View source for HMS Queen Mary

{{Short description|Last British battlecruiser built before WWI}}
{{About|the Royal Navy battlecruiser|other ships named ''Queen Mary''|Queen Mary (ship){{!}}''Queen Mary'' (ship)}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=[[File:QueenMary.jpg|300px|alt=Black and white photograph of a grey warship, a high forward mast above its conning tower, and smoke rising from 2 of its funnel stacks]]
|Ship caption=''Queen Mary'' at sea with [[torpedo net]] booms folded against her side
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Operators={{navy|United Kingdom}}
|Class before={{sclass|Lion|battlecruiser|4}}
|Class after={{HMS|Tiger|1913|6}}
|Built range=1911–1913
|In commission range=1913–1916
|Total ships completed=1
|Total ships lost=1
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United Kingdom
|Ship flag=[[File:Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|60px|alt=Royal Navy Ensign|RN Ensign]]
|Ship name=''Queen Mary''
|Ship namesake=[[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]], consort of [[George V]]
|Ship ordered=1910–1911 Naval Programme
|Ship builder=[[Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company]], [[Jarrow]]
|Ship laid down=6 March 1911
|Ship launched=20 March 1912
|Ship completed=August 1913
|Ship cost=£2,078,491
|Ship commissioned=4 September 1913
|Ship honours=
|Ship fate=* Sunk during the [[Battle of Jutland]], 31 May 1916
* {{Coord|56|42|N|5|54|E|type:event|display=title,inline}}
|Ship motto=
|Ship nickname=
|Ship badge=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type=[[Battlecruiser]]
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|26770|LT|t|0|lk=on}} normal load
* {{convert|31650|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} [[deep load]]
|Ship length={{convert|700|ft|1|in|m|1|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|89|ft|1|in|m|1|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught={{convert|32|ft|4|in|m|1|abbr=on}} at deep load
|Ship power=* 42 [[Yarrow boiler]]s
* {{convert|75000|shp|lk=on|abbr=on|0}}
|Ship propulsion=4 shafts, 2 direct-drive [[steam turbine]]s
|Ship speed={{convert|28|kn|lk=in|1}}
|Ship range={{convert|5610|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|10|kn|1}}
|Ship complement=* 997 (peacetime)
* 1,275 (wartime)
|Ship armament=* 4 × twin [[BL 13.5 inch /45 naval gun|{{cvt|13.5|in|0}}]] guns
* 16 × single [[BL 4 inch naval gun Mk VII|{{cvt|4|in|0}}]]
* 2 × [[British 21 inch torpedo|{{cvt|21|in|0}}]] [[torpedo tube]]s
|Ship armour=* [[Belt armor|Belt]]: {{convert|9|-|4|in|mm|0}}
* [[Bulkhead (partition)|Bulkheads]]: {{convert|4|in|mm|0}}
* [[Barbette]]s: {{convert|9|-|8|in|mm|0}}
* [[Gun turret|Turrets]]: {{convert|9|in|mm|0}}
* [[Deck (ship)|Decks]]: {{convert|2.5|in|mm|0}}
* [[Conning tower]]: {{convert|10|in|mm|0}}
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''HMS ''Queen Mary''''' was the last [[battlecruiser]] built by the [[Royal Navy]] before the [[World War I|First World War]]. The sole member of her [[ship class|class]], ''Queen Mary'' shared many features with the {{sclass|Lion|battlecruiser|2}}<nowiki/>s, including her eight {{convert|13.5|in|mm|adj=on|0}} guns. She was completed in 1913 and participated in the [[Battle of Heligoland Bight (1914)|Battle of Heligoland Bight]] as part of the [[Grand Fleet]] in 1914. Like most of the modern British battlecruisers, the ship never left the [[North Sea]] during the war. As part of the [[1st Battlecruiser Squadron]], ''Queen Mary'' attempted to intercept a [[German Empire|German]] force that bombarded the North Sea [[Coastline of the United Kingdom|coast of England]] in December 1914, but was unsuccessful. The ship was refitted in early 1915 and missed the [[Battle of Dogger Bank (1915)|Battle of Dogger Bank]] in January, but took part in the largest fleet action of the war, the [[Battle of Jutland]] in mid-1916. She was struck twice by the German battlecruiser {{SMS|Derfflinger||2}} during the early part of the battle and her [[magazine (artillery)|magazines]] exploded shortly afterwards, sinking her with the loss of 1,266 of her 1,286 crew members.

