The German Navy's battlecruiser fleet finally arrived at the battlefield. Although, by the time they reached the scene, the core force of the German High Seas Fleet had already begun to turn the tide, gaining the upper hand, the arrival of the battlecruisers would hasten Germany's victory in this war.
"Prepare all ships, target the British fleet, and fire!" Vice Admiral Spee issued the command from aboard his flagship, the *Mackensen* battlecruiser.
At that moment, the German battlecruiser fleet appeared directly in front of the British fleet's second battle line, forming a perfect T-shape. The distance between the two fleets was a mere twelve kilometers.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The three triple turrets of 380mm 50-caliber main guns aboard the *Mackensen* began their relentless barrage. Nine one-ton shells roared towards the *Nevada* battleship, situated at the forefront of the British fleet's second line.
The opening salvo from the *Mackensen* acted as a clear signal, and the remaining ten battlecruisers followed suit, opening fire.
For a brief moment, the air around the *Nevada* was filled with the deafening sound of incoming shells, as if the sky itself was raining fire upon her.
Despite the distance and lack of preliminary targeting, the concentrated fire of eleven battlecruisers, with ninety-nine main guns aimed at the same target, created a devastating storm of artillery. Not to mention, fifty-four of those main guns were 380mm, supported by twenty-seven 343mm guns and eighteen 305mm guns. With their 50-caliber barrels, these weapons possessed formidable armor-piercing capabilities.
"My God! The Germans' battlecruisers are here! They're right in front of us, they've seized the T-cross!" The officers aboard the *Nevada* cried out in panic.
Vice Admiral Martin's face turned pale as the realization struck him—this was hopeless. The German battlecruisers had come into play, and worse, they had made the *Nevada* their target.
"Turn! Turn immediately!" Vice Admiral Martin shouted, aware that with the enemy fleet seizing the T-cross, they would soon be subjected to a concentrated barrage. The eleven German battlecruisers, with their overwhelming firepower, could easily send them to the ocean floor.
"Boom!"
The *Nevada* trembled as an explosion erupted from her bow, a fireball blasting outward. Caught off guard, Vice Admiral Martin was thrown to the deck, but he quickly regained his footing and demanded to know the extent of the damage.
"Sir, a large hole has been blown into the forward deck, and the lower compartments are on fire! Damage control teams are already addressing the situation."
"Damn it!" Martin cursed under his breath.
Before he could finish, another shell struck the *Nevada*.
The eleven German battlecruisers focused their fire, their concentrated barrages consistently hitting the *Nevada*. It was inevitable given the intensity of the onslaught.
Although the *Nevada*'s defenses were formidable, the German Navy's 50-caliber 380mm guns were still capable of inflicting catastrophic damage. The *Nevada* class battleships were heavily armored, with the turret armor reaching 457mm, but the rest of the armor, including the side plating, was only 330mm thick. Against 50-caliber 380mm shells, even the thickest armor was no match.
"Boom!"
A 380mm shell from the *Frederich der Grosse* struck the *Nevada*'s forward deck, hitting the number one turret. While the 457mm turret armor held, the shell detonated after piercing half of the armor, causing catastrophic damage to the turret's frontal plate. The next hit, even from a 305mm shell, could very well penetrate it.
At this moment, the *Nevada* began to turn, but this was not a good decision. The maneuver would expose her side to the German battlecruisers, significantly increasing the likelihood of being hit. The armor on the side of the ship was far thinner, and a hit there would have disastrous consequences.
A 343mm shell struck the *Nevada*'s waterline armor, ripping a large hole in the 330mm thick plating.
Damage control teams worked frantically to seal the breach, but were unsuccessful, and were forced to close the watertight compartment.
Immediately after, a 305mm shell struck the *Nevada*'s superstructure, creating a massive hole and igniting a fierce fire.
As the *Nevada* continued its turn, it was relentlessly pummeled, shells from 380mm, 343mm, and 305mm guns leaving deep scars on her hull.
Despite the *Nevada*'s thirty-thousand-ton displacement and robust armor, it could not withstand such intense firepower.
In just three minutes, the *Nevada* was struck by more than ten large-caliber shells, over half of them 380mm rounds. Her entire side was ravaged, the hull filled with water. As the flooding continued, the ship began to list, and with each passing moment, the tilt grew steeper, signaling the inevitable: the *Nevada* would soon capsize.
In this grim situation, Vice Admiral Martin issued the order to abandon ship. He then boarded a landing craft and transferred to a nearby vessel to continue commanding the battle. He did not choose the *Oklahoma*—which followed the *Nevada*—as his next flagship, knowing it would soon be targeted by the German battlecruisers. Instead, he selected the *New York*, as he feared the fate of the *Oklahoma* would be just as tragic, and he would soon be forced to issue another abandonment order.