Seydlitz survives a near magazine catastrophe

A 13.5-inch shell from Lion penetrated Seydlitz's after barbette and ignited ammunition in the working chamber. The fire disabled both after turrets, killed 165 men, and came close to reaching the magazines. An officer's prompt order to flood them prevented the battlecruiser's destruction. German investigators treated the event as a major lesson in flash protection and ammunition safety before Jutland. That institutional response contrasts with Beatty's emphasis on increasing rate of fire despite poor accuracy. The comparison makes damage control and organizational learning as important as the shell hit itself.