"God! Why has the German warship not been sunk yet? Our time is running out!" Admiral John Jellicoe's heart quivered with fear. Though their ships had steadily landed some hits during the fierce battle, these strikes only inflicted minor damage to the German navy, and sinking their vessels seemed a distant prospect.
"Admiral, the Germans' ships are heavily armored. To sink them is exceedingly difficult!" Vice Admiral David Beatty remarked.
The German battleships were designed with key areas fortified. As long as these vital parts remained intact, even a ship riddled with holes was unlikely to be sunk.
Admiral Jellicoe nodded, acknowledging that these intense naval battles had already proven the accuracy of the Germans' warship design philosophy. In contrast, the British Navy's emphasis on firepower and speed, at the expense of defense, had been revealed to be a grave mistake.
"Boom!"
A blinding flash of fire erupted from the British Navy's *Iron Duke* battleship, the result of a hit from the German Navy's *Border Governor* battleship—marking the first strike in this sea battle. A 380mm shell struck the upper structure of the *Iron Duke*, creating a massive hole and igniting a fierce blaze. Although not fatal, the damage was significant.
"Damn it, the *Iron Duke* has been hit!" Admiral Jellicoe swore under his breath.
Vice Admiral Beatty's expression darkened.
They both knew that in the face of the German *King* class battleships, the *Iron Duke* was akin to an aging elder confronting a youthful giant. The disparity in power was simply overwhelming.
The 380mm main guns of the *King* class, if they struck the *Iron Duke*'s vital points, could devastate the ship with a single shell, possibly even sinking it.
Although the *Iron Duke*'s damage control team responded immediately, their faces were ashen. They knew that once the ship had been hit, another strike would inevitably follow, and a third would present a mortal threat to the ship.
Sure enough, three minutes later, the *Border Governor* battleship hit the *Iron Duke* again. Another 380mm shell slammed into the ship's stern, causing a violent explosion that ripped it apart, destroying the rudder and a propeller. The *Iron Duke*'s speed faltered, and it lost its ability to steer. Worse still, seawater rushed in through the massive hole in the stern.
At this point, damage control was futile; it would only delay the inevitable sinking.
The captain of the *Iron Duke* immediately requested abandonment of ship from Admiral Jellicoe.
However, Jellicoe stubbornly refused. He hoped the *Iron Duke* could hold on a bit longer, buying time to draw the fire of the German battleships away from others. If the ship were abandoned, the Germans could focus their fire on other vessels, further jeopardizing the British Navy's position.
Faced with Jellicoe's seemingly heartless orders, the British sailors aboard the *Iron Duke* had no choice but to endure. They cursed Jellicoe but fought on in the vain hope of survival.
Yet, when the *Border Governor* hit the *Iron Duke* for a third time, it was clear that the ship had no chance. The explosion nullified all the crew's efforts, and the flooding accelerated the vessel's descent.
Soon, the *Iron Duke* sank beneath the waves, its bow rising high into the air before it broke apart with a sharp crack. The ship's keel could not withstand the strain and snapped in two, the remains plunging rapidly to the depths.
The sinking of the *Iron Duke* shifted the balance on the battlefield, reducing the British fleet to 12 ships against 14 German ones. Though still holding an advantage, the British position was weakening, while the Germans were gaining the upper hand.
After sinking the *Iron Duke*, the *Border Governor* turned its guns on the *Giant* battleship, joining forces with the *Elector* to sandwich it in a devastating crossfire.
At this moment, the *Giant* was already in peril. During the brief lull following the *Iron Duke*'s destruction, the *Giant* had taken a hit from a 380mm shell, with a large section of its side blown away. Though above the waterline, the damage was enough to terrorize its crew.
When the *Border Governor* also fired upon it, the British sailors aboard the *Giant* knew their fate was sealed. Facing two *King* class battleships, their destruction was all but assured.
Two minutes later, the *Giant* was struck again, this time by a shell from the *Elector*. It seemed the *Elector* was determined not to let the *Border Governor* claim all the credit, delivering a particularly precise blow.
A 380mm shell struck the *Giant*'s side, penetrating its main turret. Despite the *Giant*'s five main turrets, the peculiar arrangement—three along the central axis and two on the sides—meant that only four turrets could fire in the same direction.
The 280mm thick armor of the turret was no match for the 380mm shell, which tore through it easily. The explosion set off a chain reaction, detonating the turret's 305mm shells and several hundred kilograms of propellant. The entire turret was destroyed in the blast, and flames spread to the magazine below, which contained over a hundred 305mm shells. A catastrophic chain reaction seemed inevitable.