THE BATTLE OF JUTLAND

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 88, 8 January 1926, Page 9

THE BATTLE OF JUTLAND

CONTROVERSY AS TO THE EFFICIENCY OF THE FLEETS DIVERGENT VIEWS OF BRITISH ADMIRALS WHY BRITAIN WAS ROBBED OF VICTORY Vice-Admiral Sir Cecil Lambert, reviewing Admiral von Tirpitz’s pronouncement on the Battle of Jutland, declares that the German ships were more efficient than the British, and that to this fact the lack of success, was mainly due. Admiral Sir Reginald Bacon, however, affirms that any suggestion that the German fleet was not sunk at Jutland because the British ships and guns were inferior to the enemy’s is utterly untrue. The British guns, he says, were as accurate, or more accurate, than the German, and it was 11. _ i _£? JI —2. tLr.4- z-x .1 /-v-P vi nrAW

By Telegraph—Press Association. Copyright.

London, January 6. Vice-Admiral Sir Cecil Lambert, in an exclusive review in the “Daily Express” of the German Admiral von Tirpitz’s pronouncement, says:—“This is the most interesting pronouncement hitherto made on the battle of Jutland: (1) Owing to its source, and (2) because most naval officers do not dispute that in the main Admiral von Tirpitz’s account is true. I leave out the personal aspects, which do not interest the pub-

lie. “The lack of success at Jutland was mainly due to the fact that, ship for ship, gun for gun, and engine for engine, there was a higher standard of efficiency in the German fleet than any British fleet could claim. Hie great assets on which the British Admiral could rely on the outbreak of war was the incomparable personnel of Ins ships. Otherwise it would have been a melancholv experience to find that all the public money expended on the assurance of getting the best that money and science could provide produced such meagre results. “If we look to rhe cause the. probable explanation will be found in the obsession of secrecy bv expert depart- •' ments dealing in the technical details -of ships* armaments. Whatever • the cause, it was certainly proved that German artillery and torpedo fire was of a higher standard than ours, that our guns lacked range and our torpedoes lacked accuracv of fire and efficiency of detonation. Wireless had been revolutionised after war was declared, and errors in ship construction remedied amid all the haste and expense of wartime. . . - , ,"So much for the past. Admiral von Tirpitz will not have written vainly if his article' prompts a public demand ' for an assurance that these errors have been made good, not merely by departmental assurance in Parliament, but bv practical tests. We know that the Ad- ; miraltv can at present send to sea ohly five efficient cruisers, after an expendi- * ture of upwards of five • hundred mil- • lions sterling since the Armistice. It is ‘ believed that such practical tests as the Fleet has made since the war have not provided the necessary assurance. It is time that the cards were put on the s table.”—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ■ [Admiral von Tirpitz, in an article in the “Daily Express,” in which he declared that the duration of the war ' was the fault of the Allies, slated that the Battles of Coronel and Falklands constituted a warning to Britain not to under-estimate the fighting qualities of the German fleet, while Jutland effectively proved German superiority. “History,” he said, "will decide whether Britain was right in favouring a war of attrition in preference to risking her fleet in a contest in which the result might have been doubtful. When the German fleet emerged in 191 G it had another purpose. The Battle of Jutland resulted as the merest chance. It was a surprise to botli sides.” Proceeding to describe in detail the movements of the battle, the German Admiral repeated his opinion that Admiral Jellicoe acted correctly. In view of the

tremendous numerical superiority of the British Fleet and the absolute confidence of the average Englishman in its material and personal ascendacy, a hesitating naval strategy would have been difficult to explain.] ADMIRAL BACON IN REPLY BRITISH GUNS ACCURATE AS GERMAN “SHORTAGE OF DAYLIGHT ROBBED US OF VICTORY” (Rec. January 7, 7.25 p.m.) London, January C. Admiral Sir Reginald Bacon, replying to Vice-Admiral Sir Cecil Lambert, in the “Daily Express,” declares that he has no hesitation in saying that any suggestion that the German fleet was sunk at Jutland because our ships, guns, engines, and torpedoes were inferior to those of the enemv was utterly untrue. “The only ships of any size that Britain lost at Jutland,” Admiral Bacon proceeds, "were battle-cruisers and one armoured cruiser. Had all the battlecruisers been lost as the outcome of the battle, the fleet in action would not have been affected. The speed of our best Dreadnoughts was slightly superior to the best German. We did not catch the Germans because we only sighted them at 6 o’clock in the evening. giving us three hours’ daylight. If Admiral Jellicoe had been mad enough to chase the Germans when they turned and ran, then the stronger German ships would barely have been visible and the weaker ships have been 3000 to 6000 yards outside visible distance when darkness came. No possible excess speed would have, enabled Admiral Jellicoe to catch up and sink the German fleet in three hours.

The British guns were as accurate, or more accurate, than the German, and the system of fire control was admittedly far superior, but only' twice did any portion of the German battle fleet come under the fire of our main battleships. That was between 6 and 6.30 o’clock. When Admiral Scheer had a taste of our gunnerv he ran away. Later he came under fire for another ten or twelve minutes, his leading ships being badly miauled. Again he ran like a hare, but the shortage of daylight robbed us of victory. > As the German ships had been built for North Sea work, and ours for world-wide service, the Germans could afford more weight of armour. Admiral Bacon concludes by counselling the public to use their commonsense and trust in the Admiralty designing staff which, he declares, is the envy of all nations. “They are not traitors or careless to the trust in them, ■ and laugh at scaremongers.”—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.