4th Destroyer Flotilla's Jutland

tThe following Text is lifted from "The Fighting at Jutland" by Fawcett and Hooper:

The 4th Destroyer Flotilla, of which “Tipperary” was the leader, and”Broke” the half-leader, was in the very heart of the night-fighting at Jutland, and had perhaps, on this night, as many fighting adventures as has ever fallen to the lot of one small squadron of ships.

Engaged at about 11.30 p.m. by three or four German cruisers at very close range, the “Tipperary” herself was irreparably damaged, her next astern, ”Spitfire” was also badly hit, and the rest of the flotilla in the confusion separated one from another. ”Spitfire”, by herself after this action, was seeking to rejoin her flotilla, when quite suddenly a German dreadnought (Nassau) tried to ram her. She quickly put her helm hard over and went full speed ahead, thereby just avoiding that cruiser’s ram, but by so little that, “with an awful crash the two ships met end on, port bow to port bow”, and the German cruiser “surged down our port side, clearing everything before her, boats and even davits being torn from their sockets, and all the time firing her guns just over our heads”. But so close were the two ships together that the German could not depress his guns sufficiently to hit the ”Spitfire”, yet the blast of the guns firing “literally cleared everything before it; our mast came tumbling down, our for’ard searchlight found its way from its platform above the fore-bridge down on to the deck, and the foremost funnel was blown back until it rested neatly between the two foremost ventilation cowls like the hinging funnel of a penny river steamer”.Sixty odd feet of plating from the German cruiser’s fo’csle was left in ”Spitfire’s” side as a memento of this incident. A little later another extraordinary incident occurred, perhaps the strangest of all the strange incidents of Jutland.The ”Spitfire’s” crew were just recovering from their ramming match with the German cruiser, and most of the ship’s company were collected aft, when “suddenly there was a cry from nearly a dozen people at once, ‘Look out!’ I looked up, and saw a few hundred yards away, what appeared to be a battle cruiser on fire, steering straight for our stern . . . To our intense relief she missed our stern by a few feet, but so close to us that it seemed that we were actually under her guns, which were trained out on her starboard beam. She tore past us with a roar, rather like motor roaring up a hill on low gear, and the very cracking and heat of the flames could be heard and felt. She was a mass of fire from fore-mast to main-mast,on deck and between decks . . . flames were issuing from every corner. She appeared to be a battle cruiser as her funnels were so far apart, but afterwards it transpired that quite possibly she was the unfortunate ’Black Prince’, with her two centre funnels gone.

Soon afterwards, about midnight, there came an explosion from the direction in which she had disappeared.”Meanwhile “Broke” had collected together some of the scattered flotilla, and had almost immediately come into action, either with the same group of German ships again, or possibly with a fresh ship, possily a battleship. ”Broke” was very badly hit, losing 47 men killed and 36 wounded out of a crew of about 190; her steering wheel was shot away by a shell, and not under control she swung out of line. ”Sparrowhawk” was her next astern, and swinging in the same direction to bring the sights of her torpedo tube to bear upon the enemy, crashed into the swinging ”Broke" before it was possible to avoid collision. The force of the collision hurled a few men of the ”Sparrowhawk” across on to the deck of the ”Broke” (where they later met with the not unnatural query, “Who the h*ll are you?”) and amidst clouds of escaping steam, smoke, and the splashes of shells, the two destroyers lay locked hard and fast together. Each ship thought that she was sinking. ”Broke” sent some of her men across to ”Sparrowhawk” to save their lives; ”Sparrowhawk” sent some across to ”Broke”. Neither ship sank.Eventually the two ships parted themselves, but as they did so another destroyer of the 4th flotilla, the ”Contest”, came out of the darkness and crashed into the stern of ”Sparrowhawk”, jamming her rudder hard over, thus crippling ”Sparrowhawk” both ends.”Broke” then disappeared, and very much injured struggled back across the North Sea through a rising gale. Two German destroyers were met and engaged on the way back, but they broke off the action after a few minutes, unaware of the crippled state of their opponent, and eventually the ”Broke” sighted land at 5.0 p.m. on Saturday the 3rd June; she had received her damage 65 hours before, at about midnight on Wednesday 31st May.Then the ”Sparrowhawk”, sans bow, sans stern, lay off in the darkness, a helpless wreck, and waited for what fate might have in store for her. Fate plated with her. A German destroyer, at about 2 a.m., came up to within 100 yards of her and then stopped. The ”Sparrowhawk’s”men prepared for a final fight using their one remaining gun before this destroyer should kill them, but suddenly, and for no apparent reason, the German destroyer “started her engines again, gathered way, and disappeared into the darkness”.

