Below are transcriptions of a selection of British newspaper cuttings about H.M.S. Acasta’s part in the Battle of Jutland. They are presented in order of date published. Alexander Daniel Reid, an Acting Engine Room Artificer, Fourth Class at Jutland, was an Australian who later became a pilot in the R.N.A.S.
The Grafton Argus 7 June 1916
NAVAL BATTLE.
THE ACASTA’S STORY
A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.
LONDON, Tuesday Night.
A destroyer has arrived at a north-eastern port, towing the destroyer Acasta which the Germans claimed to have sunk. It was in the thick of the fighting for 40 minutes. A shell landed in the engineroom and killed five men, and afterwards the vessel was helpless. It was said by the crew that the shells were falling all around them, and they expected their doom, but none struck them.
The Sun 25 July 1916
SAVED HIS SHIP
AUSTRALIAN IN JUTLAND FIGHT
INTRODUCED AS HERO
NEWCASTLE, Tuesday.
Mr. Matthews Reid has received an interesting letter from his son Alexander, who joined the Imperial Navy about 18 months ago. Writing from Aberdeen on June 5, he says:
“All the papers here report that we are sunk, but the work carried out by another E.R.A. and myself saved the ship, and most of the men. I was engineer on watch at the time of going into action, five miles from the Danish Coast. We engaged the enemy shortly after five o’clock. At 6.10 two lyddite shells burst through the engine-room and exploded inside, doing serious damage and killing four, including the engineer officer who was standing at my side. He was knocked against me, and fell dead at my feet. I could not see anything for escaping steam, but made my way with great difficulty on deck, where I dropped, and putting my finger down my throat vomited, so getting rid of the gas fumes from the shells. It eased me a great deal. I was the last man to leave the engine-room, and again the first back, to see what was wrong. I at once hauled the engineer on deck, and then went back again for my dear pal, an E.R.A., who was blown to pieces, and two others were beyond recognition. We were now out of range of the German guns. The only trouble was that we were afire aft, but it was soon put out. Myself and another E.R.A. went below to see what could be repaired. A German light cruiser came in sight and put another shell into us, killing two men and wounding three others. Later a submarine was reported on the port bow. We came up on deck, I took my shoes off and put on a lifebelt. God bless our gunners for their splendid work which sunk the craft. We were totally disabled and sinking. There was no water and very little oil fuel. We bandaged and blank-flanged several pipes, and then started to raise steam with salt water in the boilers. We had to keep this up for three days and nights. I had nothing to eat and no sleep. We started the engines after repairs had been effected. We could only proceed at four knots, having to stop the engine at intervals to gain steam. Carrying on like this, we tried to make some port on the English coast. Today I was asked to lunch by the fleet paymaster on board a yacht, and was introduced to several officers as a hero from the ——. I have a 6lb. piece of the shell that did so much damage. On the —— it passed under my arm after killing the engineer officer.”
[Alex Reid was mistaken in his belief that the Acasta was hit by lyddite shells. Lyddite was used in British shells but the Germans used shells filled with T.N.T. Induced vomiting would not have countered inhaled gases. Alex is bigging himself up here and some of his account does not tarry with other published info. Two other Engine Room Artificers (ERA) from Acasta were also commended for Good Service at Jutland. They were John Vincent Shaw ERA 3rd Class and Richard John Kealing ERA 4th class. John Shaw was also awarded the Russian Cross of St George, 4th Class for “undaunted courage”.]
The Sun 30 July 1916
NEWCASTLE MAN’S PLUCK
Mr. A.D. Reid is a member of the engineering staff of the destroyer Acasta, which took part in the great sea fight off the coast of Jutland. Mt. Reid hails from Merewether, a suburb of Newcastle, and it is understood that he is in to be recommended for the D.C.M. His conduct during and subsequent to the fight earned him unstinted praise from the officers, and he is spoken of as “a hero from the Acasta.”
