Jutland Despatches became available.
PHASE I. Battle Cruiser Action - Roughly 14:00 to 18:00 hours.
14:20hrs
GALATEA reports enemy ships in sight. Rosyth battle cruiser force steer to intercept enemy.
14:40hrs
Grand Fleet raise steam for full speed and prepare to join Rosyth Force.
15:08hrs
ENGADINE'S Seaplane is hoisted out and commences reconnaissance flight.
15:25hrs
Rosyth battle cruisers sight 5 enemy battle cruisers bearing north-east. Range, 23,000 yards (11 ? sea miles). Course E.S.E.
15:25hrs
13th Destroyer Flotilla takes station ahead of battle cruisers, near to 2nd L.C.S.; 1st and 3rd L.S.C. are astern - ie., to the northward of battle cruisers. 5th Battle Squadron (4 ships Queen Elizabeth class) are about 4 miles astern of battle cruisers.
15:48hrs
LION opens fire. PRINCESS ROYAL, QUEEN MARY, TIGER, NEW ZEALAND, INDEFATIGABLE, following astern in single line, also open fire.
16:04hrs
INDEFATIGABLE sunk.
16:08hrs
5th B.S. open fire; range 20,000 yards (a very long range).
16:26hrs
QUEEN MARY sunk.
About 16:15 to 17:00hrs
13th Destroyer Flotilla attack enemy battle cruisers with torpedoes, engage enemy destroyers with gunfire, and eventually attack enemy battle fleet. NESTOR and NOMAD sunk. Two German destroyers sunk.
16:38hrs
2nd Light Cruiser Squadron (SOUTHAMPTON, NOTTINGHAM, BIRMINGHAM, DUBLIN) ahead of LION, report enemy battle fleet in sight.
16:46hrs
Rosyth battle cruisers alter course 16 points to starboard in succession on to northerly course.
16:52hrs
German battle cruisers alter course 16 points to port (outwards) in succession on to northerly course.
16:57hrs
5th Battle Squadron pass our battle cruisers, then turn 16 points, and form up about 2 miles astern - i.e., to the southward of them. Course North. They engage van of German battle fleet.
17:00hrs
Grand Fleet is approximately 40 miles north-north-west (true) from H.M.S. LION.
17:00 to 18:00hrs
Four remaining battle cruisers - LION, PRINCESS ROYAL, TIGER, NEW ZEALAND - continue gunnery duel with 5 German battle cruisers on a northerly course, range about 13,000 to 18,000 yards. There are intervals during which fire is checked; enemy are periodically obscured by mist. 5th B.S. engage German battle cruisers and van of German battle fleet.
About 17:30hrs
HOOD'S battle cruiser squadron (INVINCIBLE, INFLEXIBLE, INDOMITABLE), having been detached from Grand Fleet at 14:30hrs to support Rosyth battle cruiser force, sight gun-flashes.
About 17:40hrs
Light cruiser CHESTER engages light cruisers, and soon afterwards other ships under Admiral Hood come into action.
17:59hrs
SHARK sunk.
PHASE II. Battle Fleet Action - Roughly 18:00 to 21:00 hours.
About 17:50hrs
Arbuthnot's Cruiser Squadron, DEFENCE, etc., commence action with German light cruiser.
17:56hrs
MARLBOROUGH, western wing battleship of Grand Fleet, sights LION.
About 17:55 to 18:25hrs
Windy Corner period.
18:05hrs
ONSLOW attacks German light cruiser, then battle cruisers, then battle fleet. Is damaged, and about 19:15hrs is towed out of action by DEFENDER.
18:14hrs
Battle Fleet deploys. Immediate course as they deploy E.N.E., ships then altering course in succession to S.E. by E. KING GEORGE V. leading 2nd B.S. in the van; IRON DUKE with 4th B.S. in the centre; MARLBOROUGH with 1st B.S. in the rear. 5th B.S. form astern of 1st B.S.
18:16hrs
DEFENCE blown up, WARRIOR disabled.
18:17hrs
Battle fleet opens fire, 1st B.S. in the rear commencing. German light cruiser WIESBADEN set on fire, sinks soon afterwards.
18:20hrs
WARSPITE'S helm jams.
18:21hrs
Hood's battle cruisers form ahead of LION and engage enemy battle cruisers at about 8,000 yards range.
18:25hrs
3rd Light Cruiser Squadron (FALMOUTH, etc.) attack enemy battle cruisers.
18:30 to 19:20hrs
Battleships in the centre and van firing at enemy.
18:33hrs
INVINCIBLE blows up.
18:38hrs
Battle fleet deployment complete; fleet in single line ahead steering S.E. by E.
18:47hrs
ACASTA, lying disabled, is passed by IRON DUKE and the battle fleet.
18:54hrs
MARLBOROUGH (4th battleship from the rear) hit by a torpedo.
19:00 to 19:14hrs
Six British battle cruisers in van, hauling round through south to a south-westerly course, regain contact with enemy, which had been lost; range 15,000 yards. British battle cruisers are roughly 5 to 7 miles ahead of leading battleship.
19:10hrs
1st German destroyer attack on the battle fleet.
19:00 to 19:00hrs
Course of battle fleet south, with periodical alterations to the eastward to neutralise torpedo attacks.
19:12hrs
Rear ships of battle fleet (COLOSSUS, NEPTUNE, etc.) engage enemy battleships or battle cruisers.
About 19:20hrs
Rear ships of battle fleet dodging torpedoes.
About 19:25hrs
Second German destroyer attack. German battle line makes large turn away under cover of this attack and of smoke screen. Probably two German destroyers sunk.
