View source for H.M.S. New Zealand at the Battle of Jutland

{{UK-NewZealand}} fought at the [[Battle of Jutland]] as part of the {{UK-BCS|2}}.

==Captain's Report on Action of 31st May 1916. H.M.S ''New Zealand''.==
[[File:New Zealand Jutland Track Chart.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Track Chart taken from between p. 394 and p. 395.]]
Enclosure No. 7 to Battle Cruiser Fleet Letter No. B.C.F. 01 of 12/6/16.

No. 96/A. 4.

H.M.S. '' {{UK-NewZealand}} '',

2nd June 1916.

S<small>IR</small>,

I <small>HAVE</small> the honour to make the following report on the action which took place on Wednesday, 31st May 1916, between our fleet and the German Fleet.

2. The day was hazy and fine with practically no wind.  I should put the visibility down as between 7 and 10 miles, varying in patches.  Smoke also added occasionally to the haziness, but I was rather impressed by the little smoke interference there was.

3. Range-taking and Spotting were difficult.  It was very difficult to distinguish hits, but occasional bursts of smoke with a salvo seemed to denote a hit.

4. The firing of the enemy was extremely good, their salvoes having very little spread, and they seemed to pick up the range quickly and correctly, and their salvoes were rapid.

5. We were fortunately only hit once by a heavy projectile, about 1 foot above the deck on the port side of "X" Turret (the after turret) which punched a hole about 2 feet in diameter.  It also went through the tongue of the towing slip which was secured round the turret.  The shell must have burst on deck as there were sputterings round about there.  It also damaged the deck, cutting through it and through the deck below into the Engineer's Workshop.

6. I attach a timed account of the various incidents as they occurred.  All these times are G.M.T. and are, I consider, absolutely reliable, as they come from 3 different sources.

7. [See [[H.M.S. New Zealand at the Battle of Jutland#Record of Ranges|here]].]

8. I consider that the Battle Cruiser described at 8.31 p.m. to be heelng over and on fire, was in a sinking condition when she hauled out of line.  The different reports received by Officers in this ship agree that our last 2 or 3 salvoes fired at her hit her heavily.  She appeared to be a ''Seydlitz'' class.

{{JODSig|[[John Frederick Ernest Green|JOHN F. E. GREEN]]|Captain|The Rear-Admiral Commanding,|Second Battle Cruiser Squadron,|H.M.S. ''New Zealand''.}}

==Record of Ranges==
Taken from the ''Official Despatches'', pp. 393-395.
----
H.M.S. " New Zealand,"

8th June 1916.

ACTION WITH GERMAN FLEET, 31<small>ST</small> MAY 1916.

R<small>ECORD OF</small> R<small>ANGES</small>, &<small>C</small>, C<small>OMPILED FROM</small> T<small>RANSMITTING</small> S<small>TATION AND</small> C<small>ONTROL</small> T<small>OP</small> R<small>ECORDS</small>.

All times are Rough G.M.T.

