SMS Seydlitz at Jutland - How to survive being a 25,000t Piñata

[@Drachinifel]

Pinned post for Q&A :) EDIT - Model has been claimed!

[@SkeetWeet4368]

why was british gunnery so bad during world war 1

[@theatagamer90]

@@SkeetWeet4368 Battlecrusier gunnery or main fleet? Think it's been mentioned before that the Battlecrusier's anchorage didn't allow for the same level of gunnery practice as the main anchorage (Which was Scappa Flow IIRC). Thus the BC fleet focused on rapidity of fire, the results of which were horrid accuracy and a nasty habit of leaving powder hatches open leading to the loss of several BC's during Jutland.

[@themanformerlyknownascomme777]

I remember reading about the mark 71 8 inch gun and how that program was let down by corporate greed. Was there ever any project during the time period this channel covers where a Private company gets into a similar over ambitious money sink project and what happens there? Did the government they were working for wise up or did they make a massive payday.

[@damienparoski2033]

How loud, on average, was the main gun shots from the main guns of the Seydlitz and how much would it have, in respective of the gun crew , been dampened from the armored steel of the turret? What kind of hearing protection would they have to use?

[@Alex-cw3rz]

@@SkeetWeet4368 the main Fleet was more accurate than the Germans and HMS Iron Duke was the most accurate ship present. With a staggering level of accuracy

[@Executioner9000]

"One Battle cruiser! Slightly used!" *Bangs forecastle* *Gun falls out of anton turret.* "Now treaty compliant!" 😁

[@dorn0531]

“This bad boy can hold so much seawater!”

[@Ragefps]

😂😂😂

[@stevenread1676]

ahahahaha, that had me chuckling I admit😆

[@Dilley_G45]

Alternate history Germany wins ww1. I would scrap almost all pre Bayern ships....just keep König and Seydlitz for Museum. Build the 4 Bayern and 4 or 5 L20ea. And build 4 Mackensen. Then a few hundred long range subs and a few hundred torpedo boats. At least we won't run out of names. Because Noone is better at giving silly names to ships then the RN. German destroyers and T Boats only had letter number combos until the ww2 destroyers also had names. I just dislike the first name last name thing for naming ships or streets.

[@grandmufftwerkin9037]

@@Dilley_G45 I'm still fairly certain HMS Chubby Bunny might actually be a ship name from Royal Navy history.🐰

[@josephlongbone4255]

Seydlitz and Derflinger were both clearly hacking at Jutland. Seydlitz herself only deactivated GodMode upon reaching home, which is why she sank in harbour.

[@georgestefanko7261]

They are both clearly Soviet designs by the wargaming devs.

[@bernhardlangers778]

Warspite, New Zealand.... I call hack Vs hack.

[@THEgodofAzurlanenodebate]

And warspite was hacking during WW2

[@THEgodofAzurlanenodebate]

And enterprise

[@dynamo1796]

@@THEgodofAzurlanenodebate Warspite has the longest ship to ship hit with a shell - totally fucking hacking

[@princeoftonga]

42:36 oh wow! Despite being terribly wounded Witting’s thoughts are for his men rather than himself! It seems to happen a fair amount in all militaries that wounded servicemen implore the responders to help their mates first despite their own terrible wounds! Whenever I come across incidents like that it never fails to make me emotional.

[@dfgiuy22]

Don't let it bother you, or get to emotional about it it dude. The who point is to help others, yourself. There are few who are willing to do it. There are so many professions, armed forces, first responders, day care workers, medical personal, aged care.... Find something you want to do and go for it. It's not just limited to the military. Know a few servicemen/woman and it was just a job. Do something you love, and get paid for :) Don't fall for the 'this person does this and they must be x,y,z' Life takes all sorts :) plenty of teachers, firefighters, dentists have found themselves in dire situations and stood to be counted!

[@andrewb1921]

Feel free to get emotional about this. Whitting putting the well-being of his companions ahead of his own need to have his potentially life threatening wounds treated. Your feelings respect and honor his sacrifice.

[@Subpac_ww2]

I recall a story from the Quincy off Savo where a large section of radio antenna had fallen across the deck. A sailor came across his buddy pinned under it and was able to lift it, by himself, to free his mate. Later, with a group of men, they attempted to move this same section of antenna again, but with no crewmen under it in danger, they couldn't budge it.... The strength one gets from adrenaline in those situations can be immense.

[@Paciat]

He could have just leave the ship... oh wait, he couldnt.

[@stevemolloy1289]

It's called being in a state of shock,very common

[@gurk_the_magnificent9008]

Seriously it’s like Doc Brown apologizing to Marty McFly because he didn’t have time to build the models to scale or paint them. Dude, it looks great!

[@HumanityisEmbarrassing]

Well ACTUALLY.... 🤣

[@sixstringedthing]

The fact that Drach has to preemptively defend himself against pearl-clutchers who may be aghast at the incompleteness/inaccuracy of the model is both hilarious and deeply sad. The Internet, ladies and gentlemen. Please keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times and try not to stare overlong into the abyss.

[@535phobos]

The paint scheme is wrong! The second funnel is supposed to be red when in battle! OUTRAGEOUS!!!!

[@davidkaminski615]

Drach did not include a scale portrait of the Kaiser. And you call yourself a modeler!