Reference has already been made in the Sun to the part taken by the Acasta, which rushed into the thick of the fight, and was soon put out of action by an unlucky shot in the engine-room. The vessel was in a sinking condition, and but for the pluck and resource of Mr. Reid might have gone to the bottom. Towards the end of the fight a German light cruiser passed the disabled Acasta and put another shot into her. Evidently the German thought the vessel was sinking, and so did not do further damage. The shot however killed two men and wounded three others, the total death roll being six. It was only by the most strenuous exertions that the damaged boilers and machinery were got to work, and Mr. Reid labored for three days and nights without sleep or rest. Then the Acasta was picked up by another British destroyer, and towed into Aberdeen.
[The writer is mistaken. Alex Reid may have had 3 days without sleep (31st May to 3rd June) but this was not prior to being taken in tow. Acasta was taken in tow by Nonsuch on 1st and reached Aberdeen late on 2nd.]
Bendigo Independent 3 August 1916
TEASING THE GERMANS.
MAKING THEM FIGHT.
I have found a naval wasps’ nest where damaged wasps are boing repaired to sting again (wrote Charles T. King, Daily Express special correspondent, after the Jutland Battle). Elsewhere along the coast I have seen great numbers of undamaged wasps – lines of them. Here, in this east coast haven, lie two tough little stricken destroyers, whose return home is a marvel and whose crews tell with quiet pride how, on behalf of the British Navy, they slipped in front and brought about the battle.
Quiet, steady-eyed, they believe they brought it on. Who can deny it? One destroyer had six killed, the other had two killed. One man was wounded in each. The rest of the crew were serene, trim, and eager to fight again.
One wounded sea whelp, only 18 years old, was struck by shrapnel in the back. He now lies recovering in the infirmary. When the surgeon extracted the piece of shrapnel he said, “Oh, doctor, do give me that for a keepsake.”
Another member of the crew said to me:- “We began the battle for our side. We shot ahead to tease the German fleet into action. We made them kick, I believe. We- the Acasta and the Onslow – sank several German craft in the shimozzle. It did not last long for us, but while it lasted it was hell. Bang! bang! And manoeuvring about.
“Flashes all over the place. Shells fore and aft. Flashes all over the place, shells over our heads, shells plopping in the water astern, shells fore and aft, torpedoes – ours and theirs – sizzling through the water. You never knew when or where you were going to be hit.
“We saw German ships stagger and roll. We saw men in the water. Cracked and crushed plates and heavy projectiles came hurtling through the air, seemingly from nowhere. We did not let them have it all their own way, however. We were just getting into our stride and making them wobble when the German shells began to play around us. It was only by a miracle that we were not sunk.
“But what a grand sight we saw while we lay there! Up came one of our great fleets. The ship in front was the Revenge. The way she got to work was a marvel. She opened fire on two big German warships and smashed them up.
“The gunnery of the Revenge was magnificent. She made hit after hit. The German vessels within range had no chance of escape, I am sure she settled two.
“The along steamed the British fleet, monster after monster. From what we know now we have got back here we are sorry the Germans did not wait to fight it out. They ran away. Some day we shall be in a position to cut them off. Then we shall see something.
“When we reached home we were hungry as hunters. Well, we were hunters. We had been the Derby dogs of the course. We were famished, with a first-class North Sea hunger on us. Little boys ran up, and, finding we wanted food, rushed to a shop and returned with loads of fried fish and potatoes. We did eat! I can tell you.
A naval officer in conversation with me summed up the lessons and result of the battle thus:-
“This engagement does not mean that the Germans have any superiority in guns, range, or speed. It is scientifically a lie to claim it as a German victory.
“But in addition to that there is the fact that the Germans ran home. A fleet that runs home cannot claim victory.”
One of the wounded from a destroyer here throws a strong light on the unequal nature of the battle.
“It seemed,” he said “like a hundred German warships to half a dozen or so of ours until the main forces came up.”
[The above article first appeared Daily Express 5 June 1916.]