{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" width=50%
|-valign="top" 
|-
! width=25%; align= center | <small>Time.</small>
! width=50; align= center | <small>Remarks, &c.</small>
! width=25%; align= center | <small>Gun Range.</small>
|-
| 3.51
| Commenced ranging on 4th Ship from right 
| &mdash;
|-
| 3.52
| 
| &mdash;
|-
| 3.53
| 
| &mdash;
|-
| 3.57
| Opened fire.
| 18,100
|-
| 3.57½
| 
| 17,000
|-
| 3.58
| 
| 15,800
|-
| 3.58¼
| 
| &mdash;
|-
| 3.58½
| 
| 14,600
|-
| 3.59
| 
| 13,400
|-
| 3.59½
| 
| 13,000
|-
| 4.0
| 
| 12,500
|-
| 4.1
| 
| 12,300
|-
| 4.1½
| 
| 11,000
|-
| 4.2
| 
| 10,800
|-
| 4.2½
| 
| 11,100
|-
| 4.3
| 
| 11,400
|-
| 4.3½
| 
| 11,400
|-
| 4.4
| 
| 11,600
|-
| 4.4½
| 
| 11,600
|-
| 4.5½
| 
| 12,000
|-
| 4.6
| a/c to Star.
| 12,300
|-
| 4.6½
| 
| 13,200
|-
| 4.7
| 
| 13,800
|-
| 4.9
| Shifted fire to 5th (rear) Ship
| &mdash;
|-
| 4.10
| 
| 14,100
|-
| 4.10½
| 
| &mdash;
|-
| 4.11
| 
| 14,800
|-
| 4.12
| 
| &mdash;
|-
| 4.12½
| 
| 16,000
|-
| 4.13
| 
| 16,400
|-
| 4.14
| 
| 16,400
|-
| 4.16
| 
| 17,100
|-
| 4.17
| 
| 16,900
|-
| 4,19
| 
| 17,400
|-
| 4.20
| 
| &mdash;
|-
| 4.21
| 
| 18,100
|-
| 4.21½
| 
| &mdash;
|-
| 4.22
| 
| 17,600
|-
| 4.22½
| Shifted to 4th Ship, 5th Ship obscured
| &mdash;
|-
| 4.23
| 
| 18,100
|-
| 4.24
| 
| 17,600
|-
| 4.25½
| 
| 18,000
|-
| 4.26
| 
| 17,850
|-
| 4.26½
| 
| 17,450
|-
| 4.29
| 
| 17,800
|-
| 4.30½
| 
| 17,750
|-
| 4.31
| 
| 17,450
|-
| 4.32
| 
| &mdash;
|-
| 4.33
| 
| 16,400
|-
| 4.34
| 
| 15,100
|-
| 4.36
| 
| 14,500
|-
| 4.36½
| 
| 14,800
|-
| 4.37
| 
| 15,200
|-
| 4.38½
| 
| &mdash;
|-
| 4.39½
| 
| &mdash;
|-
| 4.41
| 
| 17,350
|-
| 4.42
| Enemy out of range
| 18,850
|-
| 4.58
| Right hand Battle Cruiser.  Set sight to longest range at which it would bear.
| 18,000
|-
| 5.0
| Enemy out of range
| 18,600
|-
| 5.46
| Green 76 a Battle Cruiser
| 18,000<br>(estimated).
|-
| 5.47
| 
| 17,000
|-
| 5.48
| 
| 15,700
|-
| 5.50
| 
| 14,600
|-
| 5.51
| 
| &mdash;
|-
| 5.51½
| 
| &mdash;
|-
| 5.52
| 
| 14,500
|-
| 5.53
| 
| 15,450
|-
| 5.55
| 
| 15,000
|-
| 5.56
| 
| 14,300
|-
| 5.58
| Enemy nearly lost in smoke and mist; spotting very difficult.
| 14,300
|-
| 6.4
| Enemy obscured
| &mdash;
|-
| 6.6
| Starb. 71 the leading Battleship.  Fired 3 salvoes.  Enemy obscured
| 16,000
|-
| 6.19
| Left-hand Battleship
| 17,000
|-
| 6.19½
| 
| 16,000
|-
| 6.20
| a/c to Port
| &mdash;
|-
| 6.21½
| Green 90.  2nd Ship from left
| 9,700
|-
| 6.22
| 
| 10,500
|-
| 6.22
| 
| 10,350
|-
| to 6.25
| 
| 10,100
|-
| 6.26
| 
| 10,300
|-
| 6.27
| 
| 9,500
|-
| 6.27½
| Checked fire
| &mdash;
|-
| 8.24
| Green 60.  3rd Ship from right 
| 11,500<br>(estimated).
|-
| 8.25
| 
| 10,400
|-
| 8.26
| 
| 9,200
|-
| 8.26½
| 
| 9,600
|-
| 8.27
| 
| 9,500
|-
| 8.28
| 
| 9,100
|-
| 8.29
| 
| 9,400
|-
| 8.30
| Enemy on fire forward and hauling out of line, listing heavily
| &mdash;
|-
| 8.36
| 
| 10,700
|-
| 8.38
| Impossible to see fall of shot
| &mdash;
|-
| 8.39
| Checked fire
| &mdash;
|}

==Gunnery==
''New Zealand'' had to check fire at 4.52pm due to insufficient elevation.<ref>''Jutland Battle'', at {{TNA|ADM 116/1484}}, Section I. ("Gunnery").  Unnumbered page.</ref>

==See Also==
* [[Second B.C.S. (Royal Navy) at the Battle of Jutland]]

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
*{{UKJutlandOD}}
{{refend}}

[[Category:Battle of Jutland Reports of Proceedings|New Zealand]]
[[Category:Battle of Jutland]]
[[Category:H.M.S. New Zealand (1911)]]