 On 15 – 16 December , Hamburg participated in the bombardment of Scarborough , Hartlepool and Whitby . She was assigned to the cruiser screen of the High Seas Fleet , which was providing distant cover to Rear Admiral Franz von Hipper 's battlecruisers while they were conducting the bombardment . Following reports of British destroyers from Hamburg and the armored cruiser Roon , Admiral von Ingenohl ordered the High Seas Fleet to turn to port and head for Germany . At 06 : 59 , Hamburg , Roon , and Stuttgart encountered Commander Jones ' destroyers . Jones shadowed the Germans until 07 : 40 , at which point Hamburg and Stuttgart were detached to sink their pursuers . At 08 : 02 , Roon signaled the two light cruisers and ordered them to abandon the pursuit and retreat along with the rest of the High Seas Fleet . 
