▁the ▁process ▁of ▁transfer ring ▁from ▁L üt z ow ▁to ▁G 3 9 , ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁squad ron ▁had ▁tempor arily ▁fallen ▁to ▁Captain ▁Hart og ▁ab o ard ▁Der ff ling er . ▁Hi pper ▁remarked , ▁" I ▁had ▁to ▁find ▁myself ▁another ▁flags hip ▁because ▁I ▁could ▁no ▁longer ▁exercise ▁command ▁from ▁one ▁which ▁was ▁shot ▁to ▁pieces ... A ▁tor ped o ▁boat ▁was ▁called ▁alongside ▁and ▁we ▁changed ▁under ▁heavy ▁fire ... [ I ] ▁drove ▁my ▁tor ped ob o at ▁hoping ▁to ▁find ▁an ▁advantage ous ▁moment ▁to ▁board ▁one ▁of ▁[ the ▁other ▁battle c ru is ers ]. ▁These ▁ 1 ½ ▁hours ▁that ▁I ▁spent ▁in ▁a ▁ha il ▁of ▁shell ▁and ▁spl inter s ▁ab o ard ▁the ▁tor ped ob o at ▁I ▁shall ▁not ▁be ▁likely ▁to ▁forget ." ▁ ▁By ▁ 2 2 : 1 5 , ▁Hi pper ▁was ▁finally ▁able ▁to ▁transfer ▁to ▁Mol t ke ; ▁he ▁then ▁ordered ▁his ▁ships ▁to ▁steam ▁at ▁ ▁to ▁take ▁up ▁their ▁station ▁at ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁line . ▁Only ▁Mol t ke ▁and ▁Se yd l itz , ▁however , ▁were ▁in ▁condition ▁to ▁comp ly ; ▁Der ff ling er ▁and ▁Von ▁der ▁T ann ▁could ▁make ▁at ▁most ▁ 1 8   k not s , ▁and ▁so ▁these ▁ships ▁lag ged ▁behind . ▁An ▁attack ▁by ▁British ▁light ▁cru is ers ▁caused ▁the ▁German ▁formation ▁to ▁fall ▁into ▁dis array .