[@ScienceChap]

Pearl-clutchers... 🤭

[@khaelamensha3624]

@@davidkaminski615 With the pointed helmet!

[@sovietdominion]

on positive note then there are more naval entusiast then we think

[@TheCaptainbeefylog]

The progressive use of the model was immensely helpful! I would highly recommend that you do this again with other actions and ships. I understand that the building of the model and then adding the damage effects can be quite time-consuming and laborious, but I feel it has truly helped deliver a superior video. Thank you for your labours in this.

[@lappynaytor4605]

Yes indeed please consider doing this again it helps trumendous as a non native English speaker

[@frankbodenschatz173]

And even as an american English speaker it's quite nice sir as well. Great battle damage as well. Some of the early WW2 Pacific skirmishes for sure to start with and Midway definitely would be a hit! And this got me to patreon status.

[@bradleyl3]

Totally agree!

[@frankhoeppel2314]

Drach - I bet, if you made requests, members would volunteer to build the relevant ship models so you can do more of these without driving yourself crazy. This is an excellent format.

[@denisbannan6875]

Perhaps someone else could build the model for Drach. I'm in Perth WA. Sorry, Not an option

[@joshthomas-moore2656]

I think its fair to say SMS Seydlitz was the German version of HMS Warspite and USS Enterprise.

[@jessedierksheide]

Yes

[@Benepene]

Multiplied by a factor of 2

[@the_lost_navigator]

For damage-control comparisons - USS Franklin would be a better measure ;)

[@Raptor747]

@@the_lost_navigator Good point. Seydlitz managed to barely pull off an impossible survival against what should have been certain death, albeit at the cost of being a wreck in need of extensive repairs afterwards. Enterprise took lots of punishment repeatedly, but always managed to recover or weather the damage well enough to make it the long way back home without trouble.

[@bkjeong4302]

Were either of those two damaged THIS badly? Sure, they came close to sinking on multiple occasions, but Seydlitz actually did sink…and still lived to fight another day.

[@Big_E_Soul_Fragment]

Seydlitz: "I go down on my own terms" Another fine member of the "too angry too die" club

[@Aelxi]

Second best girl of the event behind (ofc) Thüringen!

[@FM-hw8yv]

@@Aelxi what did Thüringen do to become part of the too angry to die Club? And in what battle?

[@Aelxi]

@@FM-hw8yv was talking about a weeb game

[@FM-hw8yv]

@@Aelxi Azur lane huh?

[@Aelxi]

@@FM-hw8yv ya

[@barker262]

I was first made aware about this ship as a school boy. My grandfather gave me a book in which the Seydlitz captains notes on Jutland were printed. He described how one of his crew, rerouted electric switches in a blacked out room by memory to keep the systems from collapse. I’ve always though the tale of its crew deserved a movie/book of their fight to save the ship. If anyone knows of a book devoted to the vessel , I’d be grateful.

[@AtomicBabel]

The "Profile, Warship" series of booklets, number 14. Not a book, more like an extended 5 min guide with it's pictures and a centerfold.

[@AnimeSunglasses]

What was the book you were given as a boy? I was very much like to read it myself.

[@TheJuggtron]

Upvote for a movie

[@barker262]

@@AnimeSunglasses couldn’t find the original book, but I had a look through my collection and found one with the same captains notes. Jutland 1916, death in grey wastes. Author Nigel steel and Peter hart. Page 127 in my copy has a full page of his after action report. Mentions the petty officer working circuits, and mentions a stoker having too continually re-enter a 72’ C room, to oil some failing bearings. Heroic stuff. The book itself is well worth the read.

[@AnimeSunglasses]

@@barker262 thank you! ...72° C, what in tarnation... Man deserved a medal for that alone...

[@SirWilliamKidney]

Forget the British shells, Seydlitz should really be worried about the giant wave that's about to take her out @6:30

[@TomSedgman]

I didn’t realise that Jutland took place on that black hole planet from Interstellar

[@SirWilliamKidney]

@@TomSedgman Or maybe on the inside of a dyson sphere! Gasp!

[@dsdy1205]

"Those aren't mountains..."

[@Xino6804]

Ziggybamwa!!!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/nXeahK2FfsmJh7M

[@vikkimcdonough6153]

INCOOOOOMIIIIIIIŊŊŊŊ!!!!!

[@themissouriranger2829]

My Great great grandfather served on SMS Seydlitz, from Dogger Bank to Scapa Flow, I might never have known him but it still inspired me to join the navy. Maat Wilhelm Heidkamp, he was. But anyways, Great video as always Drachinifel! Very much enjoy your videos

[@brucealbert4686]

My fave of the High Seas fleet along with Moltke which is similar

[@Spindrift_87]

That's awesome! The same man in whose honour a destroyer was later named?

[@themissouriranger2829]

@@Spindrift_87 I've been researching for awhile to make sure because I didn't find out about the destroyer until much later in my semi-long time of pursuing naval history and from what I've dug up it is! I won't quote myself on that because I could always be wrong but again, from my findings it appears to be.

[@z1az285]

@@themissouriranger2829 Incredible story. SMS Seydlitz was an incredible ship with a even more extraordinary crew.

[@waynedavis7245]

The fact that her crew kept their ship afloat was a miracle. RIP to the men who lost their lives in the battle on both sides.

