JUTLAND CONTROVERSY

Hokitika Guardian, 24 September 1924, Page 3

JUTLAND CONTROVERSY

'By Archibald Hurd, author of “The British Elect in the Great AA’ar,” in the “Lyttelton Times.”)

The battle of .Jutland always reminds me of an incident which occurred in a London Club soon after the end of the war. I was lunching with one of the admirals who had taken part in that action, and we were joined by a mutual friend, a civilian and not a naval officer, who had formed very definite opinions as to how the Grand Elect should have been led. He duveloped his views on this occasion and generally condemned Admiral Jellieoe for not adopting more offensive tactics. Me heard all about (L that admrial’s mistake in forming his battle line on the non (or left) wing column instead of on lhe 4^la rboard, w hen his six battle divisions were suddenly, and unexpectedly, confronted with the whole German Elect : (2) of the famous “ turn away ” when Admiral Schecr, raising a smoke scree, threw all his destroyers into a concentrated attack on the British Elect to cover his retreat; 5) of Admiral Jellieoe’s decision not to press the action during the ensuing night; and (I) of the failure to intercept the enemy before, steaming by way of Horns Reef, on the Danish

(oast, lie regained llio* shelter of his minefields early tho* following morning and crept into port, weakened by heavy looses and with almost every ship a shambles. The Admiral listened to the recital of these alleged ‘errors, wilh only all occasional interjection, and then he hurst forth. "That is all nonsense,” he declared, " I was there and you were not. We went for the Cowmans hell for leather, and that is all there is about it.” THE ADMIRALTY’S NARRATIVE. The controversy lias continued in succeeding months. The embers were again fanned into flames by the issue of a small volume entitled "Narrative of the Battle of Jutland." It was explained in the text that it is not a "Stall’ Appreciation”; it is not affirmed that it has been published by the authority of the "Board of Ad-

miralty'’; its authorship is not revealed ; hut it I cars the impress of "11.- .. Stationery Ollier". It appeared at a moment when Lord Jellieoe was in New Zealand, where he is completing hi- period ol oHice as (lovernor-!Jr'ie-ral. lie would have been in England in a few months, and then he could have dealt with a document which, in a eahled message, he has condemned for its " numerous inaccuracies and

mis-stateiiK nts," many of which arc, indeed, exposed in the third volume of Sir Julian Corbett's " Naval Operations,” the official history ol the war Committee of Imperial Defence alter l,v sea, written under the legis ol the re fere nee to all the available material ships engaged. Lord Jellieoe oflcrcd to supplement l:is cabled comments on the draft which had been sent him by a more detailed statement by mail, hut that suggestion was ignored, and the anonymous "Narrative was published. WHAT IS THE TRUTH What, in Ihe light ol all that Inis I, ceil written, is the truth about the |a, 1 1 |c of Jutland:- What suhSiame is there in the various criticisms ol the tactics adopted hv Lard Jellieoe':' It is difficult to answer such questions to the satisfaction ol any,, if who has ii‘\i*i seen i! modem licet—Lord Jellieoe had nearly 299 ships under his orders manoeuvring at high speed on a misty day. "The Battle of Jutland,’’ as (hi* anon*. moils author of the " Nai rati\ (. ” say-, *’ must apu.su* U> many as a k,'cv mass «»f ships manoeuvring in and out of the battle smoke with m. possibility of ascertaining their movements with clear and definite preetsion.” The battle mnsi-led of two pints *s. He* lil'sl was the a-lioli between Hie British and fL-rmao battle cruisers. under Admirals I’eatly and ''” s,-. tivelv. villi the B'iti-h HaU.e | I-,- 1 molci Lord dellie .teaming

down from the north, and the German Paul-, licet coming no from the south P;. r ('on' ma ndcr-iii-( hi el' knowing that lli" other was at sea. In » I"' 1 ' i.,,1 of less than hour, the accurate ..•oulire of the Germans had resulted o, Admiral Realty's superior force ol sis halt It* cruisers ti*x lvducfu lour l.v the loss of the Queen Mary and .he Indefatigable, the German* snll'eriug little from the British me. ,\ s soon as Lord .lellicoe learnt that iVditing had begun, lie despatched the swift battle cruisers under Rear-Ad-miral Sir Horace Hood to ivinlorce Admiral Beatty, though he knew tli.it that officer bad with him a lorn* ol four of oilr best and fastest bnttloh.ps (Queen Elizabeth's!, besides his six battle cruisers, and was opposed b> onlv live German battle <rm>cr.s*. When the German Battle Heel eiimo into view. Admiral Beatty, reaching a p appieciation of the situation turned L. fall lock on the advancing battle Ki|iutdroiis under Admiral del 1the Gei man hattle < misers, with Admiral Scheer's heavy ships behind them, keeping up a " r ll ' ss K V‘ : ; lire During ibis nintciiKiit. the mtelicence which reached the ('omnia,nlcrimChier as to the position was M-rappy ami in some lesp-ct* inaccurate. Ihe result was that he dime upon Hie v sooner than lie had been led to ~v; | cat, and with his ships still m ermsiag formation found Admiral School’ on his starboard how instead of ahead of him. The disci.'pn.ncy was a matter of miles. The “Narrative” records: “Two great lleets were api'ravliing one another wrapped in inM and with only a limited time t 1 make the m-st moment mis decisions. Adniii.il J< Hi coe. tie' id: 1 that only one course was

open to him- to form his six divi*ins into line of battle by deploying on his port or left wing. -There ap| ear. J,” it, i, stated in the “Narrative." “to be danger of deployinent 011 the starhoard wing column involving it in action with the German Fleet helore the movement could be completed and exposing the Battle Fleet to destroyer atlin k. Moreover, such a manoeuvre would have brought Admiral .Terrain’s weak squad mu. forming the starboard wing column. under the t oncciitratod lire "of the enemy. It would probably have been sunk out of hand.