Her wreck was discovered in 1991 and rests in pieces, some of which are upside down, on the bed of the North Sea. ''Queen Mary'' is designated as a protected place under the [[Protection of Military Remains Act 1986]] as a war grave.

==Design==
[[File:Lion class battleship - Jane's Fighting Ships, 1919 - Project Gutenberg etext 24797.png|thumb|left|Left elevation and deck plan of the ''Lion''-class battlecruisers, to which ''Queen Mary'' was almost identical externally|alt=Drawing of three-stacked battlecruiser]]
''Queen Mary'''s  construction was ordered, together with the four [[battleships]] of the {{sclass|King George V|battleship (1911)|4}}, under the 1910–11 Naval Programme. As was the usual pattern of the time, only one battlecruiser was ordered per naval programme. She differed from her predecessors of the ''Lion'' class in the distribution of her [[secondary armament]] and armour and in the location of the officers' quarters. Every [[capital ship]] since the design of the battleship {{HMS|Dreadnought|1906|2}} in 1905 had placed the officers' quarters closer to their action stations amidships; after complaints from the Fleet, ''Queen Mary'' was the first battlecruiser to restore the quarters to their traditional place in the stern.<ref>Burt, pp. 185–187</ref> In addition, she was the first battlecruiser to mount a [[sternwalk]].<ref name=Parkes>Parkes, pp. 531–536</ref>

''Queen Mary'', the only ship of her name ever to serve in the Royal Navy,<ref>Colledge, p. 283</ref> was named for [[Mary of Teck]], the wife of King [[George V]].<ref>Silverstone, p. 259</ref> The Queen's representative at the ship's [[Ship naming and launching|christening]] on 20 March 1912 was the wife of [[Wentworth Beaumont, 1st Viscount Allendale|Viscount Allendale]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=PBH19120504.2.95.73 |title=Most Powerful Cruiser: The Queen Mary Launched |date=4 May 1912 |publisher=Poverty Bay Herald |pages=4 |access-date=15 March 2012 |archive-date=24 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160224104055/http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=PBH19120504.2.95.73 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===General characteristics===
Slightly larger than the preceding ''Lion''-class ships, ''Queen Mary'' had an overall length of {{convert|700|ft|1|in|m|1}}, a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|89|ft|1|in|m|1}}, and a [[draft (ship)|draught]] of {{convert|32|ft|4|in|m|1}} at [[Displacement (ship)#Full or deep load or loaded displacement|deep load]]. The ship normally displaced {{convert|26770|LT|t}} and {{convert|31650|LT|t}} at deep load, over {{convert|1000|LT|t|0}} more than the earlier ships. She had a [[metacentric height]] of {{convert|5.92|ft|1}} at deep load.<ref>Roberts, pp. 43, 45</ref> In peacetime, the crew numbered 997 officers and ratings,<ref name=Parkes531/> but this increased to 1,275 during wartime.<ref name=b7/>

===Propulsion===
The ship had two paired sets of [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company|Parsons]] [[Direct drive mechanism|direct-drive]] [[steam turbine]]s housed in separate [[engine room]]s. Each set consisted of a high-pressure turbine driving an outboard propeller shaft and a low-pressure turbine driving an inner shaft. A cruising [[Steam turbine#Steam supply and exhaust conditions|stage]] was built into the casing of each high-pressure turbine for economical steaming at low speeds. The turbines had a designed output of {{convert|75000|shp|lk=in}}, {{convert|5000|shp|abbr=on}} more than her predecessors. On [[sea trial]]s in May and June 1913, ''Queen Mary'' achieved more than {{convert|83000|shp|abbr=on}}, although she barely exceeded her designed speed of {{convert|28|kn|lk=in}}. The steam plant consisted of 42 [[Yarrow boiler]]s arranged in seven [[Fire room|boiler rooms]].<ref>Roberts, pp. 70–76, 80</ref> Maximum bunkerage was {{convert|3600|LT|t|-1}} of coal and {{convert|1170|LT|t}} of [[fuel oil]] to be sprayed on the coal to increase its burn rate.<ref>Roberts, p. 76</ref> Her range was {{convert|5610|nmi|lk=in}} at a speed of {{convert|10|kn}}.<ref name=c24>Preston, p. 31</ref>