19:45hrs
OBEDIENT, MARVEL, MINDFUL, and ONSLAUGHT sink a German destroyer, flying a Commodore's pendant, that lay damaged between the fleets.
19:45hrs
Battle cruisers lose touch with enemy.
About 20:20hrs
1st and 3rd L.C.S. locate head of enemy's line again. Battle cruisers on a westerly course regain touch. Enemy appear to suffer heavily from gunfire.
20:22hrs
4th Light Cruiser Squadron (CALLIOPE, etc.) engaging enemy.
21:05hrs
CAROLINE fires torpedoes at enemy battle cruisers.
21:00hrs
Battle fleet course south; speed 17 knots; take up night dispositions. Day action finished.
21:32hrs
ABDIEL detached to lay mine-field off Horn Reefs. Lays mines about 01:00hrs.
PHASE III. Night Action - Roughly 22:00 to 02:00 hours., June 1st.
22:04hrs
H.M.S. CASTOR and part of 11th Destroyer Flotilla in action (CASTOR'S 1st Night Action).
22:20hrs
Light cruiser action of 2nd L.C.S. (SOUTHAMPTON, DUBLIN, NOTTINGHAM, BIRMINGHAM) with Greman light cruisers. German light cruiser FRAUENLOB sunk by torpedo from SOUTHAMPTON.
About 23:30hrs
Actions of Tipperary's (4th) Flotilla commemnce.(1)
Rough chronology was:-
about 23:30hrs
4th Flotilla in action at close range with German cruisers. TIPPERARY is set on fire. SPITFIRE is damaged.
About 23:45hrs
ARDENT, AMBUSCADE, GARLAND, and FORTUNE engage enemy big ship; FORTUNE is sunk.
About 23:30hrs
SPITFIRE closing the burning TIPPERARY is rammed by a German cruiser.
Soon after Midnight
Burning ship, possibly H.M.S. BLACK PRINCE, passes close by SPITFIRE.
About 00:15hrs
BROKE, followed by SPARROWHAWK and others in action with German battleship. BROKE collides with SPARROWHAWK.
Soon after midnight
ARDENT sunk by German battleships.
About 02:00hrs
TIPPERARY sinks. Survivors take to rafts.
About 03:00hrs
SPARROWHAWK sights German light cruiser. German light cruiser sinks.
About 04:00hrs
GARLAND and CONTEST engage four German destroyers.
About 05:00hrs
Survivors of TIPPERARY on a raft reach H.M.S. SPARROWHAWK.
08:00hrs
H.M.S. SPARROWHAWK is sunk. Her crew with survivors of TIPPERARY are taken on board H.M.S. MARKSMAN.
00:15hrs
H.M.S. CASTOR'S 2nd night action (one German destroyer probably sunk).
00:30hrs ?
Part of 13th Destroyer Flotilla (PETARD, NICATOR, etc.) in action with German battleships.
H.M.S. TURBULENT rammed and sunk. Note.-Sometime during the night or early morning H.M.S. BLACK PRINCE foundered.
German battle cruiser LUTZOW was abandoned and sank as result of damage received during day action. One German light cruiser, perhaps two, also sank during the night.
01:45hrs
12th Destroyer Flotilla (FAULKNOR, OBEDIENT, etc.) sight enemy battle squadron. Manoeuvre into position of torpedo advantage.
02:00hrs
Attack. One German battleship hit and sunk. H.M.S. ONSLAUGHT damaged, but no British ship lost.
02:30hrs
Vice-Admiral Sir C.Burney, Commanding 1st Battle Squadron, transfers his flag from MARLBORUGH to REVENGE. MARLBOROUGH proceeds to England.
02:45hrs
H.M.S. MAENAD turns back and delivers a second attack by herself. Probably one of her torpedoes hit.
02:47hrs
Grand Fleet Battle Squadrons, accompanied by cruisers and a few destroyers, turn to north. German battle fleet at this time was passing or past Horn Reefs, which bote roughly north-east 40 miles from IRON DUKE.
03:00 to 06:30hrs
Several cruisers or destroyers sight enemy light aircraft disappearing in the mist. No action fought.
03:30 to 04:00hrs
Zeppelin in sight from various warships.
07:30hrs
H.M.S. WARRIOR abandoned. ENGADINE takes off crew.
13:15hrs
British Battle Fleet shapes course for Scapa Flow.
June 1st Damaged Ships proceeding Home Independently -
Battleships:
H.M.S. MARLBOROUGH
H.M.S. WARSPITE
Destroyers:
H.M.S. ONSLOW in tow of H.M.S. DEFENDER
H.M.S. ACASTA in tow of H.M.S. NONSUCH
H.M.S. BROKE
H.M.S. SPITFIRE
H.M.S. GARLAND, with H.M.S. CONTEST and H.M.S. PORPOISE.
H.M.S. ONSLAUGHT.
German battle cruiser SEYDLITZ very badly damaged in the day action, reaches Cuxhaven, but (it is believed) sinks or is purposely grounded at the entrance. She is later salved.
German battleship OSTFRIESLAND (?) strikes a mine in the vicinity of Horn Reefs.
June 2nd
08:00hrs
H.M.S. MARLBOROUGH arrives safely in the harbour.
Forenoon
Battle fleet returns to Scapa Flow.
09:45hrs
Battle fleet refuelled and reported ready for sea.
June 3rd
About 08:00hrs
BROKE enters the Tyne. All British ships now back in harbour.
(1) It is probable that during these actions one or more German cruisers or battleships were sunk by torpedoes, but there is not sufficient evidence upon which to base a definite statement.