ADMIRAL JEI.LICOE’S "TURN AWAY." Tt was in these circumstances that Admiral Jellicoe formed his line of battle, with Admiral Beatty's reduced battle cruiser foric ahead of him and Admiral Evan 'I homas's tour Queen E izahetlis at the rear of his line. At C,.15 the order for deployment was given and. according to the “Narrative." the first “actual firing occurred immediately after deployment when the jleet was in line ahead. commencing about (',.20.” So this difficult manoeuvre was very speedily completed ami every gnu was hearing 011 the Dolmans. Admiral Sdieer has himself confessed that “tbe British Fleet extended in a kind of semi-circle round us. interposing between us and our

The German High sea. Fleet- had been caught in a vice. It was exposed to every British gun at :v range of about seven miles—only jrst outside effective torpedo range—and the Germans had upwards of sixty destroyers. Shells were falling rapidly on the Geinian vessels. AY hat could Admit al Sclieer do? He had heen caught in what a German officer has called a death trap.” Re was fated with the prospect of annihilation. He decided to retreat if lie could manage tq do

so. So he ordered a smoke screen to be raised, and as lie turned his battle fleet a wav lie instructed Iris destroyers to make a concentrated attack on the British Fleet. What (out so ought Admiral Jellieoe to have taken when he saw torpedoes sweeping on rapidly t,wards his line of battle? He turned away for a few minutes, w ith the result that a store or so of torpedoes passed his ships without doing any harm, and then the line of battle was reformed. THE OBVIOUS COURSE. Did Admiral Jellieoe take the right course i* I have tested his action by t’utt of other admirals, and in the “Daily 1 elegrai h” recently summed up the matter, pointing out that Admiral Ji'lli'o adopted the course taken I,\- all admirals, British and German, dining the war in similar tircinus'tatices. ‘‘Ad.nit a I Beatty adopted the manoeuvre at the Dagger Bank action. and later on ‘ordered his squadron to turn eight points from a reported submarine, losing, in 0; 11. sequence contact with the en»my.” Admiral Hip, or, in command of the German battle cruisers, also turned away Horn a torpedo attack in the first phase of the Battle of Jutland, and again on two later o fusions; so did Admiral Sir Horace Hood; so did Admiral Si: D.ivetou Kturdeo, even though his Fourth Battle Squadron was at the moment in Admiral Jellieoe’s deployed battle line. Tin* turn away is the obvious course in line ol a destroyer attack, since the speed and accuracy of a torpedo raj idly decreasl*, and therefore by turning away the chain e of a ship being hit is 1 educed. Under the shelter of bis smoke screen. Admiral Kcheer, completely out of .sight owing to the mist and smoke, got his ships out of the '‘death trap.” Tile battle was virtually uvor. Ad'miral Jellieoe had destroyed one battle < miser out of hand, disabled the two battle: mit set's, and damaged three battleships so seriously that it is surprising thal they did no! sink, and all ill ul;oill half all hour I THE MISSING SIGNALS. Admiral Stheet in dispcratiou determined to returned to Wilhelmsdiaven as soon as pi ssible. if he could elude the British Fleet. Night favoured him, for hv general consent. Admiral Beatty agieeing with Admiial -Jellieoe. there could I 0 i*o fleet action i mid the umertainiies of the hours of darkness. Admiral Je!li:ne had pla'cd the British Me t between the Germans and their base; and holed to le.sume the action in l'u> 'illuming. But luck was with the German admiral, lie sent out a wireless signal from his flagship at sit minutes past nine calling for an airship ret oimaissnm 0 oil’ Horns Reel' in the early hours of the morning, "thus.’’ os Sir Julian ('nrilctt has recorded. “clearly indicating the route hv which he intended to elicit his retreat.” This signal was al nitre picked up hv the Admiralty at Whitehall. A lew minute; later the Admiralty picked up a second message “ordering the nt it eluent and giving the cniise the fleet was In steer dining the night.” Neither of these messages was sent to Admiral Jollhoe. with the result that while he lay aem-s the obvious I Mite of the Germans they managed to ••hide. him. But in lelreatiog, after suffering heavy losses, they confessed their defeat and left the Grand Fleet in leallirmed oiiimiaiid if H'o North Sea and every other sen the Atlantic and the I’.n ilk*. the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. This is the latest phase of the Jutland controversy, ami in the opinion of most students of naval affairs it will | rove to he the last until the impartial historian of some future time ten. twenty or (bitty years heme—• gol . to work on all Hie mass ol material which is cow avaihih’e. There is no II as*in. ho'W'evt r. to believe that his judgment will dill'er in any imp.irtn.nl respects 1 1 (•ill that of Sir Julian (Virhett. the ollieial hi.l"riau. who found (.hat liege was 110 "hill" against Admiral J. llj oe. ."ml Unit all the major or. of iiL. a* Goo. of which 1.0 milch has begat leant, may ’*,. dismissed as groundless.