JELLICOE AND JUTLAND.

NZ Truth, Issue 811, 28 May 1921, Page 3

JELLICOE AND JUTLAND.

'Murkan riaval authorities do not mince matters m describing the conduct of Admiral Jellicoe at the Battle of Jutland. W. A. Chadbourne, m the San Francisco "Examiner," speaks bluntly of "naval fiasco," and makes clear to the layman by a series of maps that Jellicoe lost the Battle of Jutland by failure to follow the rule of Admirals Nelson,* Paul Jones, arid. Mahan to; "close m and light," Beatty fought without hesitation, and as effectively as the weakness of his force permitted. Jellicoe, with the main fleet, evaded the enemy and allowed him to escape. There was a clear channel known as "Horn . Reef Channel" which the Germans kept free from mines so that their ships could comp out into the open sea from Heligoland and the Kiel. Canal. This channel could only be used m 'daylight, and this fact was krfown to the British Naval authorities, who also knew the exact location of the channel. The dream of (British Naval policy was to .catch the Germans m the open sea and interpose a force between them and this entrance to their base. The opportunity arrived; but our gallant Guv-Gen-To-Be did not avail himself of it. Beatty, with a small squadron — seven thirty- fifths of the British fleet — engaged the whole German fleet for two hours. Jellicoe, with twenty-seven thirty-fifths of the British fleet, then came up; but Instead of closing m on the enemy, deployed m a way that put the Grand (Fleet out of effective range. The Germans started for home, and the British fleet, although m superior strength — as eight is to five-^-turned away, ostensibly to avoid torpedo attacks. Night came on, and the Germans were cut off from their base. It was known that they could not pass the Horn Reef Channel except m daylight, and they would have to rendezvous outside. "Was Jellicoe at the channel at daylight to intercept the Germans?" asks Chadbourne, "No, the Grand Fleet was far away from the channel entrance. Again it declined battle." In addition to a preponderance of as eight to five m ships, the British Fleet was heavier m gun fire as three is to one. Jellicoe's "turn away" movement may have saved some ships; but it prolonged the war by at least two years, cost the lives of several millions of men, and piled additional thousands of millions' on to the national debt. Admiral Byng was sentenced to death and shot on his own quarter deck for his "turn away" movement at Minorca m 1756, and Torrlngton was court-martialled for 'his failure against thp Dutch at Beachy Head. Fortunately for Jellicoe, he lives m. more tolerant times. All that happened to him was that he was shunt ■ to the Admiralty Office, and afterwards sent out as a fitting GovOen for this faithful and ultra loyal, if little (Dominion.