THE JUTLAND EIGHT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLV, Issue 10169, 28 July 1924, Page 5

THE JUTLAND EIGHT

ADMIRALTY’S ACCOUNT.

LORD JELLICOE’S COMMENT

COMPLICATION OF DESPATCHES (Per Press Association—Copyright.) (Received July 28, 11.45 a.m.) (“Sun” Cable.) LONDON, July 27. Hie Admiralty has published an official account of the Jutland battle, with diagrams illustrating the positions of the ships during the battle. The narrative is based on admirals’ despatches and individual ship’s reports. The introduction emphasises the difficulty of attempting to ascertain the movements of individual ships with clear and definite precision in a battle in which 154 British Hags and pennants were flying. The volume includes Lord Jellicoe’s comment on the official narrative, regretting that he is compelled to express any dissent, but he considers it his duty*to draw attention to a few important passages with which he is unable to agree. Lord Jellicoe defends Admiral Thomas from the imputation that he was responsible for the delay of the Fifth Battle Squadron from entering the battle. He points out that the signals for the entry of the squadron were made by flags, _ which naturally are not easily distinguishable. He deals with the difficulty arising from the receipt of the various reports, and points out that- the earlier reports led him to expect to reach the enemy’s battle fleet ahead. This expectation was based on reports from Admiral Beatty’s flagship. Lion, from Southampton. Lord Jellicoe gives a lengthy account of the information available regarding the position of the German Fleet at night after the second engagement. He adds that on many points the official narrative is only partially correct or misleading. The narrative fails to give a true idea of the confusion caused by contradictory reports, the effect of which were felt through the action. The Admiralty Lords follow Lord Jollicoe’s comment with copious footnotes, and express their satisfaction that the compilers of the narrative adhere to the facts and are more in accord with the evidence available where it differs from Lord Jellicoe’s. Sir Walter Windham, criticising Lord Jellicoe’s comment-, points out that the British did not pursue the Germans, southward, where they might have driven the enemy on to a British minefield, and asks why Lord Jellicoe failed to intercept the enemy when not handicapped more than the Germans, who steamed 175 miles and crossed the stern of the British during the night.