JUTLAND

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 7 August 1924, Page 5

JUTLAND

-.DISCLOSURES BY ADMIRAL. GERMAN POINT OF VIEW. A CHANCE MISSED. B 1 CABLE —PB.KSB ASSOCIATION—COPVBIOIi'i', j LONDON, Aug;. 5. The special correspondent of the Daily Express at Oppeln interviewed Admiral ischeer and obtained disclosures relating to Jutland which were not made in Admiral Scheer’s war book. Admiral Scheer says: “1 was completely surprised. to encounter the British fleet, as we only intended a cruiser raid.” He declares that Adftiiral Beatty’s wide turning movement would have had far-reaching effects it it had been properly supported. “With the British fleet semi-circling us, l had to. attempt to save the German fleet from destruction,” added Admiral Scheer. “This was only possible by a manoeuvre, turning all together, which was magnificently carried out, though hitherto unprecedented in any war.” Admiral Scheer declared: ‘‘lf Lord Jellicoe had wished to bring the German fleet into action on the following morning he could have done so. If Lord Jellicoe had deployed to starboard, instead of to port, he would have brought a decisive action and prevented our turn altogether, the manoeuvre which alone saved us. It would have been worth Lord Jellicoe’s while to have lost half his ships if thereby he conltt have utterly destroyed our fleet.”

A senior British officer, who was present at Jutland, interviewed with reference to Admiral Scheer’s statement, agreed with the suggestion that Lord Jellicoe ought to have deployed to starboard instead of to port, wlrich would have placed the Germans between Lord Jellicoe’s and Lord Beatty’s ships, when it would have been improbable that any German ship could escape. But Admiral Scheer was quite wrong in saying that an action could have been forced on the following morning. The Germans were then inside Horn’s Reef, and the British fleet could not have interposed. Lord Jellicoe’s decisions in the light of later knowledge might appear wrong, added the officer, hut they had to be instantly taken when Lord Jellicoe was carrying heavier responsibility than any other individual in the whole war, for if the British fleet had been lost Britain would have been out of the war.