BATTLE OF JUTLAND

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 79, 28 December 1920, Page 5

BATTLE OF JUTLAND

REAR-ADMIRAL GRANT'S YIEWS

"DECISIVE FACTOR IN THE WAR "

When Wie Jutland battle was fought, near-Admiral Sir Percy Grant, who is How First Naval Member of the Australian Naval Board, was Chief of Staff with ISir Cecil Burney, squadron commander on the battleship Marlborougfi. In the course of.the engagement eig/i't torpedoes were launched at the Marlborough, buii only one reached its mark, blowing a hole in the side of the vessel 26ft. by 26ft., and partly crippling her. The Marlborough, a sister ship to Admiral Jellicoe's flagship, the Iron Duko, remained in the line, but during the night Sir Cecil Burney, Sir Percy Grant, and other members of the staff transferred to the Revenge. In view of the fact that the official report on the battle hns just been issued, and thai: it has raised much controversy, observations .made by Bear-Admiral Sir Percy Grant, says the "Sydney Horning Herald," arc of special interest.

"If you turn back to history," ho said, "you will find that there was a controversy of a somewhat! similar nature respecting the Battle of Trafalgar, but I venture to 6ay that in twenty-fivo years' time it will be recognised thafi Jutland was a decisive factor in ending the recent war. The German Fleet ntver came out again, and when, at the end of the war, it surrendered, the admission was made that Jutland was the reason." Rear-Admiral Grant said that he had not seen it clearly mentioned anywhere, a surprising omission, that on the morning after the German Fleet liad sent up a star shell in <he darkness of night; turning 1G points, and sought safety in flight, there was an exceptionally dense fog. The British, in their encircling movements towards Heligoland, had hoped to meet the enemy again that morning, and wipo them out, but the fog was so thick that during most of the day the Revenge could not even see the other units of the ileet. On the preceding night, when daylight had gone, the British, destroyers had engaged tho enemy vessels as they mado for their minefields. Tho Germans hoped, perhaps, that tho British Fleet would follow. "But for a victorious ilect to pursue a beaten foe during tho darkness of night into t'ho latter's minefield, and among the'destroyers of both sides, would bo tho act of a madman."

The cablo messages, this week had referred to a wireless signal by Admiral Beatty as follows:—"Urgent; submit van of battleships should follow battle-cruis-ers ; wo can cut off the whole of the enemy's battle fleet." That signal had been seiit in daylight from an entirely different position. The Marlborough was in the rear of the lino, whilst the King Cfc-orge V (Admiral Sir Thomas Jerram) was in the van.

Deferring to signals which had been "jammed" by tho Gormans, I{ear-Admiral Grant, said that both sides were doing it. when the enemy's vessels were "in touch." They sent out many coded signals, but if they were'not "in English" the wireless was used with more caution, so that 110 indication of a vessel's whereabouts might be gained. It was wrong to assume that long delays had occurred in the receipt of signals. They first had to bo decoded. The messages in some cases were sent a long distance. In the Jutland battle some of tho British ships were 50 miles apart.