description of what occurred at this time but
also as a picture of a personal experience of the terrific fire
that the battle cruisers of both sides had to sustain throughout
the greater part of the engagement. It was on them that the brunt
of the fighting fell. The narrative is quoted from the pages of
the _Naval and Military Record_:

"By now our Commander-in-Chief had realized the danger threatening
our fleet, the van of which was enclosed in a semicircle by the
hostile fleet. We were, in fact, absolutely 'in the soup' (in absoluten
Wurstkessel)! There was only one way to get clear of this tactically
disadvantageous position: to turn the whole fleet about and steer on
an opposite course. First to evade this dangerous encirclement. But
the maneuver must be unobserved and executed without interference.
The battle-cruisers and torpedo-boats must cover the movement of the
fleet. At about[1] 9.12 the Commander-in-Chief made the signal to
alter course, and almost simultaneously made by W/T [wireless] the
historic signal to the battle-cruisers and torpedo-boats: 'Charge the
enemy!' (Ran an den Feind!) Without turning a hair the captain ordered
'Full speed ahead, course south-east.' Followed by the _Seydlitz,
Molke_, and _Von der Tann_, we steamed at first south-east, then,
from 9.15 onward, directly towards the head of the enemy's line.

[Footnote 1: There was a difference of two hours in time between
the German and the English standard.]

"And now an infernal fire was opened on us, especially on the
_Derfflinger_, as leading ship. Several ships were concentrating
their fire upon us. I selected a target and fired as rapidly as
possible. The range closed from 12,000 to 8,000 meters, and still
we steamed full speed ahead into this inferno of fire, presenting
a splendid target to the enemy, while he himself was very difficult
to see. Salvo after salvo fell in our immediate vicinity, and shell
after shell struck our ship. They were the most exciting minutes.
I could no longer communicate with Lt. von Stosch (who was in the
foretop control), as the telephone and voice-pipes had been shot
away, so I had to rely an my own observations to direct the fire.
At 9.13, previous to which all four 12 in. turrets were in action,
a serious catastrophe occurred. A 15 in. shell penetrated the armor
of No. 3 turret and exploded inside. The gallant turret captain, Lt.
von Boltenstern, had both his legs torn off, and with him perished
pract