Themes

Article highlights

• HMS Warspite at the Battle of Jutland

• The 'super dreadnought'

• Position in the Grand Fleet

• Scheer's scheme

• Memories from the Battle

• Signal failure

• Fatal blows

• The Fifth Battle Squadron enter the action

• The Grand Fleet come to the rescue

• HMS Warspite's withdrawal and battle damage

Memories from the Battle

Captain R A Poland of the Royal Marine Light Infantry who was in command of Y turret aboard HMS Warspite during the battle witnessed the action at Jutland.

He wrote a letter to his brother on the 9 June 1916. This account of Warspite’s actions at the Battle of Jutland is peppered with timings and actions plotted after the actual event and with the aid of Poland’s account to his brother.

Poland’s 5 page letter can be read in full on this site by searching our database. In the letter Poland writes -

'As regards to the scrap, I can’t tell you much, only personal impressions… Its all a confused impression, with one or two momentary exceptions, haze, paralysing terror, own gunfire and enemy’s flashes and splashes and a hail of splinters.'

Plan of the Battle. (RNM)

Action began at 1415 when the light cruiser HMS Galatea sighted what turned out to be the Danish steamer N J Fjord. At the same time a German destroyer also sighted this ship.

Beatty, at this time had signalled to all ships in his Fleet to turn to a course N by E on a course to rendezvous with the Grand Fleet as planned.

HMS Galatea and the other ships of the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron ignored this order, however and continued on an eastward course to investigate and the squadron soon came into contact with Hipper’s Light Forces.

At 1427 Hipper turned his battlecruisers and attached ships on to a WSW course to support his Light Forces.