One thing I wonder about Jutland is that if either side had won an overwhelming victory, would things have changed drastically? If Jellicoe and the Grand Fleet had sunk 3/4 of the German High Seas Fleet, would they have been able to land troops on German soil or supply Czarist Russia through St Petersburg? If the Germans had won decisively, could they have clear minefields and re-establish trade with North and South America?
Beatty strikes me as a lot better with pinning the blame on Jellicoe. His ships were poor at gunnery, they left one German battlecruiser not being targeted, he communicated badly with the four Queen Elizabeth battleships he had (probably the best in the world) and also had bad communications with Jellicoe.
One of Beatty’s most serious errors was his failure to ensure that the four fast battleships stayed together with his battlecruisers. My memory of accounts is that it’s not really clear if he realized the fast battleships weren’t following him toward the Germans, or was too excited to care. But the battlecruisers were never designed to face capital ship gunnery. They were perfect for chasing down weaker ships with shorter-ranged guns, as they did in the Falklands battle. But he really should have led with the Queen Elizabeths when dueling with the High Seas Fleet.
I don’t have a copy to hand but Massie covers this in Castles of Steel.
Short version from memory. Unless Germany wins an improbably lopsided victory. Between rushing refitting ships/new construction into service, bringing ships home, and borrowing the 4 modern dreadnoughts the French have in the Med not doing much, the British could make good all but the most unlikely defeat.
It’s worth emphasing such a defeat being unlikely. Remember when the Battlelines clashed Scheer decided in the first 2 minutes the only chance to save his fleet was do a 180 turn and run like hell.
Further even if the had won, they still couldn’t risk a Channel passage. They have to take the long way around the Uk to the Sea Lanes and would have only a very limited time on station before they have to head home.
Basically the whole building of the High Seas fleet makes no sense strategically for the Reich, but the Kaiser loved his Battleships.
Bumped.
PBS will air the BBC documentary *Battle of Jutland: The Navy’s Bloodiest Day *on Feb. 28. Check local listings: BBC Two - Battle of Jutland: The Navy's Bloodiest Day
It’s worth remembering that the Grand Fleet came within a hair’s breadth of annihilating the High Seas Fleet despite Beatty’s failings.
The Germans sailed into a well prepared trap and were at an immense fire-power disadvantage having chased the Beatty group which had drawn them towards the main British battle fleet.
Jellicoes fleet had practiced their gunnery and even in the short time they engaged the germans they inflicted major damage for relatively little on themselves.
It was only by dint of a maneuver thought to be too dangerous for a full fleet to attempt and the timely distraction by torpedo destroyers that allowed the Germans to escape, but make no mistake it was such a close run thing.
Good point – the German conduct of the battle of Jutland could be described as vigorous, enthusiastic, well-organized running away. Only by dint of that early and thorough flight – twice – were they able to avert disaster.