 On 15 – 16 December , Stuttgart 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 the German screen , Admiral von Ingenohl ordered the High Seas Fleet to turn to port and head for Germany . At 06 : 59 , Stuttgart , the armored cruiser Roon , and the light cruiser Hamburg encountered Commander Jones ' destroyers . Jones shadowed the Germans until 07 : 40 , at which point Stuttgart and Hamburg were detached to sink their pursuers . At 08 : 02 , however , Roon signaled the two light cruisers and ordered them to abandon the pursuit and retreat along with the rest of the High Seas Fleet . 
