SHELLS AT JUTLAND

Hokitika Guardian, 9 April 1932, Page 6

SHELLS AT JUTLAND

CRITICISM OF EFFICIENCY. s

“BRITISH DESIGN WRONG.”

Tlie penetrating efficiency ol British, ammunition at the Battle of Jutland was commented on by BearAdmiral G. Blake, C.R., D. 5.0., .R.N., when giving an illustration lecture at Nelson recently under the auspices of I the' Returned Soldiers’ Association. Rear-Admiral Blake Was gunnery commniidor of tlio Iron Dfike, Lou Jell icon’s flagship, at the-TBattle of Jutland. Afterwards he was transferred to the Queen Elizabeth, which became the flagship of Lord Beatty. Dealing with the action of the Baltic Cruiser Squadron, Admiral Blake said it did considerable damage to the enemy battle cruisers. The British battleships were of the latest type armed with loin, guns and throwing a shell nearly one ton in weight. “You might well ask,” he said, “why with this preponderance ol force did not we sink some of the German battlecruisers. Was our shooting poor, or what was it P And therein lies the real tragedy of Jutland. The principal reason was that our shells were of no use. They smashed things'mp but they did not penetrate. Their design was all wrong. This was due to economy in peace time. The shell itself would penetrate, but the explosive in-, side was too sensitive to shock, and so the armour-piercing qualities were eompletly wasted. The Germans on the other hand, had an extemely good armour-piercing, shell, with a delay acton fuse. This shell after passing through tlie ariiiour penetrated to the vitals ot the ship and then hurst.” The internal construction of tlie British shipe. w;ent on the speaker, was not as compete or efficient as those of the Germans, but their ships were made to fight, only and were hardly habitable. The majority of their crews lived in barracks at their base. The Germans during a previous action had had experience in the Scydlitz of wlmt might happen and had taken precautions. However, as he had said, the chief cause was the bad shells with which the Navy was supplied. This fact had seldom been mentioned in accounts of Jutland, and lie therefore desired to emphasise it.