LORD JELLICOE'S BOOK

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 118, 12 February 1919, Page 7

LORD JELLICOE'S BOOK

BATTLE OF JUTLAND REVIEWED REPLIES TO CRITICS LIGHT ON THE HAMPSHIRE MYSTERY By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright (Rec. February 11, 9.10 p.m.) . London, February 10. Cassells have published Lord Jellicoe's book, which gives a highly technical and detailed description of the creation and development of the Grand Fleet in the years 1914-1016. The book mentions the regrettable oollision during a fog of the Australia and New Zealand on April 22, 1916, which dopriyed the Australia of the glory of. participating in the Jutland Battle. The book reveals the fact that Admiral Jellicoo proposed the bottling up of Zeebrugge in' 1914. ' The Admiralty considered the scheme impracticable, but Admiral .Tellicoe's plan was adopted in 1917. Margin of Safety Too Small. There was much anxiety in the early part of the war because the margin of safety between the Grand Fleet and the German High Sea Fleet was too 'small. At the end of 1914 the Grand Fleet had only seventeen effective battleships, five battle-oruisers, and forty-two destroyers, compared with fifteen German Dreadnoughts, four battle-cruisers, and eightyeight destroyers. The _German vessels were in some cases superior to the British in material. The failure of the British condenser tubes on a large scale added to the difficulties. Cause of tho Jutland Losses, The heavy losses in the early part of the Battle of Jutland were due to the British boats being very, inadequately protected with armour compared with the 6im.ilar German vessels. The' German armour, was thicker and the watertight compartments more complete. The German vessels also, possessed a delay action fire, which, combined with' the highly-efficient armour-piercing projectile, ensured the shell bursting inside the armour, instead of outside or during the passage, as. with the similar British , 6hell. After the Jutland ' Battle the British adopted a new 'projectile * with a new burster, which doubled the offensive power of the biggest guns. Unfortunately the. surrender of the German Fleet gave no opportunity of testing the material perfected, during the war. Had the Germans come out a terrible punishment awaited them. '■ A Reply to the Critics. In view of the criticism' of Admiral Jellicoe's 'handling of the Battle Fleet at Jutland, special' interest attaches to the hundred pages of diagrams justifying the time, method, and deployment of the Battle Fleet. Summingup the difficulties of the British position, Lord Jellicoe points-out that owing to the'Ger■man superiority in destroyers it was essential; to- prevent a German! destroyer attack during the deployment. A later difficulty was keeping, in. touch with tho enemy'when the Germans made a very large turn westward under cover of a smoke-screen. The possibility of I an attack by the German destroyers also I made a British night attack impossible.

Generous Tribute to Admjral Beatty. : Lord Jellicoe pays a tribute to Admiral Beatty's able, and gallant, leadership. Admiral Beatty! showed fighting- qualities of the highest order, and imbued_ his force with hie own indomitable spirit. . Lord Jellicoe clears up the Hampshire mystery, stating that she was eunk by moored mines laid by enemy submarines. -Aue.-N.Z. Cable Assn.