The Battle of Jutland

It was one of the most anticipated naval battles in history. On May 31, 1916 the British Grand Fleet collided with the German High Seas Fleet off the coast of Denmark in an encounter that became known as the Battle of Jutland.

The conflict had been brewing for a number of years, ever since Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany had begun building up the German navy in order to challenge the naval dominance of the British fleet. The competition slipped into high gear in 1905 when the British introduced the first dreadnought - a super-sized battleship that carried larger guns and was faster than its predecessors. Soon both countries were adding these new super-weapons to their fleets as fast as possible.

At the beginning of World War I the British fleet was dispatched to the North Sea where it established a ring of steel off the German coast that effectively prevented the movement of supplies into the country by sea. This left the German fleet bottled up in its ports, eager for a fight, but restricted by Kaiser Wilhelm's fear of losing his precious naval weapon in battle. Finally, in May 1916 the German fleet was ordered to leave its safe harbor and attack the British Grand Fleet.

Unfortunately for the Germans, British Naval intelligence had broken the German code and was aware of its enemy's intentions. On the afternoon of May 31, a combined force of 250 ships collided in an epic duel that lasted into the night and ended when, under cover of darkness, the German fleet escaped to its home port to lick its wounds.

Tactically, the battle was a draw. The final scorecard revealed that the British had lost 14 ships and 6,094 men while the Germans lost 11 ships and 2,551 men. Strategically, however, the British came out the winner as the Germans never again jeopardized their High Seas Fleet by allowing it to battle the British. German surface naval power was thus neutralized. The Germans thereafter relied on its submarine fleet to bring the naval war to its enemy. (see Uboat Attack, 1916)

"...then came the big explosion."

#ww1 #warships #history