THE JUTLAND BATTLE.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3324, 31 October 1919, Page 5

THE JUTLAND BATTLE.

LORD JELLICOE’S WISDOM UEMONSTRATED. ’ Admiral Sc~ott’s book states that Lord Jellicoe had reasons for not pursuing the Germans at Jutland, because the Grand Fleet was not p:'operly fitted for. night-fighting, while the German fleet was. his was -due to many years’ bad system of administration at the Admiralty. Important papers took nearly a year 'to circulate round the Department. One of"the ii-'otst« important actions in the war was delayed because papers were lost for three months. 'l‘orpcdUe;-,~ were so badly fitted that they went under‘ the German ships. Only eight of our battleships were fitted with gunnery controls. Bad organisation permitted the enemy to escape to the Pacific. and prey upon commerce, while the ships sunk at Coronel were sacrificed because they were not fitted with gunnery control. The Admiralty’s delaypin introducing depth charges, which were recommended in 1914 involved the Empire in the loss of two hundred million steflingf’ Admiral Scott went to Scapa in November, ]914, when Lord Jellieoe told him aterrible state of aifairs existed. He said he was obliged to stay at Scapa, but the anchorage was unsafe. Any night submarines might send the Grand Fleet to the bottom. Lord Jellicoe went into the Jutland battle with -only six ships completely fitted with direction-finding. Several ships were without primary armament, while the shells and seafclil lights were inferior‘ to the Germans’. The German guns had 30 degrees elevation, and ours only 15. All our guns were out-ranged. We would not have had a dog’s chance if the Germans had had half a dozen men of the stamp of the British submarine commanders, and the fleet would have been destroyed early‘ in the war. Admiral Scott discloses that he was offered the command of [the navial ‘attack. on. the Dardanelles, but refused because he thought it an impossible task for our inefficient ships: