Chapter 0631: Sinking with the Ship
The *Revenge* battleship surged forward in a desperate attempt to escape. With forced draft ventilation driving the boilers, her speed had reached 23 knots—the utmost she could muster.
Yet, the German battleship *Bavaria* pursued relentlessly. While *Revenge* struggled at her maximum of 23 knots, *Bavaria*, with a remarkable top speed of 24.5 knots, closed the gap. For such a massive vessel to achieve this speed was astonishing, a testament to Germany's cutting-edge boilers and steam turbines. Without such advanced technology, such speed would be inconceivable.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The battleships *Bavaria* and *Revenge* exchanged fierce fire. Under the strain of high-speed maneuvering, the vessels rocked, making accurate aim elusive.
"Admiral, the *Governor of the Borders* battleship is upon us, requesting permission to join in surrounding *Revenge*," an aide reported to Admiral Reinhard Scheer.
"Very well," Admiral Scheer nodded.
With the French and Italian ships having fled, the British were left with only six ships to continue the fight. Meanwhile, Germany's First Battle Line boasted twelve battleships, creating ample opportunity to engage two British ships at once. As catching the British battlecruiser *Tiger* proved too challenging, the Germans instead focused on overwhelming the remaining British battleships.
With *Governor of the Borders* joining, *Revenge* faced immediate peril. Both German battleships boasted 380mm main guns with 50-caliber barrels, potent enough to inflict fatal blows on *Revenge*.
"Curse those Germans! Can they not fight us one-on-one? Gang tactics—what kind of heroism is this?" one of Admiral John Jellicoe's aides cursed indignantly.
But Admiral Jellicoe remained silent. This was war, not a duel. Victory required eliminating the enemy, and if that meant taking them down at minimal cost, then so be it. The German Navy sought such strategic triumphs, not foolish honor in single combat.
"Boom!"
A 381mm shell from *Revenge* struck *Bavaria*, tearing a hole in her bow. Yet, for such a massive warship, the damage was superficial.
"Hurrah!"
The crew aboard *Revenge* cheered. With escape impossible, they had set their sights on sinking the enemy ship instead, finding jubilation in striking the German flagship—even though the damage proved minimal.
*Bavaria* swiftly retaliated, firing a 380mm shell that struck *Revenge's* stern. The projectile tore through the thin deck armor, igniting a blaze that further ravaged the British battleship.
Soon after, *Governor of the Borders* landed a critical hit on *Revenge's* number three turret on the aft deck. With just 330mm of armor, the turret could not withstand the powerful German shell. The projectile blasted through, detonating inside the turret and instantly killing the gun crew, leaving only wreckage. The turret was torn from its mount, crashing onto the fourth turret and disabling it.
With this strike, *Revenge* lost half her firepower, leaving only the two forward turrets operational.
"Well done!" Admiral Scheer praised.
With her firepower halved, *Revenge* posed a greatly reduced threat.
"Signal *Governor of the Borders*. Close the distance to 8,000 meters. Let us dispatch the British flagship swiftly," Admiral Scheer commanded.
As the range tightened, the accuracy of the German guns increased dramatically, pressing their advantage over the beleaguered British vessel.
With each hit, *Revenge* suffered grievously. When the engagement range finally narrowed to 8,000 meters, she had already taken over ten 380mm shell strikes. Even with her 30,000-ton displacement, *Revenge* could no longer withstand such punishment.
Recognizing the inevitable, Admiral Jellicoe ordered the crew to abandon ship.
As officers and sailors scrambled for the lifeboats, Admiral Jellicoe retreated to his quarters, locking the door from within. No amount of pleading from his aides would compel him to leave.
As *Revenge* sank beneath the waves, Admiral Jellicoe went down with her, vanishing into the frigid depths of the Atlantic.