[@greenseaships]

As a scratchbuild modeler I actually LOVE lightly detailed/unfinished models like this because it makes it easy for me to see the basic building blocks of the upper structures. Makes it easy for me to understand the way all the structures fit together. So therefore I am actually grateful to see this model just the way it is!

[@falloutghoul1]

"Sitting quite jauntily up there" is a very adorable description for that casemate gun.

[@De_Wit]

Oh man, having a model showing the impacts is absolutely brilliant for clarity. Much better than almost any collection 100 year old pictures can provide. Very well done good Sir. Next level stuff 👍🏻

[@acceptablecasualty5319]

I love how the "Most played" part is literally just the people skipping the ad and continuing to watch the entire video without ever going back to do a double take. IMO this is a pretty solid praise for Drach, being a very easy to follow and understand orator.

[@rackstraw]

We need to fund a new Seydlitz model for Drach. I have visions of him at the workbench with a soldering iron and Dremel laughing maniacally during the filming of this video.

[@LukeBunyip]

I think Mrs Drach had the Dremel..

[@martinswiney2192]

Nope. All holes were made with real scale model naval guns and shellfire including a bottle rocket used for the torpedo hole. 😅

[@jlvfr]

21 hits by heavy caliber, 35-40 by secondary battery, a torpedo... are we sure someone didn't turn on a magnet inside the ship?... to _attract_ shot?!

[@falloutghoul1]

It's called "holding aggro".

[@jlvfr]

@@falloutghoul1 guess he must have had awesome healers in his party, too. :D

[@mrz80]

Well, when your formation is the focus of two dozen battleships' fire these things happen. I'm reminded of the somewhat poetic notation in one of my naval history tomes about "the awesome sight of the broadside fire of twenty four dreadnaughts" and how the High Seas Fleet mutinied in 1918 "rather than face that burning horizon again".

[@pedrofelipefreitas2666]

It's the classic wolfpack tactic, you focus the attack on the most vulnerable target to get it out of the fight.

[@mpersad]

Another terrifically informative video. The model was a great way to illustrate the hits received by SMS Seydlitz. Top work as always, thank you Drach!

[@andrewmcalister3462]

Drach, using the model to walk through the sequence of hits is a genius presentation. 👏

[@surferdude4487]

It is astounding how many hits a ship can take and still not sink. Respect for the crew that kept that ship in battle in spite of her numerous wounds.

[@chrisdebeyer1108]

I just cannot get over how well this presentation shows the actions. Astonishing clarity on the resolve and bravery all around. Makes Drachinifel one of the finest historians ever

[@klausschroiff4405]

Must have been hell for the crew. I can't imagine the stress levels. It's quite amazing that despite all these hits, more than 90% of the crew survived.

[@davidbrennan660]

Drach shooting at the model with a Webley Tempest air pistol was an interesting way to demonstrate the damage.

[@pynkbites]

This hardy survivor of a ship inspired me so much I named myself after her. She was too angry to die, and didn't sink until she was DAMN WELL READY; I aspire to the same despite all the crap life throws my way. Go Seydlitz!

[@michaelstaruszkiewicz8798]

The "Never Say Die!" Attitude of SMS Seydlitz & her crew (Likewise IJN Shokaku & USS Franklin) fired up the imagination of a young history buff, the Teamwork & Tenacity necessary to overcome the battle damage to live another day was a motivator for me to join the US Navy and volunteer for the Silent Service. Now USN Retired, these stories still stir my Soul. Mahalo for another Fine Chapter.👍

[@FanaticProductions]

Very good idea to use the model for showing the hits. This was very useful. Additional Information: It was Wilhelm Heidkamp assitend by Franz Müller who saved Seydlitz at the Battle of Dogger Bank when he flooded the magazine by opening the red hot valves, burning his hands and lungs, injuries from which he never recovered. The Kriegsmarines Destroyer Z21 was namend in his hounr.

[@osvaldoruiz3826]

I have information that it was Lt commander Hagerdorn who saved the ship by being able to open the valves that where red hot because of the fires, , Read it in Luis de la Sierra books Sea battles in The Great War

[@danubiosalas4231]

@@osvaldoruiz3826I suspect having burned hands and a destroyer named after you is a pretty strong argument.

[@mattblom3990]

The most impressive thing for me is the human sacrifice and pure human exhausting effort to keep this ship afloat even with water up to the bow at certain points. It's a testament to human effort in extraordinary times.

[@olliefoxx7165]

Drachinfel is the gold standard for naval history. Great episode. So many brave sailors on both sides. The damage from the splintering decks disabling gun muzzles is something I didn't think was possible. The force of water shoving the mighty barrels and torrents into fixed positions from the shells explosions is another.

[@bullnukeoldman3794]

Well done! Well done! Excellent blow-by-blow of the battle endured by Seydlitz! As an old engineroom operator I can just imagine sitting down there for hours listening, feeling, and smelling the battle above wondering about signing those enlistment papers...

[@vikkimcdonough6153]

Wouldn't they've been conscripts, rather than having enlisted voluntarily?

[@bullnukeoldman3794]

@@vikkimcdonough6153 I was referring mostly to myself. I'm sure those poor guys were conscripts from German farming communities.

