"General, the Commander has ordered us to converge with the main fleet. They will arrive at the battlefield in one hour," a communications officer reported aboard the flagship of the British Navy's 2nd Battleship Squadron, the *Queen Elizabeth*.
"An hour? My God! In an hour, we will have been sunk by the Germans," exclaimed Major General Benjamin.
The current situation was exceedingly dire for them. The three *Queen Elizabeth*-class battleships had sustained significant damage. Even the flagship, *Queen Elizabeth*, had been hit multiple times, with one of its four main turrets completely out of commission, leaving only a third of its firepower operational. Moreover, the ship's stern was riddled with gaping holes, bearing testament to the ferocity of the preceding battles.
The vessel most severely damaged was undoubtedly the *Barham*. Following the death of its captain and crew, command had fallen to the navigation officer. However, due to severe hull damage, the ship's combat effectiveness had drastically diminished.
The *Malaya* also struggled to stay afloat. Major General Benjamin had previously underestimated the German Navy's *Moltke*-class battlecruisers, allowing them to fire without interference. This directly led to multiple hits on the three *Queen Elizabeth*-class battleships. The performance of the *Moltke*-class battlecruisers even surpassed that of the *Derfflinger*-class battlecruisers.
Amid such heavy losses, Major General Benjamin wished to hold firm, but he had little hope of enduring for another hour. It was not for lack of effort on his part or the bravery of his men; the disparity in strength between the two sides was simply too great.
Similarly, the remaining three battlecruisers of Vice Admiral David Beatty's squadron were also enduring immense strain, facing a far more difficult predicament than the 2nd Battleship Squadron. The defensive capabilities of these battlecruisers were significantly inferior to those of the *Queen Elizabeth*-class, which exacerbated their suffering.
"General, the Commander has led the main fleet to our aid. Once they arrive, we will have hope," an officer stated.
However, Vice Admiral Beatty's expression remained impassive. He understood that the best strategy would be for Admiral John Jellicoe to immediately withdraw the main fleet. Preserving the main fleet was essential; as long as it existed, even trapped in Scapa Flow, it remained a considerable threat to the German Navy. If the main fleet engaged and was annihilated by the Germans, the Royal Navy would be utterly defeated, and Britain would face a catastrophic loss in the war.
Of course, Beatty knew that Jellicoe was unable to act on this knowledge. On one hand, Churchill's orders compelled him to engage the German Navy, hoping to sink as many of their ships as possible in preparation for the resurgence of dozens of dreadnoughts. On the other hand, should the Royal Navy evade a decisive confrontation, the Germans would inevitably strike at British coastal cities, inflicting severe losses. Thus, under duress, Admiral Jellicoe could only follow Churchill's commands and face the Germans in battle.
"Let us hope that in this encounter, we can ensure a mutually destructive outcome with the Germans! That way, we may yet have a glimmer of opportunity. Anything would be better than our current situation, where not a single chance remains," murmured Vice Admiral Beatty.
Indeed, Beatty had now resolved to aim for a mutually destructive engagement with the German Navy. Victory, he knew, was beyond the realm of possibility—a mere unrealistic aspiration.
"Boom! Boom!"
The thunderous explosions made Beatty's expression grow even darker. Flames erupted from the upper structure of the *Queen Mary*.
In the preceding bombardment, the German Navy's *Prince Friedrich* battlecruiser had scored a hit, launching two 380mm shells that struck the battlecruiser.
One shell penetrated the *Queen Mary*'s defenses, its fragile armor proving no match for the might of the 380mm gun, easily torn apart. The entire bow was violently blasted away, as if a monstrous beast had taken a bite out of it. Water began to flood into the hull of the *Queen Mary*.
The other shell exploded upon the upper structure, igniting a fierce fire and toppling a chimney, causing the *Queen Mary*'s speed to begin its decline. In such intense naval combat, a reduction in speed signified grave consequences for all.
"General, the *Queen Mary* has been hit, and they are requesting to withdraw from battle," a communications officer reported.
"Absolutely not! Tell them that as long as they have not sunk, even if only one main gun can fire, they must continue to fight!" Vice Admiral Beatty ordered darkly.
"Yes, General." The communications officer promptly relayed the order.
With no choice but to endure, the *Queen Mary* continued to withstand the onslaught. As water flooded into the bow, the ship's draft increased significantly, and its speed further diminished.
In the ensuing battle, within just five minutes, the *Queen Mary* was struck multiple times, suffering hits from three 380mm shells and seven 243mm shells. After enduring such a barrage, the *Queen Mary* became riddled with holes. Water surged through these breaches, causing the battlecruiser to rapidly sink beneath the waves, taking over a thousand naval personnel with her.
Upon hearing of the *Queen Mary*'s sinking, Vice Admiral Beatty closed his eyes in anguish. He knew it was his orders that had led to her demise.
However, he believed he would soon be able to atone for his commands. The remaining two battlecruisers could not hold out much longer under the assault of the six German battleships. It would not be long before they followed in the wake of the *Queen Mary*.