===Armament===
[[File:HMS Queen Mary leaving the River Tyne,1913.jpg|thumb|''Queen Mary'' leaving the [[River Tyne]], 1913]]
''Queen Mary'' mounted eight [[BL 13.5 inch /45 naval gun|BL 13.5-inch Mk V guns]] in four twin [[Hydraulic machinery|hydraulically powered]] turrets, designated 'A', 'B', 'Q' and 'X' from bow to stern. The guns could be depressed to −3° and elevated to 20°, although the director controlling the turrets was limited to 15° 21' until [[prism (optics)|prisms]] were installed before the Battle of Jutland in May 1916 to allow full elevation.<ref name=c27>Campbell 1978, p. 33</ref><ref>H.M.S.O. (1916). The Sight Manual. Pub. No. OU 6026 ADM 186/216, p. 4</ref> They fired {{convert|1400|lb|kg|adj=on|0}} projectiles at a [[muzzle velocity]] of {{convert|2490|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}}; at 20° elevation, this provided a maximum range of {{convert|23740|yd|m|abbr=on|0}} with [[Armor-piercing shot and shell|armour-piercing (AP)]] shells. The [[rate of fire]] of these guns was 1.5–2 rounds per minute.<ref>Friedman, pp. 49–52</ref> ''Queen Mary'' carried a total of 880 rounds during wartime for 110 shells per gun.<ref name=r3>Roberts, p. 83</ref>

Her secondary armament consisted of sixteen [[BL 4 inch naval gun Mk VII|BL 4-inch Mk VII guns]], most of which were mounted in [[casemate]]s on the [[forecastle]] deck, unlike the arrangement in the ''Lion'' class.<ref name="r3" /> The guns could depress to −7° and had a maximum elevation of 15°. They fired {{convert|31|lb|kg|adj=on}} projectiles at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|2821|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}} at a maximum range of {{convert|11400|yd|m|abbr=on}};<ref>Friedman, pp. 97–98</ref> the ship carried 150 rounds per gun.<ref name=c27/>

The ship was built without any [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft]] guns, but two guns were fitted in October 1914. One was a [[QF 6-pounder Hotchkiss]] gun and the other was a [[QF 3-inch 20 cwt]],<ref group=Note>"cwt" is the abbreviation for [[hundredweight]], 20 cwt referring to the weight of the gun.</ref> both on high-angle mountings.<ref name="r3" /> The Hotchkiss fired a {{convert|6|lb|kg|adj=on}} shell at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|1773|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}}.<ref>Friedman, pp. 116–117</ref> The three-inch gun fired a {{convert|12.5|lb|kg|adj=on}} shell at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|2604|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}} with a maximum effective ceiling of {{convert|23000|ft|m|abbr=on|0}}.<ref>Friedman, pp. 108–109</ref>

Two {{convert|21|in|adj=on}} submerged [[torpedo tube]]s were fitted, one on each [[Broadside (naval)|broadside]].<ref name=c24/> Fourteen [[British 21 inch torpedo#21 inch Mark II|Mk II***]] torpedoes were carried,<ref name="r3" /> each of which had a warhead of {{convert|400|lb|0}} of [[Trinitrotoluene|TNT]]. Their range was {{convert|4500|yd|0}} at {{convert|45|knots}} or {{convert|10000|yd|0}} at {{convert|29|knots}}.<ref>Friedman, p. 331</ref>

===Fire control===
In February 1913, the [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]] bought five sets of fire-control equipment from [[Arthur Pollen]] for comparative trials with the equipment designed by [[Commander (Royal Navy)|Commander]] [[Frederic Charles Dreyer|Frederic Dreyer]]. One set was mounted in ''Queen Mary'' and consisted of a {{convert|9|ft|m|adj=on}} Argo [[Rangefinding telemeter|rangefinder]] located on top of the conning tower that fed range data into an [[Argo Clock Mk IV]] (a mechanical [[Fire-control system|fire-control computer]])<ref>Brooks, p. 166</ref> located in the [[Glossary of nautical terms (M-Z)#transmitting station|transmitting station]] below the [[conning tower]]. The clock converted the information into range and deflection data for use by the guns. The target's data was also graphically recorded on a plotting table to assist the gunnery officer in predicting the movement of the target. The aft torpedo director tower was the backup gunnery control position. All four turrets were provided with 9-foot rangefinders and 'B' and 'X' turrets were further outfitted to serve as auxiliary control positions.<ref>Roberts, pp. 91–92</ref>

