THE JUTLAND BATTLE.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3656, 18 December 1920, Page 5

THE JUTLAND BATTLE.

OFFI'CTXL'DESPATCHES. PUBLISHED AT LAST. Received 11.20 a.m. LONDON, Dec. 17. The Jutland official despathes with appendices, were issued to-day ? and comprise a volume “of six hundred pages, with numerous maps, diagrams. The reports ar.e most numerous, comprising one from every ship engaged. Lord An a covering letter dated Iron Duke, June Bth, 1916, directs attention to a number of lessons drawn from the battle. He says that when the Admiralty ordered the Grand Fleet at Scapa to proceed to sea on i3oth he ordered Admiral Beatty, whose ships were at Rosyth, to be at a certain spot in the North Sea at 2 o’clock in the afternoon of the 31st, giving also his own probable position at that hour. If Admiral Beatty had no news at 2 o’clock he was to stand towards Jellicoe. Lord Jellicoe says he had no anxiety about Beatty’s advanced position owing to the gunpower and speed of Beatty’s sliips j but the German third squadron displayed unexpected speed. Though nominally the British battle-cruisers could do 25 knots and the Germans only 22, the former were unable to increase their distance from the d-er-mans. This came fo us as an unpleasant surprise, and would considerably effect future operations*. It wxs quite evident that the German ships were much faster than their normal speed. Beatty adopted the correct and only possible course in keeping between the enemy and his base, and keeping In touch with the enemy as he had a great" suTTefiofity.