[@blorblor5438]

@@bullnukeoldman3794 conscripts from farming communities went to the infantry, conscripts for the ships usually had some more education and often had a background as mechanics.

[@chancetempleton3829]

One of the best videos you've done. Adding the model as a visual aid conveys a very clear picture of the battle and damage progression.

[@simonbletsoe7059]

Thankyou, mate. My maternal grandmother lost three brothers on the Queen Mary. Their name was Hunt. Unknown whether it was the Seydlitz or Derlinger that sunk her. Certainly helpful.

[@Arbiter099]

Three brothers on one ship? Did the Navy have an equivalent to the Pals battalions?

[@simonbletsoe7059]

Actually it was two. The other died on the western front. Mistaken, sorry.

[@alexhunt7810]

London family?

[@simonbletsoe7059]

No, Alex. Suffolk.

[@simonbletsoe7059]

@@Arbiter099 The younger brother joined the navy as a boy, at 15. the elder joined after learning of this. I suppose the navy was considerate of the boys youth and allowed them to serve together. Tragic.

[@Anton_Chigurh_2007]

I never realized how vulnerable casement secondaries were and how much of a risk to the entire ship the casement design system was until watching this. Interesting stuff, thanks for all of the research and presentation work, excellent video Drach!

[@rashkavar]

Holy crap, this ship took one hell of a beating. Huge respect for the damage control crews and everyone else involved in saving this ship. Seems almost a pity it wound up scuttled after the war, after surviving all that.

[@mrz80]

Seydlitz deserved to be a museum ship, if only as a monument to the intrepidity and dogged determination of her crew.

[@willsanderson9194]

What a beautiful ship, your video has really made me appreciate their engineering and the immense contribution of the German crew.

[@billsmith5166]

Every time I watch the intro at :23 all I can imagine is that the Admiral's son is next to the gun at a card table assembling all the pages of the 116 page research assignment that will finally allow him acceptance at the exclusive school that his esteemed father attended.

[@josephthomas8318]

I've never noticed that lol

[@moosepocalypse6500]

I've noticed that before myself and wondered what all the bits of paper (if that's what they are) were... 🤔

[@captain61games49]

0:23

[@sillypuppy5940]

I just listen for the "booms"

[@gandydancer9710]

@@moosepocalypse6500 Water shields between gun barrel and turret face, I believe. I believe Drach has mentioned that it was SOP to let them disintegrate when the gun was first fired rather than remove them.

[@chrisbullock3504]

I always knew Seydlitz took one hell of a beating but my god, this video makes it seem that there was quite honestly inches of water away from the ship being lost. I truly cannot believe how much this one ship took. Also this shows just how much kinetic and chemical energy dreadnaught caliber shells had. ones that either didnt explode or did so outside the armor still absolutely shredded the interior of this ship like swiss cheese. crazy thinking how steel that is as thick as it was on this could be bent and perforated like it was tin foil. great video as always Drach

[@mrz80]

Yeah, by the time she made port, main deck nearly awash, she looked more like an old American coastal monitor rather than an ocean-going battlecruiser

[@riverraven7359]

Why there aren't more ww1 movies about the High Seas Fleet I cannot imagine. Emden, Seydlitz , Derrflinger, Gneisenau and Scharnhorst (version 1) are all great stories.

[@jamesmaas7244]

There is a TV show in Germany called " The Man From Emden "(at least I think that's is what it translates to). It's about the crew on the Emden's ships boat and their journey home after the raid on the British fueling station.

[@Gapsx1eGewehr]

I agree. I'd watch all of these in a heartbeat! I do suppose it has to do with the stigma that still exists regarding Germany and some certain World Wars and a certain mustache man that taints the legacy of the Kaiser's Empire before him. Ignorant people (or those who genuinely don't know the difference) would call these films "Nazi movies" and they'd be bad reviewed to all hell. If only we lived in a world where the Kaiserlichemarine could get its epic stories told on the big screen with no problem...

[@ach3909]

@@Gapsx1eGewehr It bewilders me how modern media would portray anything nazi related as evil yet will just portray for instance Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire as something epic and great, glossing over the amount of killing, pillaging and raping they did.

[@luisnunes3863]

1. They lost. 2 Germany hasn't got a big budget film industry. 3. Germany has enough complexes from WWII that they could power Berlin if they could turn it into electricity. 😁😁😎😎

[@riverraven7359]

@Joe Pineapples I mean pick one ship, not try to fill in a whole historical epic.

[@stephenboshears4832]

Dock worker: “Just how many hits did you take?” The exhausted damage control crew “yes”

[@Yora21]

Admiral: "What did you do to this ship?!" Dock worker: "It was like that when we got it, I swear!"

[@rileyernst9086]

"All of them"

[@ShockwaveTheLogical]

"Honestly Rudolf, I stopped counting after hit 52."

[@Tom-ug7kt]

SMS Seydlitz... when your ship reaches the next weight class by collecting all the shells it can.

[@sunsettersix6993]

Seydlitz after each hit: Tis only a flesh wound! jk That being said, I did want to say that it was immensely interesting to see the damage caused with each hit on a model of Seydlitz. Living through the Battle of Jutland must have been an horrific experience. My heart goes out to those on both sides who served in the battle. Nice work, sir!

[@Roger-my5in]

The physical model with applied damage is better than anything digital. Kickass!