Fire-control technology advanced quickly during the years immediately preceding World War I, and the development of the director firing system was a major advance. This consisted of a [[Fire-control system#Naval fire control|fire-control director]] mounted high in the ship which electrically provided elevation and training angles to the turrets via pointers, which the turret crewmen only had to follow. The guns were fired simultaneously, which aided in spotting the shell splashes and minimized the effects of the roll on the dispersion of the shells.<ref>Roberts, pp. 92–93</ref> ''Queen Mary'' received her director before the Battle of Jutland.<ref name=s0>Sturton, p. 100</ref>

===Armour===
The armour protection given to ''Queen Mary'' was similar to that of the ''Lion''s; her [[waterline]] [[Belt armor|belt]] of [[Krupp cemented armour]] was also {{convert|9|in|mm|0}} thick between 'B' and 'X' turrets. It thinned to {{convert|4|in|mm|0}} inches towards the ships' ends, but did not reach either the bow or the stern. In addition the ship was given an upper armour belt with a maximum thickness of six inches over the same length as the thickest part of the waterline armour, thinning to {{convert|5|in|mm|0}} abreast the end turrets. Four-inch transverse [[bulkhead (partition)|bulkheads]] closed off the ends of the armoured citadel. High-tensile steel plating, cheaper than nickel-steel, but equally as effective, was used for the protective decks. The lower armoured deck was generally only {{convert|1|in}} thick except outside the citadel where it was {{convert|2.5|in|0}}. The upper armoured deck was situated at the top of the upper armour belt and was also only one inch thick. The forecastle deck ranged from {{convert|1|to|1.5|in|1}}.<ref>Roberts, pp. 102–103</ref>

The gun turrets had nine-inch fronts and sides, while their roofs were {{convert|2.5|to|3.25|in|mm|0}} thick. The [[barbette]]s were protected by nine inches of armour above the deck, but it thinned to {{convert|8|in|mm|0}} above the upper armour deck and {{convert|3|in|0}} below it. The forward 4-inch guns were protected by three-inch sides and a two-inch high-tensile steel deck overhead. The conning tower sides were {{convert|10|in|0}} thick, with three-inch roofs and communication tubes. Her aft torpedo director tower was protected by six-inch walls and a three-inch cast steel roof. High-tensile steel [[torpedo bulkhead]]s {{convert|2.5|in|mm|0}} thick were fitted abreast the magazines and shell rooms. Her [[Funnel (ship)|funnel]] uptakes were protected by high-tensile steel splinter armour {{convert|1.5|in|0}} thick on the sides and one inch thick on the ends between the upper and forecastle decks.<ref>Roberts, pp. 109, 112</ref>

==Construction and career==
[[File:HMS Queen Mary LOC 10459.jpg|thumb|alt=A black and white photograph showing a ship's hull with no superstructure sliding down a slipway into a waterway|Launch of ''Queen Mary'' at Palmer's Shipbuilding]]
''Queen Mary'' was [[laid down]] at [[Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company]] at their shipyard in [[Jarrow]] on 6 March 1911. She was [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 20 March 1912 and was completed in August 1913<ref>Roberts, pp. 41, 123</ref> at a total cost of [[pound sterling|£]]2,078,491 (including guns).<ref name=Parkes531>Parkes, p. 531</ref><ref name=b7>Burt, p. 185</ref> The ship came under the command of [[Captain (Royal Navy)|Captain]] [[William Reginald Hall|Reginald Hall]] on 1 July and was commissioned on 4 September.<ref name=r23>Roberts, p. 123</ref> Assigned to the [[1st Battlecruiser Squadron]] (BCS) under the command of [[Rear Admiral]] [[David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty|David Beatty]], ''Queen Mary'' and the rest of the 1st BCS made a port visit to [[Brest, France|Brest]] in February 1914 and the squadron visited Russia in June.<ref>Burt, p. 180</ref>

