JUTLAND BATTLE

Hokitika Guardian, 21 December 1920, Page 2

JUTLAND BATTLE

JELLICOE’S DESPATCH. '.Reuter’s Telegram.) f LONDON, December 19. Admiral Jellicoe’s covering despatch about Jutland battle says the German gunnery secured hits within two or three minutes at 10 mile range. The appendices to the report include a striking letter to Admiral Ward from Jellicoe, written in October 1914, outlining his policy, saying he would attempt to fight an action in the northern part of the North Sea, because then he would be nearer British bases, hospitals and coal stores. ' The letter contains a remarkable prophecy of later events. Jellicoe says if the enemy battle fleet turns away from an advance fleet, I should assume his intention was to lead us over his mines and submarines, and I would decline to be so drawn. I would particularly ' draw attention of the Admiralty to this point because such an act may be deemed a refusal of battle, and indeed might result in failure to bring the enemy to action. Such a result would be absolutely repugnant to the feelings of British officers and men, but new tactics must be devised to meet new and untried methods of warfare, though these may bring odium upon me. Jellieoe mentioned his fear that half the battle fleet might be disabled by an underwater attack and showed that the safeguards against submarine consisted in the battle fleet moving at a very high speed to the flank. The Admiralty replied approving of bis views and expressing full confidence in his contemplated conduct. Commentators point out that Jellicoe's fear of submarine attack proved unjustified as the Germans state they had no submarines present.

A COVERING DESPATCH. LONDON, December 19,

Admiral Jellicoe’s covering despatch concerning Jutland, says the enemy had no time to lay a prepared mine area and not much time to place submarines, although many were present. It is not likely that in future actions we shall ive so favoured, and' the element of time will therefore be still more important. It might actually he necessary purposely to delay the close of an action on account of the possibilities afforded by mine and submarines for prepatring a trap on a large scale. This possibility will increase, as the enemy’s submarines increase. The results of the action, continues the Admiral, particularly the knowledge of the unexpected speed of the enemy’s third squadron, must influence our future tactics.

The volume includes the report of the German Admiral von Scheer who says a decisive factor in the success he claims was both directly and indirectly the lonp range and heavy armament of his larger vessels, which caused the greater part of the known loss inflicted on the enemy, and enabled the flotillas successfully yto attack the main fleet. Von Scheer concludes that the large warship, battleship and cruiser remain the foundation of sea power and should Tie further developed.

LORD JELLICOE VINDICATED. LONDON NEWSPAPER COMMENT. LONDON, Dec 18. In connection with the Jutland patches the “Morning Post” comments that the. documents show that the conduct of Lord Jellicoe.and Admiral Beatty was of the highest merit. They prove that, under Lord'Jellicoe’s command the Grand Fleet in every conceivable manoeuvre had been constantly practised and every contingency foreseen. Never was reputation more signally vindicated than the reputation, so foully assailed, of Lord Jellicoe. The “Daily Express” points out that Lord Jellicoe’s tactics were substantially those submitted to tlie Admiralty in October, 1914, for use in case of a fleet action, which the Board officially endorsed. The German fleet escaped annihilation by the jamming of a series of vital wireless signals from the destroyer flotilla during the night. The “Daily Chronicle” Bays that the documents show the battle of Jutland did not result in a complete British victory, owing to the time of day when the battle was fought, but it was disquieting to learn that the German battle-cruisers were the better armoured, and that their system of fire direction was superior to that of the British. The “Daily News” states that the main controversy, wfiether Lord Jellicoe had it in his power to destroy the German fleet, will never satisfactorily be settled. Lord Jellicoe will receive praise or blame as the critics are in sympathy with the one type of strategists or the other.