Owwch ... That was a slugfest and a half, with both combatants staggering back to their corners battered bloody.
And it really, really showed what a mistake Scheer made in bringing Mauve's pre-dreadnoughts to the fight. If it hadn't been for that ball and chain, the main body of the High Seas Fleet would likely have got away clean. And if they didn't, Scheer's dreadnoughts were doing well in the match-ups with their British counterparts.
Hipper's battlecruisers - facing a greatly superior force - sank 3 British battlecruisers and lost 3 of their own.
Scheer's dreadnoughts sank one, possibly two British dreadnoughts and lost only one.
The Germans probably came out ahead in cruiser losses as well.
But when the bodies are counted, everything will be dominated by the slaughter of the Fünf Minuten Schiffe at the back of the German line - I don't think a single one got away, so that's seven battleships on the bottom, each taking 800+ crew with them - owwch indeed, and no hope of the Germans painting the battle as a victory.
And it really, really showed what a mistake Scheer made in bringing Mauve's pre-dreadnoughts to the fight. If it hadn't been for that ball and chain, the main body of the High Seas Fleet would likely have got away clean. And if they didn't, Scheer's dreadnoughts were doing well in the match-ups with their British counterparts.
Hipper's battlecruisers - facing a greatly superior force - sank 3 British battlecruisers and lost 3 of their own.
Scheer's dreadnoughts sank one, possibly two British dreadnoughts and lost only one.
The Germans probably came out ahead in cruiser losses as well.
But when the bodies are counted, everything will be dominated by the slaughter of the Fünf Minuten Schiffe at the back of the German line - I don't think a single one got away, so that's seven battleships on the bottom, each taking 800+ crew with them - owwch indeed, and no hope of the Germans painting the battle as a victory.