The Battle of Jutland

The Admirals

Photograph of Admiral Sir John Jellicoe and his flagship, the battleship HMS Iron Duke.
Admiral Sir John Jellicoe and his flagship, the battleship HMS Iron Duke.

Admiral Sir John Jellicoe (1859-1935)
As Commander of the British Grand Fleet, Jellicoe's general approach was one of caution. He was influenced in particular by advice from the Admiralty that the Germans had perfected a new kind of torpedo that gave off no surface bubbles and was therefore virtually undetectable.

The information proved false, but it was sufficient for Admiral Jellicoe, before the Battle of Jutland, to insist that he would turn his fleet away from such weapons if attacked - and the Admiralty had agreed to this.

This seemed a wise plan as the British Grand Fleet had little to gain from a victory and everything to lose by a defeat.

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