[@mahbriggs]

I am continually amazed at the work and effort you put into these videos! The model is an excellent example, and was a very good way to help illustrate the location and sequence of the hits!

[@TheJuggtron]

I'm usually more of a fan of waterline models, but for this a full model is perfect. Thank you for your great effort drach

[@HammeredSquash3]

And just after I finished watching the Jutland videos for the 60th time. You love to see it

[@davidk6269]

Thank you for this fascinating video. The use of the scale model of Seydlitz to illustrate the location of hits was a brilliant idea which makes it easier for the audience to understand where the hits landed and the scale of the damage related to each hit. Bravo!

[@rmg_lb]

Absolutely superb video! The visualization on the model, while no doubt laborous, was incredibly helpful. Especially in combination with the historic photographs, it made the hits and damage much less abstract.

[@Jon.A.Scholt]

I will always find the photos of the damage done to the ships at Jutland unreal. Those ships took a ridiculous amount of punishment and Seydlitz is perhaps the best example. Saying she "limped" into port is an understatement. Also, I love the design of those ships from the first era of Battlecruisers. Whether it's Seydlitz, with her unconventional bow and wing turrets or the Invincible & Indefatigable class with their level near straight deck and super structures. I love their uniqueness; they just look fast.

[@mrz80]

"...limped into port..." Hmm.... maybe "...wallowed into port..." or "... didn't *quite* sink on her way into port..." How many tons of water was she hauling around with her by the time she finally got home?

[@trauko1388]

@@mrz80 5239 tons of water

[@trauko1388]

Those photos are of Seydlitz ALREADY under repair, with turrets open and guns taken out of them. Most of the flooding on Seydlitz was due to the weather and the fact that she was run at 20kts with a bunch of hull holes at night in order to reach its post at the van of the HSF. "The possibility of submarine attack to the southward of Heligoland was feared, and against this the Seydlitz was virtually defenceless as only one AA gun was usable on each side, and counter-manoeuvring impossible with the ship steaming astern at 3-5kts, so that anti-submarine protection lay entirely with the minesweeper screen and the Pillau. The latter piloted the Seydlitz towards the jade by continual signalling, as the battlecruiser's speed was too low and the current from the Jade mouth too strong, for her to steer in the Pillau's wake, but the difficult task of selecting a route with 50ft of water was accomplished, the Outer jade lightship was passed at 0730 and 20 minutes later the Seydlitz anchored off the bar as, to the general surprise, the starboard anchor, cable and cable­holder were still in order amid the wreckage of the forecastle. The wounded were now taken off the ship, and at the next high water at noon, the Seydlitz again proceeded stern first, assisted by the sea-going tug Albatross, and crossed the bar. Sufficient water was found inside the bar and it was decided not to beach the Seydlitz for patching NW by N of the Minsener Sand lightship as originally intended. All went well until 1420 when the Seydlitz grounded outside the boom and her stern swung across in the very strong ebb. At 1930 her stern swung round on the flood tide and at 2000 she came off with her stern towards the boom. The Albatross could not bring her stern round, and was holed by the starboard outer propeller in an attempt to make fast alongside. The Seydlitz was virtually unmanageable in the strong flood tide, and it was impossible to point either her stern or bow towards the boom gate until about 2300 when she passed the gate going ahead, and at 0325 3 June anchored in the Vareler Deep. It was now possible for divers to examine the under-water damage, and some patching work was done, while the Boreas, various other pumps supplied by the dockyard and the ship's own drainage system, pumped out the bunkers and other gradually filling compartments. The broadside torpedo flat could be kept drained, and endangered bulkheads, particularly that at the forward end of the foremost boiler room, were made secure. As much weight as possible was removed from the forward part of the ship, including both I 1 in guns, the roof and some of the armour plates of `A' turret. Although the Seydlitz took the ground temporarily at low water and some of the under-water damage was thus accessible, the patching and draining work was hindered by the strong currents, and also by the Seydlitz often having to maintain her position with her engines as the anchor did not hold. It was thus decided to bring the ship into the South Lock of the Third Entrance, which measured 853 ft x 114ft loin with a depth at MHWS of 45ft at the outer sill and 36ft at the inner, and complete the patching in the shelter of the lock, so that the Seydlitz's draught could be reduced sufficiently for her to enter the dockyard. Accordingly at high water 1430 6 June, the Seydlitz, assisted by a powerful tug fore and aft, entered the South Lock stern first, drawing 45ft 11 in forward and 2 3 ft 3in aft, and with a list to port of 5-8°. The patching now made rapid progress, and the compartments between the forward citadel and foremost boiler-room bulkheads, the bunkers, and finally the compartments in the forward part of the ship, below and above the armour deck, were gradually drained. The l lin guns were also removed from the port wing turret, and by the morning of 13 June draught figures were 34ft 3in forward and 28ft 1 in aft with very little if any list. At 0540 that day the Seydlitz was towed out of the lock, and at 0815 was in the large Wilhelmshaven floating dock."

[@Jon.A.Scholt]

The photos of her in dry dock are impressive but the ones I was really thinking of were of her still sailing with her bow nearly submerged. In any case, both are insane and a testament to her construction and the crews damage control. When I think of damage control my mind usually goes straight to the Pacific fleet in WW2 and Franklin barely holding on but there is no doubt Seydlitz is right up there.

