Ancient history

Jutland 1916:Aftermath of the Battle

What is the meaning of the Battle of Jutland?

First of all, as mentioned above, after this episode the German fleet became non-existent and played no great role in the war other than keeping the Navy on high alert. To achieve a strategic victory, Germany had to sink a large number of enemy buildings to balance the opposing forces. Instead, England assimilated her losses very well, while Germany was forced to keep hers in her ports for repairs for months. If the Germans can be said to have achieved a tactical victory, it is in fact a Pyrrhic victory, a strategic defeat. The German fleet commanders were convinced that another operation against the Navy would be their downfall. In 1918, the refusal of the German navy to follow an order to attack the British precipitated the deposition of the Kaiser and the end of the war.

Then, for the rest of the war, Germany relied on its U-boats to secure the war at sea, with the aim of cutting off England's trade routes and causing its economic collapse. But in the end, this strategy of unrestricted submarine warfare drove the United States into war, and Germany's fate was sealed.

Finally, the battle of Jutland marked the end of the doctrine of cruisers as elements of naval strategy. The cruisers had been considered an optimal combination of speed and firepower despite their low protection, but the little armor left them extremely vulnerable, and the number of cruisers sunk in the Battle of Jutland underscored the invalidity of this doctrine. .

The main flaw in the design of the cruiser was the lack of deck protection, against plunging artillery fire. Obviously, as the combat distances increased, the arc described by the projectiles also increased. Cruisers were designed to attack fast and relatively close targets, their flank armor providing ample protection. Ironically, it was this same design flaw that caused Hood's tragic loss in 1941, and gave the USS Alaska-class cruisers "white elephant" status during World War II.

During this crucial night of June 1, Her Majesty's ships anchor at Rosynth and Scapa Flow. Warships lucky enough to escape destruction and return home are scarred by the harshness of conflict, their crews are dead or wounded, and the fate of England now hangs in the balance. An outnumbered German fleet showed great tactical ability off Denmark, destroying seven main vessels and eight Royal Navy destroyers, and capturing four. Germany's confirmed losses so far are four main ships, three destroyers, one submarine, and an as yet unknown number of torpedo boats. This battle is a shock for the Royal Navy. In addition to the loss of the British buildings, Admiral Beatty, Admiral Hood and many British officers disappeared and are presumed dead.


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