"Send a telegram to General Hippert, inquiring when the Second Battle Line can join the fray," Admiral Reinhard Scheer commanded. While the British seemed poised to flee, the German Navy needed to seize every opportunity to expand their victories and sink as many British warships as possible.
If the Second Battle Line could join the assault on the Royal Navy at this critical juncture, their task would become significantly easier. Comprising an equally formidable array of 14 battleships and battlecruisers, the Second Battle Line posed a lethal threat to the British fleet.
"Admiral, General Hippert has communicated that they will be ready to engage within half an hour," the communications officer reported.
Scheer nodded, knowing that the timely arrival of the Second Battle Line would enable the German Navy to muster greater strength against their British adversaries. While it might be unrealistic to hope for the complete destruction of the British fleet, inflicting further losses would still represent a resounding triumph.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The German battleships continued their relentless barrage, shells raining down upon the retreating British vessels. However, due to the high speed of both fleets, the accuracy of the fire had plummeted to alarming levels.
After witnessing this, both Admiral John Jellicoe and Vice Admiral David Beatty felt a measure of relief.
"Sir, it seems the Germans are struggling to hit us. Perhaps we can hold out until nightfall," Beatty suggested.
Indeed, they had already suffered the loss of more than a dozen capital ships, but preserving even a portion of their remaining fleet would constitute a considerable victory.
"Let us hope that God protects the British Empire," Jellicoe murmured.
At that moment, Jellicoe began to feel the weight of the impending report to Churchill. There was no denying that the Royal Navy had suffered a significant defeat, with countless capital ships lost and no completion of the mission assigned by Churchill. This outcome indicated that the Royal Navy was teetering on the brink of irretrievable disaster.
"Admiral, the Germans' second battle line is closing in," a staff officer announced.
"What? The second battle line?" both Jellicoe and Beatty exclaimed in disbelief.
The first German battle line had already cost them three capital ships and forced them into a hasty retreat. How could they possibly withstand another battle line? Even the prospect of holding out until nightfall seemed increasingly unrealistic.
"Damn it! The Germans are determined to annihilate us!" Beatty exclaimed in frustration.
Jellicoe's expression darkened. He realized that his earlier optimism had been misguided. The Germans would not allow their ships to escape so easily. Under the dual assault of two German battle lines, he now had no confidence that any of his ships would make it back to Scapa Flow by nightfall.
The second German battle line, commanded by Vice Admiral Hippert of the High Seas Fleet, consisted of five King-class battleships, five Helgoland-class battleships, three Mackensen-class battlecruisers, and the battlecruiser Lützow.
In many respects, the second battle line was even more formidable than the first. Among its 14 capital ships, all but five Helgoland-class battleships were equipped with 380mm guns, posing a genuine threat to the Royal Navy.
The flagship of the second battle line was the King, and Hippert had transferred his command from the Mackensen to here.
"Order the fleet to accelerate and engage the British! We cannot allow them to escape again," Hippert commanded.
The first battle line had already sunk three British battleships, forcing the enemy into a disordered retreat, and Hippert was eager to claim more glory. With the power of the second battle line at his disposal, he was determined to seize this opportunity.
The German second battle line began its relentless pursuit, and within half an hour, it had successfully caught up to the British fleet and commenced its assault.
"Open fire! Sink all of the British warships!" Hippert ordered.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Nine battleships and battlecruisers armed with 380mm guns, alongside five battleships equipped with 343mm guns, unleashed a torrent of shells upon the Royal Navy. This barrage comprised a staggering total of 81 380mm and 45 343mm guns, overwhelming the British fleet in both numbers and caliber.
The arrival of the second battle line exacerbated the British Navy's dire situation.
Despite the low probability of hitting targets while navigating at high speed, it did not render it impossible. The Germans could afford to waste a few shells; it was a trivial concern for them.
With 28 German capital ships surrounding the 11 remaining British vessels, the battle had turned increasingly savage. However, the term "savage" applied primarily to the British Navy; for the Germans, it posed little challenge. They simply needed to unleash their formidable firepower to dismantle the British fleet and secure a decisive victory.
Onboard the British flagship, the Revenge, Admiral Jellicoe and Vice Admiral Beatty's brows were furrowed in intense worry. Faced with the German Navy's overwhelming firepower, the entire British fleet felt perilously close to capsizing, as if navigating a small boat through a tempest.
"Damn those Germans! They're simply taking advantage of their numerical superiority to bully us!" Beatty exclaimed, frustration palpable in his voice.
Yet, even as they confronted this existential crisis, there was no altering their grim reality.