For 3½ hours nothing more happened, but then, out of the misty half-light of the morning, a dim shape approached, which with despair was recognised to be that of one of the latest German light cruisers, and the ”Sparrowhawks” again prepared for their end. “Fellow went about whispering that this must be the end of all things, and asked each other what it was like to be dead”. But their course was not yet run. The light cruiser started to heel over to one side, to settle down forward, then quietly stood on her head, and – sank.Meanwhile “Tipperary”, a blazing wreck since the time of her first action at 11.30 p.m., with the ammunition at the forward guns exploding box by box at short intervals, and an occasional German closing to fire a few rounds at her or at another time only to inspect her, at last reached her end, and about 2 a.m. sank by the bow.A few of the survivors of her crew took to life-saving rafts – the boats had all been smashed up by gunfire – and others just swam off to take their chances in the sea, for the rafts would not hold all who were left. Three hours later one of these raft loads came across a ship, or rather the remains of a ship, for it was what was left of the ”Sparrowhawk”, the destroyer without bows or stern. 26 survivors of ”Tipperary” were hauled aboard the ”Sparrowhawk”. They had been recognised afar off by the tune they were singing, “It’s a long, long way to Tipperary”, although the officer with them on account of exposure, “could not think of the words, and his music was all one note”.

Eventually, an undamaged destroyer, the ”Marksman”, came across the ”Sparrowhawk”, and the survivors of both ships were brought back in safety to Scotland.But, alas, the casualties of the 4th Flotilla did not belong only to ”Tipperary”, “Broke”, “Sparrowhawk” or “Spitfire”. Stationed in rear of our battlefleet, the 4th Flotilla happened to be directly in the path of the German squadrons steering from the day action towards Horn Reef, and one or another boat of the squadron continued to be in action with enemy ships during most of the night.H.M.S. ”Fortune”, almost at the same time as ”Tipperary” was damaged, was sunk by the concentrated gunfire of three or four German heavy ships, and not long afterwards H.M.S. ”Ardent”, her sister ship, chummy ship, [often, two ships in the same squadron or flotilla would establish close social and/or working relationships, one with the other, and each would refer to the other as ‘our chummy ship’] and subdivisional mate, was also sunk by gunfire. Of “Ardent’s” crew there were only two survivors, one of whom the Captain, was rescued by the “Marksman”. Of “Fortune’s” crew of about eighty officers and men, only two raft loads of men were saved, these also by the “Marksman”. Other destroyers of the flotilla, the “Garland”, the “Porpoise”, the “Contest”,, the “Ambuscade”, and others were sharers in much of the fighting, and had other adventures which have not been mentioned here.

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The following text originates from The British Journal For Military History 2017 written by J Brooks

The Night Actions Just after 9pm on 31 May, Admiral Sir John Jellicoe turned the British battle fleet South for the night before forming his battle squadrons into columns separated by distances of one mile; he continued thus until about 2.30am the next morning. At 9.27pm, he ordered his destroyers to take station five miles astern of the battleships.

Once in position, their order from East to West was: the 11DF (with the 2nd Light Cruiser Squdron - 2LCS - close by); and then the 4Destroyer Flotilla, 13DF, 9DF and 12DF. Jellicoe convinced himself that the High Seas Fleet would follow Southward and he hoped that his destroyers might both act defensively as a screen against torpedo attacks: but also that they might have offensive opportunities to attack the enemy ships. However, at 9.14, Scheer ordered the German forces to return to their bases on a SSE’ly course past Horns Reef. He then reformed his line with Westfalen and the Ist Battle Squadron (IBS) in the van and, ahead of them, the light cruisers of the IVSG. On this new course, the Germans missed the rear British battleships but instead entered the fivemile gap between them and the following flotillas. Thus, the early night actions all began when, without warning, British vessels encountered enemy ships to starboard.

With the German ships looming out of the darkness at short ranges, the British vessels had no time to do anything other than attack on similar courses. Around 10.15pm, the German IVSG was on the port bow of their battle fleet, with the light cruisers Elbing and Rostock in company.They fought two actions in close succession, first with the light cruiser Castor and the eight destroyers of the 11DF: and then with the 2LCS. The reports from the 11DF are inconsistent, though it seems that only Castor and Marne (one each) and Magic (two) fired torpedoes; none hit although one passed underneath Elbing. The engagement with the 2LCS was mainly a gun action, in which the British light cruisers that turned on their searchlights – Southampton and Dublin – suffered severe casualties. At 10.21, Southampton fired one torpedo, set for HS, at ‘a group of hostile searchlights, which were the only things visible’. The range was 1,500-2,000 yardsand a shot hit and quickly capsized the old Frauenlob. Four of the German light cruisers then fell back to positions near the IBS in the German van.

As the 4DF’s course converged on that of the German battle fleet at or just before 11.30pm, the 1st Half Flotilla was led by Tipperary followed by Spitfire, Sparrowhawk, Garland and Contest; astern, the 2nd Half Flotilla was in the order Broke, Achates, Ambuscade, Ardent, Fortune, Porpoise and Unity (Unity did not take part in the subsequent action). Unknown vessels, thought to be light cruisers, mainly with three funnels, were first seen on their starboard beam or quarter; they were the four German light cruisers that had fallen back and were now on the port side of the IBS. The leading British destroyers must have been visible from the start from the battleships; Westfalen illuminated Tipperary and poured in a heavy fire at 1,500-2,000 yards that caused severe casualties and brought her to a halt. Nevertheless, she fired two torpedoes but the range was so short that they ran under the target. Nassau and Rheinland joined Westfalen in firing at Tipperary, while Spitfire and Sparrowhawk were also illuminated and Spitfire was hit several times. But this left most of the 4DF free to direct an effective gunfire at the enemy battleships’ searchlights.