[@trauko1388]

@@Jon.A.Scholt Seydlitz survived because she was torpedoed earlier in the war damaging the forward torpedo flat and, after repairs, was thoroughly tested for water tightness, failed the test, and repaired again to ensure the job was done right... so at Jutland, the ONLY part that didnt leak and took on water on the bow and thus kept the ship afloat, was the forward torpedo flat. So, Seydlitz was saved by a British torpedo.

[@calvingreene90]

Given the beating Seydlitz survived perhaps she should be promoted to Fast Battleship.

[@cartmann94]

Royal Navy: In ancient times the royals had a job for a “whipping boy”, where a selected person would take beatings reserved for misbehaving royalty. SMS Seydlitz: Ja! you don’t say?

[@Cre8tvMG]

I’m impressed with how you progressively showed the damage. Even more impressed with whoever documented it as it was happening!

[@justforever96]

They only noted the time of the impacts and what damage was reported in the ships log at the time. That is what the log is for, there is a couple of junior officers whose job or is to record every single event on the ship when on duty. They do this even in peacetime and when not in combat, and even more in combat. Every single turn, every order, every change of speed, every order received or transmitted, every ship sighted or communicated with, status reports on fuel, the engines, supplies, changes of watch, who is going on and off duty, what drills the men are put to, what duties they are assigned, what breaks and is repaired or needs repair, everything that officially happens on board the ship. It is extremely important in matters of court martial or other circumstances, it is the official record of the ship. They are even more diligent in battle. They would record every target, every salvo, every order, and of course every hit on target and the apparent effect. This is how they studied their tactics after the battle. And they would of course record the damage recieved and when. The damage control would make reports of every hit and the resulting damage to the bridge, and the time the shell hit. They were trained to carefully note these things. And it all went in the log. The detailed analysis mostly came from after the battle when they went back over the ship and recorded all the damage. Because of the log they knew exactly when each shell struck, and it all went into the official report along with photographic documentation, for review by ship designers, so they could analyze the effectiveness of the armor and the enemy shells. It wasn't like the old sea battles when you had dozens of hits pounding the ship at the same time and there was little way of recording each shot. although sailing ships had a log as well, and man recording every broadside and any significant damage and casualty reports that came to the captain, evolutions, orders, which ships were engaged, when action started and ended, etc.

[@forgetmeshots]

New Drach video providing an examination of apparently (allegedly?) survivable battle damage from one of the German battlecruisers at Jutland?!? YAY! Well played, Sir. 👏🏻👍🏼🔥

[@darrynreid4500]

I'm now imagining von Egidy arriving on the dock in Wilhelmshaven saying, "Would anyone now like a slightly battered SMS Seydlitz, in need of a good touch-up, also noting we left a few gribblies behind? You'll know where to find me". This detailed account of the hits Seydlitz took really brings alive the level of damage the ship survived, and the terrible loss of life and human suffering involved. Thanks for putting this video together.

[@trentonarney6066]

What a beast of a ship and salute to the spirit of the crew keeping her going.

[@KPen3750]

Honestly Drach, thank you so much for this video! I often have a hard time understanding through words where ships took hits and the extent of damage, even the damage charts you used during the guadalcanal videos don't always make sense to me. But seeing it on a model it makes so much sense in my brain, It would be bool to see more videos like this in the future

[@yes_head]

Nice work, Drach. I could see this same kind of thing being done for many other historic ships of war (where the records exist, of course.) But I find it tragic that Seydlitz survived such a pounding only to meet its fate at the hands of its own crew at Scapa Flow.

[@camenbert5837]

I think anyone on the ship at Jutland had fully earned the right to do that.

[@harrisonrawlinson5650]

Fantastic video! I love the use of the model of SMS Seydlitz as well as the smaller models showing the ships position. The Kaiser Marine did well to learn from their earlier mistakes regarding ammunition handling

[@Fitzwalrus06]

As a long-time naval miniature gamer I found the use of the small minis to show relative positions and perspective view very useful, much more so than the usual static top-down fleet maps one usually sees.👍 And where did that sea mat come from? That's gorgeous!😎

[@christianherzog8629]

In regard to pronounciation: It is most probably [aɪ̯] (as in 'eye'). "ey" and "ei" were frequently written for the same diphtong until the late 19th century. Within the old Prussian dynasty the name is spelled Seydlitz or Seidlitz for other branches of the family. Thanks for great content, as always, and greeting form landlocked Austria

[@Dave5843-d9m]

I would have said “Side” for the Seid spelling or “Say” for the Sey version. The ship had both spellings so both must be correct.

[@christianherzog8629]

​@@Dave5843-d9m The difference in spelling here most likely does not correspond to different pronounciation. Different spelling for the same pronounciation (heterograms) are still quite frequent in German names today. In the 19th century and earlier 'ei' and 'ey' are frequently used for the same words (e.g. 'sein' or 'seyn', to be). The first uniform spelling conventions in Prussia were established 1880 and don't affect the spelling of names at all. You can find both variants (Seydlitz and Seidlitz) in genealogical handbooks. Unless one branch of the family actually wanted to be pronounced differently (in a more french or polish manner, quite unlikely for prussian/silesian high aristocracy) its just another way of spelling.

