H.M.S. Warspite at the Battle of Jutland
| Captain: | Edward Montgomery Phillpotts |
| Commander: | Humphrey Thomas Walwyn |
Damage Report
The damage sustained by this ship was principally from gun fire, several large shells striking and penetrating into the ship. The foremost hit was received on the Port side plating between the Forecastle and Upper Decks, about 4 ft. on the Fore side of No. 16 Bulkhead. This was apparently from a splinter of an exploded shell as no further damage was observed in the vicinity of the explosion.
The side plating was also pierced between the Upper and Main Decks on the Port side, 4 ft. forward of No. 23 Station, the diameter of the whole being 1' 8''.
A shell entered the ship through the Port side plating at the line of the Upper Deck at 35 Station piercing the Upper Deck on entry and passing in a forward and downward direction diagonally across the ship, striking the corner of the partial bulkhead at 31 Station, badly damaging it. It then hit the Main Deck which was badly indented over an area of about 2' 0'' × 1' 5'' in extent.
At 53 Station on the Starboard side a large shell pierced the belt armour plating (240 lbs.) about 1 ft. below the Upper Deck, making a whole in the armour 13 inches in diameter on the outside surface, while the inner surface was shelled out over an area 4 ft. × 2 ft. 6 in. This shell evidently exploded on entry, as the Upper Deck above and the Main Deck below in the vicinity were pierced by fragments, in the former the holes being 2 ft. and 1 ft. 6 in. in diameter and in the latter some 10 or 12 holes being made of various sizes, while the deck was badly buckled over an area of some 24 ft. × 12 ft. The ventilation trunks near the Middle Line situated against "A" and "B" barbettes were also badly perforated.
At about 93 Station on the Starboard side a large whole was made by the entry of a shell through the superstructure plating at the line of the Shelter Deck. This shell apparently traversed the deck diagonally in a forward direction wrecking the Port Night Defence Shelter, the crown and floor being much perforated, and the superstructure plating forming the side badly distorted and holed.
The belt armour (of 520 lbs.) was penetrated at 157 Station Port by a large shell, leaving a hole 2 ft. 6 in. × 2 ft., the longitudinal bulkhead inside being badly holed and distorted. On the ship's side Port the Ash and Soil Shoots [Chutes] further aft were carried away.
The Superstructure aft, surrounding the Communication Tube from the after Director Tower, suffered extensively, the plating being riddled and distorted over a large area by the explosion of a heavy shell, causing large holes on the Starboard side. The armour tube (4 in. in thickness) was struck and a large piece 2' 6'' deep and extending round half the circumference of the tube was broken out, as shown in the illustrations.[See here.]
The belt armour (240 lbs.) was pierced on the Port side at about 190 Station between the Main and Upper Decks, the hole made being 12 in. in diameter. Two beams, the brackets behind the armour plating, and the ventilation pipes in this compartment were carried away, and the longitudinal bulkheads pierced, the hole in the first being about 5 ft. in diameter. The shell then passed inboard, bulging the Main Deck and splintering the armour to "X" barbette to a depth of 2¼'', perforating a longitudinal bulkhead and damaging three angle stiffeners to the Middle Line bulkhead.
Two holes were pierced in the side plating at about 216 and 218 Stations Port about 2 ft. below the Upper Deck, and two more at 232 and 236 Stations at the edge of the Upper Deck, the shells which entered at these latter positions extensively damaging the cabins in the vicinity.
A hole was made in the belt armour plating (240 lbs.) at 236 Station Starboard between the Main and Middle Decks and immediately above this a large hole a large hole was made in the side plating above the Main Deck, apparently by the inboard explosion of a shell.
Smaller holes were made in the Port side plating, immediately below the Upper Deck at 240 and 246 Stations by the entry of shells which wrecked the cabins in the vicinity.
From 250 Station to the Stern a large elongated hole (shewn in the accompanying illustration) [here] was torn in the side plating Starboard between the Main and Middle Decks. The length of the hole was some 20 ft. and the adjacent cabins were wrecked and flooded.
A large hole 8 ft. × 2 ft. was made in the Forecastle Deck on the Port side near the forward funnel with several other smaller holes adjacent. The Forecastle Deck was holed on Starboard side at the deck edge, at 146 Station, and in the vicinity of the Starboard 6 in. gun, the shield of which was badly perforated as shewn in the sketch reproduced. Towards the Middle Line the planking was torn up over a considerable area, while the deck was pierced in several places.