===First World War===
====Battle of Heligoland Bight====
{{Main|Battle of Heligoland Bight (1914)}}
''Queen Mary''{{'}}s first action was as part of the battlecruiser force under the command of Beatty during the Battle of Heligoland Bight on 28 August 1914. Beatty's ships had originally been intended as distant support of the British cruisers and [[destroyer]]s closer to the German coast in case the large ships of the [[High Seas Fleet]] sortied in response to the British attacks. They turned south at full speed at 11:35<ref group=Note>The times used in this article are in [[Greenwich Mean Time]], which was one hour behind [[Central European Time|CET]], which is often used in German works.</ref> when the British light forces failed to disengage on schedule, and the rising tide meant that German capital ships would be able to clear the bar at the mouth of the [[Jade Estuary]]. The brand-new [[light cruiser]] {{HMS|Arethusa|1913|2}} had been crippled earlier in the battle and was under fire from the German light cruisers {{SMS|Strassburg}} and {{SMS|Cöln|1909|6}} when Beatty's battlecruisers loomed out of the mist at 12:37. ''Strassburg'' was able to duck into the mists and evade fire, but ''Cöln'' remained visible and was quickly crippled by fire from the squadron. Beatty, however, was distracted from the task of finishing her off by the sudden appearance of the elderly light cruiser {{SMS|Ariadne}} directly ahead of him. He turned in pursuit and reduced her to a flaming hulk in only three salvos at a range of {{convert|6000|yd|m|0}}. At 13:10, Beatty turned north and made a general signal to retire. Beatty's main body encountered the crippled ''Cöln'' shortly after turning north, and she was sunk by two salvos from {{HMS|Lion|1910|2}}.<ref>Massie, pp. 109–113</ref>

====Raid on Scarborough====
{{Main|Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby}}
The [[Imperial German Navy]] had decided on a strategy of bombarding British towns on the North Sea coast in an attempt to draw out the Royal Navy and destroy elements of it [[defeat in detail|in detail]]. An earlier [[Raid on Yarmouth]] on 3 November had been partially successful, but a larger-scale operation was devised by Admiral [[Franz von Hipper]] afterward. The fast battlecruisers were to conduct the bombardment, while the entire High Seas Fleet was to station itself east of [[Dogger Bank]] to provide cover for their return and to destroy any elements of the Royal Navy that responded to the raid. But what the Germans did not know was that the British were reading the German naval codes and were planning to catch the raiding force on its return journey, although they were not aware that the High Seas Fleet would be at sea as well. Together with the six [[dreadnought]]s of the 2nd Battle Squadron, Beatty's 1st BCS – now reduced to four ships, including ''Lion'' – was detached from the [[Grand Fleet]] in an attempt to intercept the Germans near Dogger Bank.<ref>Massie, pp. 333–334</ref> By this time, ''Queen Mary'' was commanded by Captain C. I. Prowse.<ref name=r23/>

Hipper set sail on 15 December 1914 for another such raid and successfully bombarded several English towns, but British destroyers escorting the 1st BCS had already encountered German destroyers of the High Seas Fleet at 05:15 and fought an inconclusive action with them. [[Vice Admiral]] [[George Warrender, 7th Baronet|Sir George Warrender]] – commanding the 2nd Battle Squadron – had received a signal at 05:40 that the destroyer {{HMS|Lynx|1913|2}} was engaging enemy destroyers, although Beatty had not. The destroyer {{HMS|Shark|1912|2}} spotted the [[armoured cruiser]] {{SMS|Roon}} and her escorts at about 07:00, but she could not transmit the message until 07:25. Warrender received the signal – as did the battlecruiser {{HMS|New Zealand|1911|2}} – but Beatty did not, despite the fact that ''New Zealand'' had been specifically tasked to relay messages between the destroyers and Beatty. Warrender attempted to pass on ''Shark''{{'}}s message to Beatty at 07:36, but he did not manage to make contact until 07:55. Beatty reversed course when he got the message and dispatched ''New Zealand'' to search for ''Roon''. She was being overhauled by ''New Zealand'' when Beatty received messages that [[Scarborough, North Yorkshire|Scarborough]] was being shelled at 09:00. Beatty ordered ''New Zealand'' to rejoin the squadron and turned west for Scarborough.<ref name=m2>Massie, pp. 342–343</ref>

[[File:Scheer's illustration of I SG disposition 16 Dec. 1916 en.SVG|thumb|300px|alt=A chart showing positions and distances|Relative positions of the British and German forces at about 12:00 hours]]

