Night action at the Battle of Jutland Hipper succeed in sinking two British battlecruisers during the chase. Once the German fleet came in sight, the British ships reversed course, now intending to lead the German fleet in pursuit of them back towards the main British fleet. Despite minimal information, Admiral John Jellicoe managed to deploy his ships to good advantage across the path of the approaching German fleet, so that some success was gained in the short battle before the Germans in turn reversed course and withdrew. Vice-Admiral Reinhard Scheer was now in a difficult position, because his smaller force was cut off from Germany by the
Night action at the Battle of Jutland ships of the second battle squadron and was seen by the rearmost battleship, "Thunderer" (Captain James Ferguson). Ferguson neither fired upon "Moltke", nor reported his sighting, because "it was considered inadvisable to show up our battlefleet". "Moltke" steered away to the west, before trying again later to turn SSE to Horns Reef. At 2255 she again sighted the British ships and turned back undetected, and then once again at 2320. Hipper then ordered "Moltke" to proceed south, so that she could pass ahead of the British fleet, which she did around 0130. "Seydlitz" was sighted at about 2400 by "Marlborough",