The engagement was the result of the high commands of the two nations' eagerness to give their publics a victory in contrast to the stalemate on the ground in Western Europe (the Battle of Verdun had been underway for three months at the time the opposing fleets sortied). Both navies had plans to lure the other's battlecruisers into a trap where they could be defeated by a superior force of battleships.[1]
In the event, the battle had no impact on the course of the war and victory was claimed by both sides.
26 × light cruisers 79 × destroyers (including one destroyer-minelayer)
11 × light cruisers 61 × torpedo boats
The British capital ships carried a larger weight of broadside—332,360 lb (150,760 kg) compared to 134,216 lb (60,879 kg)—than the German ones.[2]
The German Navy's torpedo boats were of similar size and function to the destroyers in the Royal Navy, and are often referred to as such.[citation needed]
Began sortie from Scapa Flow 9.30pm 28 May[4]
The Grand Fleet[5][6] was the main body of the British Home Fleets in 1916, based at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands and Invergordon on the Cromarty Firth in Scotland.[b]
This squadron, temporarily attached to the Grand Fleet from the Battle Cruiser Fleet, was stationed ahead of the main body, with the intention that it join Beatty when the action began.
Rear-Admiral The Hon. Horace Lambert Alexander Hood†
This force of high-speed ships was subordinate to the Commander in Chief of the Grand Fleet, but operated independently as an advanced guard, intended to reconnoiter the enemy fleet and to engage enemy scouting forces. At its core were six battlecruisers, accompanied by 13 light cruisers, and escorted by 18 destroyers and an early aircraft carrier.
[q] Sortied from Firth of Forth soon after 6.00pm 30 May[4]
Vice-Admiral Sir David Richard Beatty in HMS Lion
The 5th Battle Squadron was a special unit of fast Queen Elizabeth-class battleships, intended to act as the vanguard of the main battle line. At the Battle of Jutland, it operated with the Battlecruiser Fleet, and was escorted by the 1st Destroyer Flotilla.[v]
Rear-Admiral Hugh Evan-Thomas Sortied from Firth of Forth with Battle Cruiser Fleet soon after 6.00pm 30 May
It is perhaps significant that all [British World War I] losses in big ships (Audacious, Indefatigable, Invincible, Queen Mary and Vanguard) were finally due to internal explosions, whereas no large German ships were lost from this cause.
— H.M. Le Fleming, Warships of World War I (1961), p. 37
Commander, Scouting Forces (Befehlshaber die Aufklärungsstreitkräfte): VizeadmiralFranz Hipper
During the battle the Germans used the Zeppelin airships of the Naval Airship Section (Marine Luftschiff Abteilung) for scouting, although in the prevailing overcast conditions they were not particularly successful.
The commander of the Naval Airship Section was KorvettenkapitänPeter Strasser, and they flew from bases at Nordholz and Hage in north-west Germany and Tondern (then part of Schleswig; the town became part of Denmark in 1920).
Sortied on 31 May
L.9: KptzS August Stelling (Army Officer, on the inactive list)
^ In the First World War, German officers ranks were slightly higher in status: both Kapitän zur See and Fregattenkapitän were considered equivalent to a Captain in the Royal Navy; Korvettenkapitän was equivalent to a RN Commander; and Kapitänleutnant and Oberleutnant zur See to an RN Lieutenant (there was no German equivalent of a RN Lieutenant-Commander).[3] To avoid ambiguities (e.g. "Capt" could mean Kapitän zur See or Fregattenkapitän), the NATO system is employed.
^2nd Battle Squadron, 1st Cruiser Squadron and most of the 11th Destroyer Flotilla were at Invergordon, the remainder at Scapa Flow.
^The 2nd Cruiser Squadron had just absorbed Minotaur, Hampshire and Donegal from the disbanded 7th Cruiser Squadron on 30 May 1916. Did not sail: HMS Achilles: Capt. F. M. Leake, which was in dock, and HMS Donegal: Capt. W. H. D'Oyly, which was on detached service
^ There is confusion about the exact name of this officer: the Navy List throughout the period 1914–1923, and the London Gazette in 1916 (announcing his CB) give his name as listed here. However in both earlier and later editions of the Navy List, in his service record, as well as in some (but not all) earlier editions of the London Gazette list him as Arthur Cloudesly Shovel Hughes D'Aeth; the probate records for England and Wales (reporting his death on 23 August 1956) list him as Arthur Cloudesley Shovell Hughes D'Aeth; his obituary in The Times (Saturday, 25 Augusut 1956, pg. 11; Issue 53619) gives his name as Arthur Cloudesley Shovel Hughes-D'Aeth. There was similar confusion about the spelling of the name of his namesake, the 18th century admiral; in his case 'Cloudesley Shovell' seems to be the accepted spelling nowadays[citation needed]
^These did not form part of the line of battle; Abdiel was attached for tactical minelaying and Oak as a tender to the flagship. In addition the seaplane carrier HMS Campania: Capt Oliver Schwann sailed from Scapa Flow at 0130 hrs, 31 May, but was too slow to catch the fleet and was ordered to return at 0430 hrs 31 May; and the kite balloon tender HMS Menelaus: Cdr C. W. N. McCulloch, did not sail[citation needed]
^Four destroyers detached from the 4th and 12th Destroyer Flotillas as escorts for the 2nd Cruiser Squadron.[7]
^Based at Cromarty Firth except for HMS Marne, HMS Manners, HMS Michael and HMS Mons at Scapa Flow. Did not sail: Musketeer (refit) and Marmion (refit).