[@korbendallas5318]

@@Dave5843-d9m I'm only 90% sure about the Seydlitz' pronounciation, but I'm 99% sure that there would only be one. Unified spelling was still a new thing back then (1901), but people talked to each other all the time.

[@toddwebb7521]

Having trouble thinking of other "ey" examples but for sure if the alternate way of spelling the name is "ei" that's definitely pronounced I

[@Leon_der_Luftige]

@@Dave5843-d9m That's nonsense.

[@j.b.macadam6516]

Excellent video! SMS Seydlitz saw extensive service in the North Sea and Baltic, was heavily damaged on at least 2 occasions, and still survived the war. She was one tough Battlecruiser!

[@buckstarchaser2376]

38:11 When a torpedo boat shows up to finish your ship, and then turns away to find a target that needs torpedoes to commence sinking, you've hit rock bottom.

[@justforever96]

I think you misheard. The German Admiral arrived on a torpedo boat looking for a ship to transfer his command to, and decided on a ship less close to sinking. No one was going to torpedo anyone.

[@donaldreynolds6857]

Outstanding captain, outstanding crew, outstanding builders, engineers, and naval architects, and an outstanding amount of luck of both the good and bad varieties.

[@Eulemunin]

Lovely work. It’s hard to visualize the pounding that any capital ship can take. This was the best visual report I have ever seen on how the damage accrued and what happens when a ship takes this kind of damage.

[@williammahley4876]

We’ll done! Speaks volumes about German battle cruiser design and seamanship of the time.

[@Exilninja]

I think this video was put together excellently; I'd be interested in seeing a full series like this, breaking down each individual hit on a ship using models to visualise it. I wonder what Kirishima would look like in this kind of video. The hits she received from Washington were brutal.

[@martinduckworth9837]

Really informative. Love the hit-by-hit guide and the use of the model to show the accumulating damage.

[@bitdancer1005]

Simply OUTSTANDING! The representation of damage was unique. Liked how ship movements to were tied into the timeline. A video illustrating how you modeled the damage would be interesting. BRAVO!

[@gazof-the-north1980]

Thank You for a Splendidly detailed narration of Seydlitz's damage. Special mention to the shipyard workers who had the ship repaired and ready to rejoin the fleet by November 1916!

[@ThePlebicide]

I can't help but imagine Drach as Doc Brown in Backto the future, explaining he didnt have time to finish the model.

[@williammorgan5320]

Nicely done, Drach! The reading of battle actions, the blows she took, the modelling and after-battle damage photos, all help to reinforce my (many years ago) decision to not join the navy.

[@hajoos.8360]

Seydlitz is the undefeated world record holder in fast reloading of it's 11 inch guns, performed at the Doggerbank. After both stern turrets blew up (when Wilhelm Heidkamp opened the red glowing valves with his hands to save the ship, which lowered Seydlitz' stern for 1,5 meters), the captain thought after the explosion, the entire ship will be lost. So he wanted to cover the retreat of the other 2 battlecruisers and ordered "good & rapid fire" for the 3 remaining turrets. Seydlitz fired 128 shells in 6 rounds as per minute, best turret crews in history.

[@TheFreaker86]

The visualization with the model is a splendid idea! Raises the quality of the video to an even more outstanding level!

[@Ragefps]

Been waiting for a damage analysis on a KLM BC. Very well presented. I am surprised how much damage was done by splinters alone to armoured parts of the ship. Just a shame we lack oral history from both sides. So many stories of the bravery and heroism that kept her somehow afloat with a ping pong ball worth of positive buoyancy have died with her crew.

[@ryantommyboy1122]

I'm a history buff and I appreciate the effort you took to make this. Very well done, sir.

[@DazzleCamo]

It really underscores the gravity of the issue with the shells. How frustrating it must be to finance design and build the fleet, practice in its use, put dozens of shots on target, and thousands of men making the ultimate sacrifice in the course of battle, only to inflict merely a glancing blow as the tip of your spear shatters on your enemies armor. Seydlitz is impressive and her crew valiant, but I also feel for a British crew that effectively defeated their opponent repeatedly but with much reduced yield

[@Sophocles13]

Similar to The Mark 14 Torpedo that let down so many US Sailors, with perfect shots leading to no kills. Or faulty British artillery shells during the Battle of the Somme, where up to 30% of shells failed to detonate, and those that did didn't have the intended effect on target. Or when the US Army changed the powder formulation of the early M16 ammunition during the Vietnam War, leading to horrendous reliability of the weapons fielded early in the war. So many lives let down when the moment came and they depended on their equipment :/

[@mrz80]

@@Sophocles13 That was exactly the parallel that popped into mind. Every time I read about a munition issue I immediately go "ahem, Mk 14 torpedo" :|

[@heinrichbross1368]

This is much more demonstrative than any CGI!

[@rogerwilco2]

An amazing story of skill and survival. I am surprised by the engineering and skill of the crew that allowed those battleships to take such a pounding. And the willingness of the crews to endure it.

[@pupwizard3888]

Unbelievable. I did not think it was possible for any ship to take this much damage and keep going. It is no wonder that the Germans got a reputation for the quality of their ships. Drach, the amount of work you put into this video is amazing. Thank You so much for all of the work you did to produce this.