The British forces split going around the shallow Southwest Patch of the Dogger Bank; Beatty's ships passed to the north, while Warrender passed to the south as they headed west to block the main route through the minefields defending the English coast. This left a {{convert|15|nmi|adj=on}} gap between them through which the German light forces began to move. At 12:25, the light cruisers of the II&nbsp;Scouting Group began to pass the British forces searching for Hipper. The light cruiser {{HMS|Southampton|1912|2}} spotted the light cruiser {{SMS|Stralsund}} and signalled a report to Beatty. At 12:30, Beatty turned his battlecruisers towards the German ships. Beatty presumed the German cruisers were the advance screen for Hipper's ships; however, those were some {{convert|50|km|mi|order=flip}} behind. The 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron – which had been screening for Beatty's ships – detached to pursue the German cruisers, but a misinterpreted signal from the British battlecruisers sent them back to their screening positions.{{refn|group=Note|Beatty had intended on retaining only the two rearmost light cruisers from [[William Goodenough|Goodenough's]] squadron; however, {{HMS|Nottingham|1913|2}}{{'}}s signalman misinterpreted the signal, thinking it was intended for the whole squadron, and thus transmitted it to Goodenough, who ordered his ships back into their screening positions ahead of Beatty's battlecruisers.<ref name=m2/>}} This confusion allowed the German light cruisers to escape, and alerted Hipper to the location of the British battlecruisers. The German battlecruisers wheeled to the northeast of the British forces and made good their escape.<ref>Tarrant, p. 34</ref>

''Queen Mary'' was refitting in January and February 1915 and did not participate in the [[Battle of Dogger Bank (1915)|Battle of Dogger Bank]];<ref name=r23/> she received her main battery director in December 1915.<ref name=s0/>

====Battle of Jutland====
{{Main|Battle of Jutland}}
[[File:QueenMary1916.png|thumb|''Queen Mary'' in her configuration at Jutland]]
On 31 May 1916, ''Queen Mary'' put to sea with the rest of the Battlecruiser Fleet to intercept a sortie by the High Seas Fleet into the North Sea. The British were able to decode the German radio messages and left their bases before the Germans put to sea. Hipper's battlecruisers spotted the Battlecruiser Fleet to their west at 15:20, but Beatty's ships did not spot the Germans to their east until 15:30. Two minutes later, he ordered a course change to east south-east to position himself astride the German's line of retreat and called his ships' crews to action stations. Hipper ordered his ships to turn to starboard, away from the British, almost 180 degrees, to assume a south-easterly course, and reduced speed to {{convert|18|kn}} to allow three light cruisers of the 2nd Scouting Group to catch up. With this turn, Hipper was falling back on the High Seas Fleet, then about {{convert|60|nmi}} behind him. Around this time, Beatty altered course to the east, as it was quickly apparent that he was still too far north to cut off Hipper.<ref>Tarrant, pp. 69, 71, 75</ref>

This began what was to be called the "Run to the South" as Beatty changed course to steer east-southeast at 15:45, paralleling Hipper's course, now that the range closed to under {{convert|18000|yd}}. The Germans opened fire first at 15:48, followed by the British. The British ships were still in the process of making their turn, as only the two leading ships – ''Lion'' and {{HMS|Princess Royal|1911|2}} – had steadied on their course when the Germans opened fire. The German fire was accurate from the beginning, but the British overestimated the range, as the German ships blended into the haze. ''Queen Mary'' opened fire about 15:50 on {{SMS|Seydlitz}}, using only her forward turrets.<ref>Brooks, p. 237</ref> By 15:54, the range was down to {{convert|12900|yd}}, and Beatty ordered a course change two [[Boxing the compass|points]] to starboard to open up the range at 15:57.<ref>Tarrant, p. 83</ref> During this period, ''Queen Mary'' made two hits on ''Seydlitz'', at 15:55 and 15:57, one of which caused a [[propellant]] fire that burnt out her aft [[Superfire|superfiring]] turret.<ref>Brooks, p. 241</ref>