Astern of the blazing Tipperary, the remaining destroyers of the 1st Half Flotilla and Broke turned away, firing torpedoes as they did so at ranges no greater than 1,000 yards. Spitfire’s two torpedoes were set for Long Range, even though the firing range was ‘under 1,000 yards’. She claimed a hit on a cruiser with four very tall funnels. All the other torpedoes fired by the flotilla were set for High Speed. Sparrowhawk (range 800 yards) Garland (range 800 yards), Contest (range 1,000 yards) and Broke (range 800- 1,000 yards) fired one torpedo each, the last three at light cruisers. The torpedoes and gunfire from the British line forced Westfalen to turn away 8 points to starboard. Elbing tried to pass ahead of the battleship Posen but, in the confusion, the battleship struck Elbing on the starboard quarter, holing her below the waterline and leaving her drifting helplessly. The four-funnelled Rostock was also crippled by a torpedo that exploded against her port side. Although several of the 4DF claimed torpedo hits, Rostock’s profile matched only Spitfire’s target description, so the latter probably made what would prove to be the only torpedo hit by the flotilla.

Both Elbing and Rostock had to be scuttled early on 1 June.41 With Tipperary out of action, leadership of the 4DF devolved on Broke. She had turned away South East as she fired her torpedo but then resumed the course South. Sparrowhawk took station astern, with Garland, Contest and Achates not far behind. However, contact with the enemy was renewed too soon for a coordinated attack to be organised. Under a renewed fire from the leading German battleships, at about 11.40pm a hit on Broke jammed the helm so that she drove straight into Sparrowhawk. Contest then sliced off some five feet of Sparrowhawk’s stern, jamming the rudder. Broke was able to pull clear and could still make 10 knots but Sparrowhawk could make no headway. At about the same time, the German battleship Nassau attempted to ram Spitfire and, despite the destroyer’s avoiding efforts, the two collided port-bow to port-bow. As Spitfire scraped down her port side, Nassau could not depress her guns sufficiently to hit her but, despite extensive damage, Spitfire eventually reached the Tyne under her own steam.

Both Tipperary and Sparrowhawk sank early on 1 June. Ambuscade fired two torpedoes as she turned away at a range of 1,000 yards. Garland then found the remnant of the 2nd Half Flotilla and took station between Fortune and Porpoise, with Ambuscade and Ardent ahead of them. Just after midnight, as the 4DF’s course S converged once again on the IBS, the flotilla sighted four large enemy ships to starboard. Fortune, clearly visible from Westfalen, was left burning fiercely. Rheinland, Posen, Oldenburg and Helgoland also fired at the 4DF at ranges from 1,700 to 900 yards. Porpoise cleared the crippled Fortune and, despite several hits, was able to withdraw. As the flotilla turned away, Ambuscade (range 700 yards), Ardent (range 1,000-1,500 yards, inclination 90F) and Garland (range 800 yards, inclination 100F) each fired a torpedo but their torpedoes were seen from Rheinland and Posen and were avoided. British gunnery was more successful, a shell exploding in Oldenburg’s fore upper searchlight caused many casualties near the bridge.

While the other survivors from the 4DF withdrew, Ardent made the fateful decision to turn South yet again in the hope of picking up Ambuscade. Instead, she found the battleships of the German van crossing her bows from starboard to port. She fired a torpedo at Westfalen from a 1,000 yards, without hitting, but she had already been picked out by the battleship’s searchlights and was quickly reduced to a wreck. Aftter dark, as the 11DF, 2LCS and 4DF headed South, they suddenly encountered in turn the ships of the German van steering SSE’wards. The British vessels then had no choice but to attack at once on similar courses and at short ranges. Thus (with the exception only of Ardent’s final torpedo) their enemy inclinations were Forward and they were easy gunnery targets. Even so, despite what may have been an unfavourable inclination angle, Southampton’s browning shot at a group of searchlights sank the Frauenlob.

Later, the 4DF suffered severe losses to the highly effective fire from the secondary armaments of the German IBS. Ardent and Fortune were sunk and Tipperary reduced to a sinking condition, as was Sparrowhawk by collision damage. However, in the first attack, because the German ships had concentrated mainly on Tipperary, many of the other destroyers were able to fire torpedoes with little hindrance. Although no battleships were hit, Rostock was torpedoed and Elbing was rammed. But, forewarned, the Germans were ready for the next attacks. The second was quickly disrupted as Broke was badly hit and she and Contest careered into Sparrowhawk – though Nassau was damaged in her attempt to ram Spitfire. With both leaders already out of action, the third attack seems to have been more a collective than a coordinated effort, in which Fortune was sunk and Porpoise was damaged. Neither attack resulted in any further torpedo hits. Only Spitfire fired two torpedoes together, though it should be recognised that the Acasta-class boats of the 4DF had only two torpedo tubes.