[@Alex-cw3rz]

20:21 could this mean that there are possibly two capital ships (other being Rodney) who hit another ship with their own torpedo? Or was it only cruisers and destroyers that fired torpedoes

[@michaelkovacic2608]

Afaik, the torpedo that hit Seydlitz was launched by the British destroyer HMS Petard. I am however not sure, as sources are not clear. I have seen claims that Petard not only hit Seydlitz with a torpedo, but also the torpedo boat V29, which was later scuttled.

[@kemarisite]

The 21" Mark II torpedo used by RN capital ships at this time had a range of about 10,000 yards at the slow speed setting for two capital ship squadrons firing guns at 15,000 yards and greater, torpedo launches would be a waste of munitions. Edit: and then I reached that point in the video and found the described hit was after the turn back to the north, invalidating my last sentence because the Germans were now closing some of the distance at launch, closing into the torpedoes maximum range.

[@sashko60]

@@kemarisite Actually, I think that may be a mistake on Drac's part. The torpedo hit was on the starboard side, and the 'Run to the North' would have put the British to port. The torpedo had to have hit before the BC's U-turn.

[@mikearmstrong8483]

Is nobody going to make a pun about being hoist by one's petard?

[@boobah5643]

@@mikearmstrong8483 Well, for one, it's inaccurate, since the _Petard_ was His Majesty's Ship and therefore could not be described by _Seydlitz_ as "one's own," and for another, there wasn't much hoisting because it takes a larger bomb than the one in the torpedo to lift 25 000t of ship (plus what water _Seydlitz_ had already taken on board)... especially when it hits the side of the ship rather than the bottom. There's nothing special about being hoisted by the enemy's petard; it's what they're for.

[@micnorton9487]

DAMN -- Drach has CREATED THE BATTLE LINE! This is like when I was a kid, putting battleships in line ahead and imagining battles...

[@kurgisempyrion6125]

If the helmsman wasn't drunk during the battle i'm sure he hit the bottle hard after it :D

[@Axel0204]

Love the use of the model to demonstrate the damage taken by the ship over the course of the battle! I would definitely be interested in seeing more videos like this.

[@colinmartin9797]

Slightly off topic but yesterday I finally got to go visit the USS Constitution and Cassin Young! Was the only thing I wanted to do in that entire week I got dragged out to the east coast. I was able to reference a LOT of what I saw from your video on it, and having learned about everything from carronades to the ammunition types to the furnace for heating shot, it made the whole visit even more fun. So thanks again for what you do Drach, your obsessive naval historiography really does make a difference.

[@michaelmcgovern8110]

If that is ONLY a week's worth of model building, you ROCK.

[@captaincharlemagne]

Shows how well she was built and the skill of the crew that she made it though all that and back home

[@stillcantbesilencedevennow]

A tiny bit of luck doesn't hurt either. She certainly SHOULD have sunk, but their efforts saved it, despite the massive damage. I wonder if somewhere in all the madness, their survival hinged upon a tiny thing.

[@chrisdebeyer1108]

Totally brilliant presentation. The model and sequencing of the actions and results are so compelling. Very much appreciated objective view of these epic events.

[@gurk_the_magnificent9008]

Drach talking about his model of _Seydlitz_ makes me want to restart work on _Warspite_

[@sugarnads]

Make sure to include her plot armour.

[@z1az285]

its inconceivable that any ship could receive the kind of damage the seydlitz did and still float. i was reminded in part of the Bismarck

[@bradymenting5120]

It would be be pretty cool to see a mini-series like this, like once every other month he shows battle damage on model ships. I'd especially like to see this for Musashi at Sibuyan Sea

[@ph89787]

Although if he does it with Warspite and Enterprise. There would barely be a ship left.

[@Token_Civilian]

Excellent work Drach. The use of the model was superb. It was a VERY clear presentation of the damage and the sequence of events. Bravo Sir.

[@Yora21]

I always find old world war 2 training films with big overscaled wood models for mechanisms much more informative than modern documentary shows with fancy 3D animations. Plain models are super useful in showing the information that is relevant without distracting noise obstructing the view.

[@thalmoragent9344]

Old Girl refused to die in battle far from home. Finally went under when she got back to Port, a poetic and resilient story till the end.

[@concernedcitizen1205]

Not going to lie, this may be my favorite title for any video you’ve ever made!

[@mrmorris01]

I suspect that there are a lot of model makers among your subscribers who would be happy to help you do more of these kind of excellent videos.

[@anthonysantiago1999]

What a fantastic story.. The amount of Damage she took and made it back home.. Great job as usual.

[@MeanderingBeing]

For once the youtube algorithm did something good! Just discovered this and I really appreciate the format and detailed breakdown. Great work, dude!

[@andrewnicholls2717]

That was a fantastic program. Using the model was a brilliant idea. Great use of the historical narrative as well.

[@bernhardlangers778]

It is still a major crime that no great director (I could think of Peter Jackson as a promising candidate) ever made a movie about this battle. So many interesting aspects.

[@stekra3159]

I just love that you bild a model to make a point.

[@Raptor747]

I love your model and how you actually show the damage. REALLY helps visualize and keep track of all of the damage and effects of it.

[@lutherpolaris8230]

Very nice commentary that brought us to Jutland and I felt like I was in the ship and it was a compelling experience.