 This began a confused, 2-hour long battle between the British destroyers and the German cruiser and destroyer screen, often at very close range.At the time of the first encounter, the "Helgoland"-class battleships were less than away from the six British dreadnoughts; this was well within firing range, but in the darkness, neither British nor German admirals were aware of the composition of their opponents' fleets.Admiral Ingenohl, loathe to disobey the Kaiser's order to not risk the battlefleet without his express approval, concluded that his forces were engaging the screen of the entire Grand Fleet, and so, 10 minutes after the first contact, he ordered a turn to port to a southeast course.