Themes

Conflict and Change

• Introduction

  • Timeline

  • Timeline: World Wars

  • HMS Warspite

  • HMS Premier

  • HMS Sovereign

  • HMS Fearless

• In Focus: 1900

• In Focus: World War One

• In Focus: Interwar

• In Focus: World War Two

• In Focus: Post War Conflict

• In Focus: Cold War Climate

• In Focus: Falklands and Beyond

• Special Exhibition: Falklands 25

Learning

• How To: Understand Propaganda

• Propaganda Image Galleries

• Education Project: Sea With Your Own Eyes

HMS Warspite

Article highlights

• HMS Warspite at the Battle of Jutland

• The 'super dreadnought'

• Position in the Grand Fleet

• Scheer's scheme

• Memories from the Battle

• Signal failure

• Fatal blows

• The Fifth Battle Squadron enter the action

• The Grand Fleet come to the rescue

• HMS Warspite's withdrawal and battle damage

The Grand Fleet come to the rescue

The Flagships of the Battlecruiser Squadron and Grand Fleet, HMS Lion [Beatty] and HMS Iron Duke [Jellicoe] sighted each other at 1800.

15 minutes later Jellicoe deployed the Grand Fleet to the south and east in order to get between the High Seas Fleet and the German Base, blocking their retreat.

Action was now taking place continuously between the light forces on both sides. The Germans scored several hits on HMS Defence at about 1820, occurring right in front of Warspite. Poland recounts the horrific event:

'I saw three salvoes fall across her in quick succession, beauties. A flicker of flame ran aft along her forecastle head and up her fore turret, which seemed to melt. Then – whoof, up she went a single huge sheet of flame 500 meters high, mixed up with smoke and fragments. As it died I saw her crumpled bow, red hot sticking up about 30 or 40 feet of it, at an angle of sixty degrees and then it sank. I nearly vomited – God it was an awful sight.'

Also during this time the Germans badly damaged the cruiser HMS Warrior. The 5th Battle Squadron was at this stage seeking to fall into line astern of the Grand Fleet.

Glazed wooden case containing a piece of German shell shrapnel picked up by Ship's Cook Charles Alfred Joslin from the deck of HMS Warspite. (RNM)

The damage to Warspite’s steering caused its helm to jam during the manoeuvre and she completed two full circles around HMS Warrior before the rudder was in working order again.

This mishap protected the cruiser, but put the battleship in great danger. The German fleet pummelled HMS Warspite with shells. Captain Poland’s account to his brother details his feelings during the onslaught:

'The hit aft appears to have upset our steering gear and we careered off out of the line, heading towards the enemy and made two 32 point turns. The others of course went on and we had to take all that at least a couple of divisions of the HSF (High Seas Fleet) could give us. I gave up hope of seeing Rosyth again… Altogether it was a most unhappy period.'