Fearless supports Arethusa and helps trap Mainz

Fearless failed to hit the torpedo boat V187 before that German vessel escaped into the path of other British cruisers and destroyers and was sunk. The scout cruiser then rendezvoused with Commodore Tyrwhitt's damaged flagship Arethusa to help cover her withdrawal. The combined cruiser-and-destroyer force drove off Strassburg and Cöln when each German cruiser confronted a much larger volume of fire than expected. Later the First Destroyer Flotilla encountered Mainz after expending most of its torpedoes. A fog bank brought the damaged German cruiser close to Fearless, whose fire disabled Mainz's rudder and left her circling. The sequence shows how a small cruiser could give vulnerable destroyers and a damaged flagship the firepower and command support needed to survive repeated contacts.