By this time, "Blücher" was severely damaged after having been pounded by heavy shells. However, the chase ended when there were several reports of U-boats ahead of the British ships; Beatty quickly ordered evasive maneuvers, which allowed the German ships to increase the distance from their pursuers. At this time, "Lion"s last operational dynamo failed, which dropped her speed to 15 knots. Beatty, in the stricken "Lion", ordered the remaining battlecruisers to "Engage the enemy's rear," but signal confusion caused the ships to solely target "Blücher", allowing "Moltke", "Seydlitz", and "Derfflinger" to escape. By the time Beatty regained control over his ships, after having boarded "Princess Royal", the German ships had too far a lead for the British to catch them; at 13:50, he broke off the chase.