At this time, owing to smoke and mist, it was most difficult to distinguish friend from foe, and quite impossible to form an opinion on board the _Iron Duke_, in her position towards the centre of the line, as to the formation of the enemy’s Fleet. The identity of ships in sight on the starboard beam was not even sufficiently clear for me to permit of fire being opened; but at 6.30 P.M. it became certain that our own battle cruisers had drawn ahead of the Battle Fleet and that the vessels then before the beam were battleships of the “König” class. The order was, therefore, given to open fire, and the _Iron Duke_ engaged what appeared to be the leading battleship at a range of 12,000 yards on a bearing 20° before the starboard beam; other ships of the 3rd and 4th Divisions (the 4th Battle Squadron) opened fire at about the same time, and the van divisions (2nd Battle Squadron) very shortly afterwards; these latter ships reported engaging enemy battle cruisers as well as battleships. The fire of the _Iron Duke_, which came more directly under my personal observation, was seen to be immediately effective, the third and fourth salvoes fired registering several palpable hits. It appeared as if all the enemy ships at that time in sight from the _Iron Duke_ (not more than three or four, owing to smoke and mist) were receiving heavy punishment, and the second battleship was seen to turn out of the line badly on fire, and settling by the stern. A large number of observers in the _Thunderer_, _Benbow_, _Barham_, _Marne_, _Morning Star_ and _Magic_ stated afterwards that they saw this ship blow up at 6.50 P.M. The visibility was very variable and perhaps averaged about 12,000 yards to the southward, though much less on other bearings, but ranges could not at times be obtained from the range-finders of the _Iron Duke_ at a greater distance than 9,000 yards, although at 7.15 P.M., in a temporary clear channel through the mist, good ranges of 15,000 yards were obtained of a battleship at which four salvoes were fired by the _Iron Duke_ before she was again hidden by smoke and mist. The very baffling light was caused principally by low misty clouds, but partly also by the heavy smoke from the funnels and guns of the opposing Fleets. The direction of the wind was about west-south-west with a force 2, causing the enemy’s funnel smoke to drift towards our line, thus further obscuring our view of his Fleet. The visibility at the rear of the battle line was apparently greater than in the centre at about 7 P.M., and the enemy’s fire, which was probably being concentrated on our rear ships, was more accurate at this period, but quite ineffective, only one ship, the _Colossus_, being hit by gunfire, although numerous projectiles were falling near the ships of the 1st and 5th Battle Squadrons.