The converted ferry sailed in the van because wakes from ships ahead could ruin a seaplane takeoff. That requirement put an aviation-support vessel at the front of a battlecruiser formation rather than safely behind it. Launching then required Engadine to stop, hoist the aircraft overboard, and spend roughly twenty minutes getting it away. She still had to regain a fast-moving fleet after the launch. These delays drove later interest in flight decks and catapults capable of sending aircraft off without stopping the carrier.
Chapter · 42:57-46:05
Why Engadine had to lead and stop the fleet
At Jutland, Engadine needed smooth water at the formation's front and roughly twenty minutes stopped to lower a seaplane into the sea.