German officers initially disagreed over whether the approaching four-funnel cruiser was the friendly Rostock. Lützow's gunnery officer identified an English armoured cruiser and ordered rapid salvos, after which Defence exploded. Derfflinger's officers also struggled with the identification and saw the ship destroyed before they could complete their own engagement. Mist, gun smoke and funnel smoke obscured British targets and made shell splashes difficult to observe. Visibility differed sharply with viewing direction and the position of the sun, allowing British ships to fire at German ships that could barely see them.
Chapter · 1:37:51-1:42:26
Smoke, mistaken identity, and the destruction of Defence
German accounts show how smoke and haze made identification uncertain even moments before HMS Defence was destroyed.