^Did not sail: Mameluke (refit, Glasgow) and Napier (refit, Glasgow); also HMS Mischief assigned to Group 8/4th D.F.
^Attached from 5th Light Cruiser Squadron of the Harwich Force.
^I-class destroyers (except Ophelia) attached from 4th Destroyer Flotilla.
^Also known at different times during the war as Cruiser Force A, and the Battle Cruiser Force. At the time of Jutland, British battle cruisers were organized in three squadrons of three ships each, plus a fleet flagship. One of these Squadrons, the 3rd, was temporarily detached to the main body of the Grand Fleet. In addition there were three light cruiser squadrons and the 13th Destroyer Flotilla assigned (augmented at Jutland by additional attached destroyers). The Battle Cruiser Fleet was based at Rosyth on the Firth of Forth, Scotland.
^Did not sail: HMAS Australia: Capt S. H. Radcliffe, usual flagship of RADM Pakenham, which was in dock at Devonport.
^The 9th Destroyer Flotilla was part of the Harwich Force; this group of six destroyers were attached to the Battle Cruiser Fleet at the time of Jutland, and sailed under this designation with the organization given below.[11]
^HMS Queen Elizabeth: Capt. G. P. W. Hope was being overhauled at Rosyth and did not sail
^ Did not sail: SMS König Albert: KptzS Thorbecke (condenser breakdown), SMS Bayern: KptzS Max Hahn (new construction, working up at Kiel), tender SMS T.39.
^ Did not sail: SMS Berlin: FKpt Hildebrand, at Wilhelmshaven; and SMS Brummer: KptzS Wilhelm Schulz, at Kiel.
^Flagship of the Leader of U-Boats: ‘‘KptzS’’ Hermann Bauer, attached to the 4th Scouting Group for tactical purposes.
^German torpedo boat flotillas typically comprised two half-flotillas of five vessels each, plus an additional vessel for the flotilla commander. The boats were given numbers sequentially based on the order in which they were built. In addition, each boat had an initial letter denoting its builder: V for the Vulcan works at Stettin, S for the Schichau Works at Elbing in East Prussia, B for the Blohm und Voss Works at Hamburg, and G for Krupp's Germania Works at Kiel. All but one of the boats that fought at Jutland belonged to the number series than began with SMS V1 in 1911 (only SMS V189 belonged to the earlier series). Boats numbered 1-24 were of the 1911 Type[16] and served in the 5th and 7th Flotillas; boats numbered in the range 25-95 were of the 1913 Type[17] and served in the 1st, 3rd, 6th and 9th Flotillas. The vessels in the 2nd Flotilla were of a special large type built in 1914-15 and designated Torpedobootzerstörer ("torpedo boat destroyers")
.[18]
^ Attached to the 4th Scouting Group for tactical purposes.
^Did not sail: 2nd Half-Flotilla (2. halbsflottille), consisting of SMS G192: OLtzS Mewis, SMS G195: KptLt Mickel, SMS G196: KptLt Frhr von Seld, SMS G193: KptLt Oswald Paul and SMS S165: OLtzS Johannes-Henning Schneider, all under the command of FKpt Hans Kolbe.
^Did not sail: SMS V190: Lt(Reserve) Bon-Ed, and SMS G197: KptLt Crelinger.
^Did not sail: SMS V74: KptLt Günther Ehrlich, and SMS G85: KptLt Hans Herbert Stobwasser.
^ Groos, Jutland Dispatches, Anlage 6./7. states KptLt Otto Karlowa in SMS S54 was the leader of the 6th Half-Flotilla on 30 May 1916; however from the narrative (Groos, Jutland Dispatches, p.304) it is clear that Riedel in V48 led the half-flotilla during the battle until the vessel was sunk in action and he was killed; the Second World War destroyer Z6 was named in Riedel's honor.[19]
^Did not sail: SMS G172, refitting; sailed, but returned to port prior to action: SMS V186: KptLt Wedigo von Keyserling.
^Sentenced to life imprisonment for war crimes at the Nuremberg Trials in 1946
^Did not sail: SMS Graudenz: KptLt Beucer, under repair at Wilhelmshaven, and SMS Stralsund: ‘‘KptzS’’ Weniger, in dock at Kiel.
^ Attached to the 2nd Scouting Group for tactical purposes.
^Did not sail: SMS S49: KptLt Bauftaedt and SMS V43: KptLt Carl.