Chapter 126: A Shift in Circumstances

At 6:45 PM, the sun dipped below the horizon. As it was May, sunset occurred about half an hour later than in winter, with dusk expected to fall around 7:20 PM.

At this moment, the battle was still raging intensely. The first to fall was not the *Delhi* or the *Iron Duke*, which had initially faced the brunt of the German fleet's superior firepower, but the *Benbow*, positioned third in line. After the *Kaiser* adjusted its aim, two German ships were firing upon the *Benbow*.

It must be admitted that the *Benbow* was exceptionally unlucky. Before the *Kaiser*’s shells arrived, the *Benbow*’s lookouts had focused their attention on the *Kronprinz*, and the ship had adjusted its course based on the *Kronprinz*’s fire. Consequently, when the *Kaiser* turned its guns toward the *Benbow*, the latter failed to notice. This allowed the *Kaiser* to score a hit during its third salvo. The problem was that even then, the *Benbow* remained unaware of the threat from the *Kaiser*. Under the circumstances, it is likely that the firing times of the *Kaiser* and the *Kronprinz* were so close that the lookouts could not distinguish the source of the fire based on shell splashes. Furthermore, the main guns of the *Kaiser*-class and *König*-class ships were identical, as was their ammunition, making it impossible to judge the source by the impact’s power. This was later confirmed in the *Benbow*’s combat logs, which attributed the *Kaiser*’s hit to the *Kronprinz*.

These cumulative errors and oversights sealed the *Benbow*’s fate. At 6:49 PM, a massive explosion rocked the ship. Just two minutes later, before the smoke had fully cleared, the 30,000-ton giant vanished beneath the waves. None of the nearly one thousand officers and men on board survived.

The sudden sinking of the *Benbow* disrupted the Grand Fleet's battle formation. In truth, even Feng Chengqian was unsure why the ship sank so rapidly at the time, though he surmised it was likely due to a secondary explosion in the main magazine. The engagement range had closed to approximately 15,000 meters, putting the ships well within the direct-fire range of the 300mm main guns. At this distance, the German 300mm armor-piercing shells mostly struck the British ships' side armor belts rather than their deck armor, making them more vulnerable to lethal damage.

This was also due to the performance of German main guns and their ammunition. The Imperial Navy had pioneered the theory of "long-range gunnery" and emphasized its importance early on, dedicating significant effort to it. For instance, the Imperial Navy was the first to prioritize the horizontal protection of capital ships to counter the threat of high-angle armor-piercing shells fired from long distances. In terms of weaponry, the Navy had lengthened gun barrels, increased elevation angles, and enlarged powder chambers. For ammunition, they adopted both light and heavy armor-piercing shells for different engagement ranges.

Because heavy shells retain velocity better, they were primarily used for long-range engagements. According to Imperial Navy regulations, heavy shells were to be used when the engagement distance exceeded 21,000 meters. Testing showed that at ranges over 20,000 meters, heavy shells possessed superior armor-piercing capabilities and better accuracy than light shells.

Light shells were intended for close-range combat. The reason was simple: using an equivalent propellant charge, light shells achieved a higher muzzle velocity, meaning they hit with greater speed and armor-piercing power at shorter ranges. Distinctions were also made in fuse settings; for long-range fire, where shells tended to strike horizontal decks, fuses were set with longer delays to ensure detonation inside the ship. In close-range combat, where hits were primarily on the side armor, shorter delays were used. Before the war, the Imperial Navy had established strict gunnery manuals that clearly dictated which ammunition to use under various conditions. In previous naval battles, these regulations had proven effective, though the sinking of the *Benbow* was the most significant result to date.

Post-war inspections of the *Benbow* wreck confirmed the cause. The first explosion occurred not in the main magazine, but in the secondary battery magazine located to the left of the bridge. It had been struck earlier by an armor-piercing shell, though not lethally. After being hit by a second shell, the thousands of 152mm rounds stored in that magazine detonated, tearing the hull apart. Immediately after, the main magazine in front of the bridge was ignited, and hundreds of large-caliber shells and dozens of tons of propellant charges exploded simultaneously, snapping the *Benbow* in two and causing it to sink in under two minutes.

With the sinking of the *Benbow*, Beatty’s hopes were dashed. The *Kronprinz* and *Kaiser* did not cease fire but instead moved to the next target. Although Hipper had not issued explicit orders, both commanders knew their duties. The *Kronprinz* shifted its aim to the *Marlborough*, while the *Kaiser*, following Feng Chengqian’s orders, targeted the *Erin*, which had been largely uninvolved until then.

At the time, Feng Chengqian did not focus on the crippled *Delhi*. This was arguably a significant oversight; had the *Kaiser* turned its attention to the *Delhi*, Beatty might have lost a second battleship within ten minutes. However, from the perspective of the German fleet, which was also suffering heavy losses and nearing a breakdown in its battle line, Feng had little reason to pursue the *Delhi*.

By the time the *Benbow* sank, the *Luitpold* had already lost its fighting capacity. Though the tenacious ship did not withdraw and continued to fire its 150mm secondary guns, the loss of all its main guns meant that its sinking was inevitable. It can be said that the *Luitpold* sacrificed itself to secure the success of its sister ships. Under these circumstances, Feng Chengqian’s priority was to stabilize his line rather than sinking one more British vessel.

At 6:51 PM, after firing twice at the *Erin*, the *Kaiser* scored another success, damaging the *Erin*’s stern with a near-miss. This hit forced the *Erin* to turn to the starboard and withdraw from the battle line. In reality, this was likely the work of the *Derfflinger*, but because the *Kaiser* fired simultaneously and several shells landed nearby, Feng Chengqian credited the *Kaiser* with the hit.

With the *Erin* injured and retreating, Beatty’s position became increasingly desperate. At this point, the *Kaiser*, *Friedrich der Große*, *Kaiserin*, and *König Albert* were all concentrating their fire on the *Queen Elizabeth*. Up ahead, the *Iron Duke* and *Marlborough* were also being besieged by two German ships each. Critically, the British Second Battle Squadron had failed to force a single German ship out of the line. Although the *Luitpold*, *König Albert*, and *Kaiserin* had sustained serious damage—particularly the *Luitpold*—they remained in the fight.

At 6:56 PM, the *Queen Elizabeth* suffered its most severe blow since the battle began. Within seconds, at least three 300mm armor-piercing shells struck the ship, destroying the forward turret and tearing two massive holes in the port side. Within minutes, nearly a thousand tons of water rushed in. Despite the *Queen Elizabeth*’s 31,500-ton displacement and powerful pumps, the flooding forced the captain to order counter-flooding to restore balance. Even worse, the *Queen Elizabeth* was left with only one operational main turret.

As Beatty hesitated, a sudden change shifted his perspective. At 6:59 PM, the *Luitpold*, having held on for over forty minutes, finally reached its limit. With the bow nearly submerged and a port list of eleven degrees, the captain ordered a turn to the port to withdraw from the line. The ship, having been struck by seventeen shells of 305mm or larger and nearly a hundred 152mm shells, could not make it back to Wilhelmshaven and was scuttled on May 7th due to the severity of its damage.

The withdrawal of the *Luitpold* meant the Second Battle Squadron could press forward. To Beatty, it seemed that if he could hold on just a little longer, he might yet achieve victory.