3 1 ▁May . ▁That ▁morning , ▁at ▁ 0 2 : 0 0 ▁C ET , ▁the ▁I ▁Sc out ing ▁Group , ▁which ▁compr ised ▁the ▁battle c ru is ers ▁L üt z ow , ▁Der ff ling er , ▁Se yd l itz , ▁Mol t ke , ▁and ▁Von ▁der ▁T ann , ▁five ▁light ▁cru is ers , ▁and ▁ 3 0 ▁tor ped o ▁boats , ▁left ▁the ▁J ade ▁est u ary . ▁Sche er ▁and ▁the ▁battle ▁fleet ▁followed ▁an ▁hour ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁later . ▁The ▁British ▁n avy ' s ▁Room ▁ 4 0 ▁had ▁intercept ed ▁and ▁dec rypted ▁German ▁radio ▁traffic ▁containing ▁plans ▁of ▁the ▁operation , ▁and ▁so ▁sort ied ▁the ▁Grand ▁Fle et , ▁total ing ▁some ▁ 2 8 ▁dread n ought s ▁and ▁ 9 ▁battle c ru is ers ▁the ▁night ▁before , ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁cut ▁off ▁and ▁destroy ▁the ▁High ▁Se as ▁Fle et . ▁ ▁At ▁ 1 6 : 0 0 , ▁the ▁British ▁and ▁German ▁battle c ru iser ▁forces ▁encountered ▁each ▁other ▁and ▁began ▁a ▁running ▁gun ▁fight ▁south , ▁back ▁towards ▁Sche er ' s ▁battle ▁fleet . ▁During ▁this ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁battle , ▁Hi pper ' s ▁ships ▁destroyed ▁the ▁battle c ru is ers ▁ ▁and ▁. ▁Upon ▁reaching ▁the ▁High ▁Se as ▁Fle et , ▁Vice ▁Admir al ▁David ▁Beat ty ' s ▁battle c ru is ers ▁turned ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁north ▁to