BATTLE OF JUTLAND

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15863, 7 July 1919, Page 6

BATTLE OF JUTLAND

WAS JELLICOE TOO CANNY? IP GERMANY HAD WON. AN AMERICAN OPINION. The following article, dealing with the much-debated question of Lord Jellicoe’s tactics at Jutland, appeared in a recent number of the Scientific American. It is an interesting commentary by a scientific -journal on the Battle of Jutland. Its conclusions appear to support Admiral Jellicoe. With amazing, but commendable, frankness, Admiral Jellicoe has made known the fact that though the German fleet at the Battle of Jutland was inferior in numbers, it was superior in quality. No other conclusion is possible. Apparently it was only in gunpower and numbers that the British had the advantage, and even this was offset by the fact that the German shells carried a delay-action fuse, which caused them to-, hurst inside the ship. The British fuses were too sensitive—the burst occurring on the armour, of while passing through it. In view of the fact that w© perfected an armourpiercing, delay-action shell over 18 years ago, this revelation by Jellicoe will bo received with amazement.

GERMAN SHIPS SUPERIOR. Of equal, if not greater moment, is the announcement that the German ships were greatly superior in resistance to the torpedo. This was due to their greater beam, which permitted the construction of wider anti-torpedo spaces between the skin of the ship and the interior armoured longitudinal bulkheads. The blame for this lies at the door of the British people, who would not vote the appropriations for building the larger dry-docks necessary to accommodate the wider ships. Battleships were popular; dry-docks were not. This underwater protection saved many a German battleship at Jutland and elsewhere. The Goeben was found to have been torpedoed five times; but her inner bulkheads held, and the ship was still good for 15 knots. The later British ships, designed during the war, carry the “blister,” or bulge—which serves the purpose admirably, as the monitors proved on many occasions. A greater area of the German ships was armoured than of the British, and the average thickness of this armour was greater. Moreover, the deck protection was not only heavier, but it extended throughout the ship, the British being content to armour only the magazine and other vatals. Thus, we learn that nine of the earliest British Dreadnoughts, including several of the battle-cruisers, were without protection above the main deck, whereas all German ships were protected to the upper deck.

WAS JELLICOE EIGHT? In weighing this criticism we must bear in mind that Jellicoe has been severely criticised for not closing in to finish the German fleet His statement, therefore, is a defence of his policy. It “passes the buck” to the Naval Constructor, who, doubtless, will be heard .in his own defence. Until that is forthcoming it would be well to reserve judgment. Nor must we forget that the German naval critic. Captain Persius, recently wrote in the Tageblat.t: “Had the weather been clear, the destruction of the whole German navy would have resulted.” Was Jellicoe over-cautions ? That will ever remain a matter of opinion. The enemy had some 80 destroyers to ins 40. A night attack might have cost him one-half his fleet, and with the British command of the sea lost the whole Allied cause would have gone by the board. Thus, the British would have been cutoff from Prance. And we could not have stmt a man to Europe.