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Age-42

The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle fought between the Royal Navy and the German High Seas Fleet on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland in Denmark. It was the largest naval battle of the the war. The German plan was to use their fast scouting group of battlecruisers to draw Vice-Admiral Beatty’s battlecruiser  squadron onto the main German fleet and there, destroy them. The two opposing forces met on the afternoon of 31st May 1916. A running battle ensued, during which the Royal Navy lost two battlecruisers, until the main German fleet was seen.  At this point Beatty’s battlecruiser squadron turned back and brought the pursuing German ships towards the main British fleet of Admiral Jellicoe. That night these two main fleets of 250 ships engaged each other twice before the Germans, recognising that they were outnumbered, broke off the engagement and returned to port. Both sides claimed victory. The British lost more ships (14) and three time as many sailors (6,000), but the Germans never brought out their main fleet again, preferring to concentrate on submarine warfare. Over 500 of those who were killed were men from London.

HMS Warrior was an armoured cruiser and part of the 1st Cruiser Squadron at the Battle of Jutland, operating in front of the main body of the Grand Fleet, on the starboard side. In the evening, along with HMS Defence she spotted the damaged and disabled German ship, SMS Wiesbaden and moved in for the kill but in so doing came into contact with battleships of the fast approaching German High Seas Fleet. In the ensuing action HMS Defence was sunk and HMS Warrior was badly damaged and would have almost certainly been sunk herself if not for a diversion created by HMS Warspite. HMS Warrior withdrew from the battle and tried to get back to her base but the next day, whilst being towed by HMS Engadine she sank. 743 of her crew were taken aboard HMS Engadine but  68 men were either killed in action or subsequently died of wounds. One of these was Alfred Bartlett.