Clash of the Capital Ships

Book excerpt: The Battle of Jutland, May 31–June 1, 1916, pitted Great Britain and Imperial Germany—the two largest fleets of World War I—against one another for the first time. At that time, it would be the largest clash of capital ships in the history of modern naval warfare. Arguably, the outcome of World War I was at stake. Focusing on the many fine studies of naval encounters in the North Sea and the primary sources that appeared as the centennial of this clash approached, Eric Dorn Brose seized an opportunity to reexamine Jutland, its pre-history, and aftermath. Considering new scholarship within the context of extant literature, the author reveals why each side claimed a victory that belonged to Britain and its cautious admiral, Sir John Jellicoe by examining the key roles naval and political leaders in Germany and Great Britain played during the fight. With an awareness of previous research, and a lively, fresh approach, Brose provides a concise history of the Jutland clash and the era of naval combat itself.