 Markgraf was present during the fleet operation that resulted in the Battle of Jutland which took place on 31 May and 1 June 1916 . The German fleet again sought to draw out and isolate a portion of the Grand Fleet and destroy it before the main British fleet could retaliate . Markgraf was the third ship in the German line , behind her sisters König and Grosser Kurfürst and followed by Kronprinz . The four ships made up the V Division of the III Battle Squadron , and they were the vanguard of the fleet . The III Battle Squadron was the first of three battleship units ; directly <unk> were the Kaiser @-@ class battleships of the VI Division , III Battle Squadron . The III Squadron was followed by the <unk> and Nassau classes of the II Battle Squadron ; in the rear guard were the obsolescent <unk> @-@ class pre @-@ dreadnoughts of the I Battle Squadron . 
