The Jutland Controversy

Ever since the 1st of June, 1916, which in the opinion of some might have been more glorious than any other First of June in our history, the Navy has been torn with a "Jutland controversy" and the public has been debating a "Jutland mystery."

—Captain R. R. P. E. E. Drax, 1925.

The Jutland Controversy is a general term which can be applied to the debate in British naval, public, and later historical, circles, surrounding the Battle of Jutland in 1916.

Logs

In the Fair Signal Log (apparently since destroyed) was a disclaimer at 16:55:

4.55 p.m.—Most of the records of the outgoing visual signals were lost and destroyed in the action. The records had been sent down to the Port Signal Station to be logged, but, on account of bursting shells and smoke and fire, they got lost or destroyed. This log was preserved with difficulty, not before a hose had been turned on it.

It has been suggested by Andrew Gordon that the Rough Signal Log, far from being lost due by accident or enemy action, was deliberately lost in order to divest the flagship of responsibility for the delayed turn of the Fifth Battle Squadron around 17:00.

Naval Staff Appreciation of Jutland

In a memorandum of 26 July, 1922 to the D.C.N.S. and First Sea Lord, Haggard wrote:

It was approved verbally that an abridged edition of the 'Naval Staff Appreciation of the Battle of Jutland' should be prepared for issue to the Fleet, on the ground [sic] that many valuable lessons from the action ought to be placed at the disposal of those who it is necessary should profit by them.
The circulation of the 'Appreciation' itself has been suppressed but an edition which confines itself to statement of fact is in preparation for public issue.
The abridgement has proved a matter of considerable difficulty. The mental attitude of the writer was rather that of a counsel for the prosecution than of an impartial appraiser of facts, and obvious bias animates his statements throughout the book, leading to satirical observations and a certain amount of misrepresentation.

Narrative of the Battle of Jutland

Roger Keyes in his memoirs opined that the Narrative was an "authentic history":

the accuracy of which cannot be questioned, for it contains a clear official statement of fact without comment or deductions, free from prejudice and bias, compiled after a searching and exhaustive investigation of all British and available German reports by experienced and trustworthy naval officers.

Footnotes

Bibliography

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