Battle of Jutland
In 1916, the 5th Battle Squadron—under the command of Rear Admiral Hugh Evan-Thomas— was temporarily transferred to David Beatty's Battlecruiser Fleet. On 31 May, four ships of the Squadron served with distinction in the battle of Jutland. These were:
- HMS Barham Flagship of Rear Admiral H. Evan-Thomas; Captain A. W. Craig;
- HMS Valiant Captain M. Woollcombe;
- HMS Warspite Captain E. M. Philpotts;
- HMS Malaya Captain the Honourable A. D. E. H. Boyle;
In the clash with the German I Scouting Group under Admiral Franz von Hipper, the 5th Battle Squadron "fired with extraordinary rapidity and accuracy" (according to Reinhard Scheer), damaging the battlecruisers SMS Lützow and Seydlitz and a number of other German warships.
Three of the Queen Elizabeths received hits from German warships during the engagement, yet they all returned home, though Warspite—whose steering was jammed—was targeted by the German line, taking 15 hits and coming close to foundering.
After the battle, HMS Queen Elizabeth—which had missed the battle due to being in dock—rejoined the squadron.
Read more about this topic: 5th Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)
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