Newcastle Morning Herald 29 March 1918
FLIGHT-LIEUTENANT REID
… was attached to the destroyer Acasta at a naval base in the North Sea with the Grand Fleet, where they were engaged in patrol work. The destroyer was with the first to engage in the Jutland action, in which she was totally disabled, having her bow, bridge and engine room blown to pieces. The destroyer was left a total wreck, and the crew was reported missing for three days. They were then picked up and landed at Aberdeen. Lieutenant Reid was mentioned in despatches for devotion to duty during the action [More accurately Reid was Commended for Good Service].
Newcastle Sun 9 September 1919
NEWCASTLE AIRMAN
HEROIC WAR CAREER
PEACE LOAN STUNTS
He was mentioned in despatches for his part in keeping H.M.S. Acasta afloat in the Battle of Jutland… Three times previously he was aboard the Acasta when she, with the fruitless design of luring a proportion of the German High Seas fleet out into the North Sea, broke through the Hun flotilla guarding the Skager Rack, penetrated the Cattegat to the Baltic, then ran the gauntlet back again to the North Sea.
Newcastle Sun 13 September 1919
SEA, LAND AND AIR
CAPT. REID’S STUNTS
Stories of Jutland
DUELS WITH HUN AIRMEN
In November, 1915, Captain Reid joined the Royal Navy as a chief petty-officer on H.M.S.Acasta, attached to the Grand Fleet at the Orkney Islands. He saw months of patrolling and submarine chasing up and down the Norwegian coast. [This is incorrect. Alexander Daniel Reid was an Acting Engine Room Artificer, Fourth Class at Jutland.]
Germans Wouldn’t be Lured
About March 1916, the Acasta embarked on a glorious, perilous, but little-known mission. He says she was one of four boats comprising the 1st Division of the 4th Flotilla. The others were Shark (shortly to become world famous at Jutland), commanded by Commander Loftus Jones (who also commanded the flotilla) the Spitfire and the Sparrowhawk. The division escorted the 5th Battle Squadron – The Queen Elizabeth, Warspite, Barham, Valiant and Malaya – to within 20 miles of the mouth of the Skager Rack. The squadron waited. The division, in a light fog, broke through the German patrols in the Skager Rack, firing only about 5 shots. It was a matter of surprise and speed. On they went, through the mine-guarded waters of the Cattegat, to the Baltic. The fog became very dense. The British ships found themselves in the thick of a minefield. The Acasta saw two mines 18 [?] feet away. It was fortunate that the Germans assumed that the Britishers had steamed right through and joined the Russian fleet. About 30 shots were fired by the Huns, all of them short, and then they withdrew. By manoeuvring very gingerly, the British ships turned, and steamed back at full speed. Their escape from the minefield was miraculous. They made no secret of their returning movement, their idea being to lure a proportion of the big Hun fleet from its base to where the British squadron lay in wait. But the Hun did not fall to the trick. Twice subsequently this dash through was repeated, but with the same futility.
The Jutland Epic
In the battle of Jutland on May 31, 1916, the Shark, Acasta, Ophelia, and Christopher (Captain Reid explains) constituted the first division, which was screening Read Admiral Hood’s battle cruiser squadron, comprising the Queen Mary, the Invincible, and the Indefatigable [The ships names given here are incorrect. The ships were in fact Invincible, Inflexible and Indomitable. The Queen Mary, the Invincible, and the Indefatigable were three battle cruisers that were sunk at Jutland]. The world knows the story of that immense battle. Captain Reid says that a light cruiser led the Invincible, which was followed in order by the Queen Mary and the Indefatigable, with another light cruiser to the rear: The Ophelia and Christopher guarding the right flank and the Shark and Acasta the left.
Steaming north a few miles from the Jutland coast, these vessels took the shock [?] of the German High Seas Fleet for a time. One of the division to be sunk was the Shark. The Acasta, went into that vessel’s position, and had her bows blown right off, while two shells struck her engine room, from which only Mr. Reid and the stoker emerged alive. Disabled, the Acasta floated, about six miles off the Jutland coast, and Mr. Reid for his services in helping to keep her afloat, was mentioned in despatches [More accurately Reid was Commended for Good Service].