Night Attacks by Flotillas
21. During the night the British heavy ships were not attacked, but the Fourth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Flotillas, under Commodore Hawkesley and Captains Wintour and Stirling, delivered a series of very gallant and successful attacks on the enemy, causing him heavy losses.
22. It was during these attacks that severe losses in the Fourth Flotilla occurred, including that of Tipperary with the gallant leader of the Flotilla, Captain Wintour. He had brought his flotilla to a high pitch of perfection, and although suffering severely from the fire of the enemy, a heavy toll of enemy vessels was taken and many gallant actions were performed by the flotilla.
Two torpedoes were seen at least to take effect on enemy vessels as the result of the attacks of the Fourth Flotilla, one being from Spitfire (Lieutenant-Commander Clarence W. E. Trelawny), and the other from either Ardent (Lieutenant-Commander Arthur Marsden), Ambuscade (Lieutenant-Commander Gordon A. Coles), or Garland (Lieutenant-Commander Reginald S. Goff).
23. The attack carried out by the Twelfth Flotilla (Captain Anselan J. B. Stirling) was admirably executed. The squadron attacked, which consisted of six large vessels besides light cruisers, comprised vessels of the “Kaiser” class, and were almost completely surprised. A large number of torpedoes was fired, including some at the second and third ships in the line; those fired at the third ship took effect, and she was observed to blow up. A second attack made twenty minutes later by Mænad (Commander John T. Champion) on the five vessels still remaining resulted in the second ship in the line being also hit and blown up.
The destroyers were under a heavy fire from the light cruisers on reaching the rear of the line, but Onslaught was the only vessel which received any material injuries. In Onslaught Sub-lieutenant Harry W. A. Kemmis, assisted by Midshipman Reginald G. Arnot, R.N.R., the only executive officers not disabled, brought the ship successfully out of action and reached Rosyth.
24. During the attack carried out by the Eleventh Flotilla, Castor (Commodore John R. P. Hawkesley) leading, the flotilla engaged and sank an enemy torpedo-boat destroyer at point blank range.
The 13th Flotilla under the command of Captain James U. Farie in Champion took station astern of the battle fleet for the night. At 0.30 A.M. on Thursday, 1st June, a large vessel crossed the rear of the flotilla at high speed. She passed close to the Petard and Turbulent, switched on searchlights, and opened a heavy fire which severely damaged Petard and disabled Turbulent. At 3.30 A.M. Champion was engaged for a few minutes with four enemy destroyers. Moresby reports four ships of “Deutschland” class sighted at 2.35 A.M. at whom she fired one torpedo. Two minutes later an explosion was felt by Moresby and Obdurate.
Abdiel, ably commanded by Commander Berwick Curtis, carried out her duties with the success which has always characterised her work.
There were many gallant deeds performed by the destroyer flotillas; they surpassed the very highest expectations that I had formed of them.
Apart from the proceedings of the flotillas, the Second Light Cruiser Squadron in the rear of the battle fleet was in close action for about fifteen minutes at 10.20 P.M. with a squadron comprising one enemy cruiser and four light cruisers, during which period Southampton and Dublin suffered rather heavy casualties, although their steaming and fighting qualities were not impaired. It is reasonable to suppose that they inflicted considerable damage on their opponents.