[[File:Destruction of HMS Queen Mary.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A black and white photograph showing a large cloud of smoke near the sea surface from which issues a towering mushroom cloud angled toward the right side of the photo|''Queen Mary'' explodes during the Battle of Jutland]]
The range had grown too far for accurate shooting, so Beatty altered course four points to port to close the range again between 16:12 and 16:15. This manoeuvre exposed ''Lion'' to the fire of the German battlecruisers, and she was hit several times. The smoke and fumes from these hits caused {{SMS|Derfflinger}} to lose sight of ''Lion'' – which had sheered out of line to starboard – and to switch her fire to ''Queen Mary'', now visible to ''Derfflinger''{{'}}s gunnery officer as the second ship in the British line and therefore assumed to be ''Princess Royal'', at 16:16. ''Queen Mary'' hit ''Seydlitz'' again at 16:17 and knocked out one gun of her secondary armament.<ref>Tarrant, p. 89</ref> In return, ''Queen Mary'' had been hit twice by ''Seydlitz'' before 16:21 with unknown effects, but the German battlecruiser hit the turret face of 'Q' turret at that time and knocked out the right-hand gun in the turret. By 16:25, the range was down to {{convert|14400|yd}}, and Beatty turned two points to starboard to open the range again. This move came too late for ''Queen Mary'', however, as ''Derfflinger''{{'}}s fire began to take effect, hitting her twice before 16:26.<ref>Brooks, p. 246</ref> One shell hit forward and detonated one or both of the forward [[magazine (artillery)|magazines]], which broke the ship in two near the [[foremast]]. Stationed inside 'Q' turret, [[Midshipman]] Jocelyn Storey survived and reported that there had been a large explosion forward which rocked the turret, breaking the left gun in half, the gun breech falling into the working chamber and the right gun coming off its trunnions. Cordite in the working chamber caught fire and produced poisonous fumes that asphyxiated some of the turret's crew. It is doubtful that an explosion forward could have done this, so 'Q' turret may have been struck by the second shell.<ref>Campbell 1986, pp. 62, 64</ref> A further explosion, possibly from shells breaking loose, shook the aft end of the ship as it began to roll over and sink.<ref name=br7>Brown, p. 167</ref> {{HMS|Tiger|1913|2}}, the battlecruiser behind her, was showered with debris from the explosion and forced to steer to port to avoid her remains.<ref>Brooks, p. 247</ref> 1,266 crewmen were lost; eighteen survivors were picked up by the destroyers {{HMS|Laurel|1913|2}}, {{HMS|Petard|1916|2}}, and {{HMS|Tipperary|1915|2}}, and two by the Germans.<ref name="List of the surviving 20 men of the ship's crew">{{cite web |url=https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/community/702 |title=HMS Queen Mary – [20] Battle of Jutland [ship's crew] Survivors |publisher=Imperial War Museum & D C Thompson |access-date=4 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107014731/https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/community/702 |archive-date=7 November 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>Williams, p. 132</ref><ref>{{cite newspaper The Times |title=Twice Rescued from the Sea |department=News |date=6 June 1916 |page=10 |issue=41186 |column=A}}</ref>{{refn|group=Note|Casualty figures are in general agreement, although the number of survivors varies. According to Corbett and the ''Narrative of the Battle of Jutland'' casualties were: 57 officers and 1,209 ratings killed (1,266 total); two officers and five ratings wounded (7 total); one officer and one rating prisoners of war.<ref>Corbett, p. 438</ref><ref>''Narrative of the Battle of Jutland'', p. 95</ref> Parkes gives the total officers killed as 67 instead of 57, presumably a typographical error.<ref>Parkes, p. 536</ref> Campbell gives casualties as 1,266 killed, six wounded and two made prisoner.<ref>Campbell 1986, p. 338</ref>}}

==Aftermath==
''Queen Mary'', along with the other Jutland wrecks, has been declared a ''protected place'' under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 to discourage further damage to the resting place of 1,266 officers and men.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2006/20062616.htm |title=Statutory Instrument 2006 No. 2616 The Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 (Designation of Vessels and Controlled Sites) Order 2006 |publisher=Queen's Printer of Acts of Parliament |access-date=20 November 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080708214655/http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2006/20062616.htm |archive-date=8 July 2008}}</ref> Surveys of this site conducted by nautical archaeologist [[Innes McCartney]] in 2001–03 have shown the wreck is in three sections, with the two forward sections being heavily damaged and in pieces.<ref>Burr, p. 43</ref> Her aft end is upside down and relatively complete except for her propellers, which have been salvaged.<ref name=b7/> Examination of the damage to the ship has suggested that the initial explosion was not in the magazine of 'A' or 'B' forward main turrets, but instead in the magazine of the forward 4-inch battery. An explosion of the quantity of cordite in the main magazine would have been sufficient to also ignite 'Q' magazine, destroying much more of the ship. The explosion in the smaller magazine would have been sufficient to break the ship in two, the blast then spreading to the forward magazine and ripping apart the forward section.<ref>Burr, p. 47</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=Note}}

