Jutland (The History of World War One)

Britain, the undisputed master of the seas for a hundred years, had been under pressure from Germany’s naval ambitions for over a decade when the Battle of Jutland took place on 31st May–1st June 1916. With an eye on world domination, Germany had been racing to build a naval force strong enough to face her rival head-on in pitched battle. As the two nations clashed in the North Sea, just off the entrance to the Skagerrak and the Danish province of Jutland, both fielded large numbers of Dreadnought battleships, scouting cruisers, protecting destroyers, and torpedo boats.

In this book, military historian and Second World War naval officer Donald Macintyre analyses the action in detail to provide an unbiased version of events. Making great use of the available material, including other written works, he presents a thoroughly engaging and vivid account, capturing the intense drama of the last battle of the steam age. The addition of insights into the difficulties faced by politicians and commanders on both sides, as well as the strategic issues and decision-making processes, provides a thorough narrative and background to the events.

The fierce battle raged for twelve hours with heavy losses, as weather conditions hampered visibility and communication failures caused confusion. There were acts of great bravery and sacrifice on both sides, and there is controversy to this day over who won the day. The British suffered greater losses in terms of ships and men; however, the German surface fleet was denied access to the North Sea and the Atlantic for the remainder of the war. Germany avoided all fleet-to-fleet combat thereafter.

This is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of World War One and naval combat.