In this rôle of covering the operations of the submarines the German Battle Fleet had a very important influence upon the ensuing stages of the War. It was altogether a delusion to think that the career of the German fleet had been ended at Jutland—and that it “never came out.” On the contrary, Admiral Scheer’s fleet kept a wide area cleared for the egress and entrance of the German U-boats in their destructive campaign. If the German fleet had been destroyed in the Jutland action, it would have been possible for the Allies to put in place and maintain mine barrages close to the German bases. There is no need to add anything to this statement to show the great results that would have been gained, if the British had been able to win a decision in the Battle of Jutland.
* * * * *
The losses in the battle were as follows:
BRITISH
| Tons | ||
| Queen Mary | (Battle Cruiser) | 26,350 |
| Indefatigable | (Battle Cruiser) | 18,800 |
| Invincible | (Battle Cruiser) | 17,250 |
| Defence | (Armored Cruiser) | 14,600 |
| Warrior | (Armored Cruiser) | 13,550 |
| Black Prince | (Armored Cruiser) | 13,350 |
| Tipperary | (Destroyer) | 1,430 |
| Nestor | (Destroyer) | 890 |
| Nomad | (Destroyer) | 890 |
| Turbulent | (Destroyer) | 1,100 |
| Fortune | (Destroyer) | 965 |
| Ardent | (Destroyer) | 935 |
| Shark | (Destroyer) | 935 |
| Sparrowhawk | (Destroyer) | 935 |
| Total tonnage | 111,980 | |
GERMAN
| Killed and wounded: | |
| British (approximately) | 6,600 |
| German | 3,076 |
In the early British accounts of the battle there were fanciful tales of pursuit of the German ships, through the night, and even after Admiral Jellicoe’s Report the British public did not at first realize the situation at the end of the action. But after a time, when this was better understood, there arose one of the greatest naval controversies that have ever agitated Great Britain, centered around the alleged “defensive” naval policy for maintaining the supremacy of Great Britain on the seas,—the pros and cons as to closing the Germans while there was light, and keeping in touch through the dark hours.
This controversy as to the Battle of Jutland has been carried on with bitterness in Great Britain, and volumes of matter have been written that will be utterly useless, so far as a true story of the action is concerned. Partisans have made the mistake of putting on record arguments that have been founded on phases of the British operations—with imaginary corresponding situations of the enemy, which never existed in actual fact. The preceding account may be relied upon as tracing the main events of the battle—and the real course of the action shows that many briefs must be thrown out of court.