The Luetzow was hit by at least fifteen heavy shells and was unable to maintain its place in line.  Vice Admiral Hipper, therefore, transshipped to the Moltke on a torpedo boat and under a heavy fire.  The Derfflinger meantime took the lead temporarily.  Parts of the German torpedo flotilla attacked the enemy’s main fleet and heard detonations.  In the action the Germans lost a torpedo boat.  An enemy destroyer was seen in a sinking condition, having been hit by a torpedo.

After the first violent onslaught into the mass of the superior enemy the opponents lost sight of each other in the smoke by powder clouds.  After a short cessation in the artillery combat Vice Admiral Scheer ordered a new attack by all the available forces.

German battle cruisers, which with several light cruisers and torpedo boats again headed the line, encountered the enemy soon after 9 o’clock and renewed the heavy fire, which was answered by them from the mist, and then by the leading division of the main fleet.  Armored cruisers now flung themselves in a reckless onset at extreme speed against the enemy line in order to cover the attack of the torpedo boats.  They approached the enemy line, although covered with shot from 6,000 meters distances.  Several German torpedo flotillas dashed forward to attack, delivered torpedoes, and returned, despite the most severe counterfire, with the loss of only one boat.  The bitter artillery fire was again interrupted, after this second violent onslaught, by the smoke from guns and funnels.

Several torpedo flotillas, which were ordered to attack somewhat later, found, after penetrating the smoke cloud, that the enemy fleet was no longer before them; nor, when the fleet commander again brought the German squadrons upon the southerly and southwesterly course where the enemy was last seen, could our opponents be found.  Only once more—­shortly before 10.30 o’clock—­did the battle flare up.  For a short time in the late twilight German battle cruisers sighted four enemy capital ships to seaward and opened fire immediately.  As the two German battleship squadrons attacked, the enemy turned and vanished in the darkness.  Older German light cruisers of the fourth reconnoissance group also were engaged with the older enemy armored cruisers in a short fight.

     This ended the day battle.

     The German divisions, which, after losing sight of the enemy, began
     a night cruise in a southerly direction, were attacked until dawn
     by enemy light force in rapid succession.

     The attacks were favored by the general strategic situation and the
     particularly dark night.

     The cruiser Frauenlob was injured severely during the engagement of
     the fourth reconnoissance group with a superior cruiser force, and
     was lost from sight.