JUTLAND

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 11 August 1924, Page 9

JUTLAND

VIEWS OF GERMAN. LORD JELLICOE’S REPLY. < CBY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) \ViMjLLNGTON, Aug. 11. Lord Jellicoe’s reply to Admiral Von Seiieer. a? published in tlie morning newspapers, is incomplete. The i,ondon Evening Standard, telev.pning to Lord Jellicoe, attributes to Admiral von bciieer the statements: 1* irstly, that the Germans were able to ■torn owing to the hesitating fashion in which the British came into action and the manner in winch they turned from the enemy torpedo offensive.. Secondly, that the British couid have engageu the Germans next morning when the British, at the time they were sighted by a German Zeppelin, were in a position to interpose between the Germans and their base. Thirdly, that the. British deployment to port during the battle was a vital mistake, and that had they deployed to starboard the German turn would have been impossible. .uord Jellicoe finds it difficult to believe that Admiral von Seheer, know,g the lacts, could express such views, but as they were widely reported in the English press he (Lord Jellicoe) acceded to the readiest of the Evening Standard and telegraphed' to the fol lowing effect: Firstly, there was no hesitation in commencing the action. The difficulty of “remaining” in action was due to the persistent retreating movements, which were invisible from the centre of the British line, being covered by smoke screens. The. disappearance of the Germans from view was taken as due >to the thickening mist. The British turn from a torpedo offensive could not facilitate the German turn, as the latter occurred five minutes before the British turn.

Secondly, the British were 40 p iles from the .Germans when the Zeppelin was sighted, and fhe Germans were then entering a “swept channel in the minefields.”

Thirdly, deploy'ment is well discussed in Sir Julian Corbett’s History of Naval Operations, Volume 111., ' and Brassey’s Annual, ,1924.. Deployment to starboard would have facilitated the Germ ail retreat, but deployment to port gave the Biitish the advantage of light. It crossed the Germans and placed the British between the Germans and Heligoland,