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist|20em}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book |last=Brooks |first=John |title=Dreadnought Gunnery and the Battle of Jutland: The Question of Fire Control |publisher=Routledge |year=2005 |series=Cass Series: Naval Policy and History |volume=32 |isbn=0-415-40788-5}}
*{{cite book |last=Brown |first=David K. |title=The Grand Fleet: Warship Design and Development 1906–1922 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=1999 |isbn=1-55750-315-X |author-link=David K. Brown}}
* {{cite book |first=Lawrence |last=Burr |title=British Battlecruisers 1914–1918 |publisher=Osprey |volume=126 |series=New Vanguard |year=2006 |isbn=1-84603-008-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Burt|first=R. A.|title=British Battleships of World War One|year=2012|edition=2nd |publisher=Naval Institute Press|isbn=978-1-59114-053-5}}
* {{cite book |last=Campbell |first=N. J. M. |title=Battle Cruisers |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |year=1978 |series=Warship Special |volume=1 |isbn=0-85177-130-0}}
* {{cite book |last=Campbell |first=N. J. M. |title=Jutland: An Analysis of the Fighting |publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=1986 |isbn=0-87021-324-5}}
* {{Cite Colledge2006}}
*{{cite book |last=Corbett |first=Julian |author-link=Julian Corbett |title=Naval Operations |edition=Second |series=History of the Great War: Based on Official Documents |volume=III |year=1997 |publisher=Imperial War Museum in association with the Battery Press|isbn=1-870423-50-X |orig-year=1940}}
* {{cite book |last=Friedman |first=Norman |title=Naval Weapons of World War One: Guns, Torpedoes, Mines and ASW Weapons of All Nations; An Illustrated Directory |publisher=Seaforth Publishing|year=2011 |isbn=978-1-84832-100-7 |author-link=Norman Friedman}}
* {{cite book |last=Great Britain |title=Narrative of the Battle of Jutland |publisher=H.M. Stationery Office|year=1924 |oclc=558451990}}
* {{cite book |title=Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea |last=Massie |first=Robert K. |author-link=Robert K. Massie |publisher=Random House |year=2003 |isbn=0-679-45671-6 |ref=Massie |title-link=Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea}}
*{{cite book |last1=Parkes |first1=Oscar |title=British Battleships, ''Warrior'' 1860 to ''Vanguard'' 1950: A History of Design, Construction, and Armament |date=1990 |publisher=Naval Institute Press|isbn=1-55750-075-4 |edition=New & rev. |orig-year=1966 |author-link=Oscar Parkes}}
*{{cite book |editor1-last=Gray |editor1-first=Randal |title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921 |year=1985 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |isbn=0-85177-245-5 |name-list-style=amp |chapter=Great Britain and Empire Forces |first1=Antony |last1=Preston |author-link=Antony Preston |pages=1–104}}
* {{cite book |last=Roberts |first=John |title=Battlecruisers |publisher=Naval Institute Press|year=1997 |isbn=1-55750-068-1}}
* {{cite book |last=Silverstone |first=Paul H. |title=Directory of the World's Capital Ships |year=1984 |publisher=Hippocrene Books|isbn=0-88254-979-0}}
* {{cite book |editor1-last=Sturton |editor1-first=Ian |title=Conway's All the World's Battleships: 1906 to the Present |year=1987|publisher=Conway Maritime Press |isbn=0-85177-448-2}}
* {{cite book |last=Tarrant |first=V. E. |title=Jutland: The German Perspective: A New View of the Great Battle, 31 May 1916 |publisher=Brockhampton Press|year=1999 |orig-year=1995 |isbn=1-86019-917-8}}
* {{cite book |last=Williams |first=M. W. |title=Warship 1996 |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |year=1996 |pages=111–132 |chapter=The Loss of HMS ''Queen Mary'' at Jutland |isbn=0-85177-685-X}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Queen Mary (ship, 1912)}}
* [http://dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php/Lion_Class_Battlecruiser_(1910) Dreadnought Project]—Technical material on the weaponry and fire control for the ships
* High precision 3D model at [http://dreadnoughtproject.org/models/ships/HMS_Queen_Mary/ Dreadnought Project Model page]; {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170422135638/http://dreadnoughtproject.org/models/ships/HMS_Queen_Mary/ |date=22 April 2017 }}
* Information page at [http://www.worldwar1.co.uk/battlecruiser/hms-queen-mary.html/ worldwar1.co.uk]
* [https://www.jutlandcrewlists.org/queen-mary Battle of Jutland Crew Lists Project – HMS Queen Mary Crew List]

{{Queen Mary class battlecruiser}}
{{WWI British ships}}
{{May 1916 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Queen Mary}}
[[Category:1912 ships]]
[[Category:Lion-class battlecruisers]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1916]]
[[Category:Naval magazine explosions]]
[[Category:Royal Navy ship names]]
[[Category:Ships sunk at the Battle of Jutland]]
[[Category:World War I battlecruisers of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Ships built by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company]]