Dan Snow's History Hit The Battle of Jutland
Oct 12, 2025
Andrew Lambert, Laughton Professor of Naval History at King's College London, dives into the pivotal Battle of Jutland. He explores Britain's fears of the German Navy as a formidable rival and the strategic implications of the battle's outcome. Lambert discusses the tactics employed, including Jellicoe's line-ahead formation and Scheer's ambush strategy, alongside the impact of technological advancements. He raises the question of whether the battle was a British strategic victory or merely a missed opportunity, revealing its lasting consequences for both navies.
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Germany Was A Formidable But Restricted Naval Power
- The Imperial German Navy was the first near-peer fleet Britain had faced ship-for-ship and man-for-man.
- Germany's navy was strategically limited despite its tactical quality, confined to the North Sea and Wilhelmshaven.
Stalemate Until Someone Took A Risk
- Both fleets adopted cautious strategies and waited for the other to take risk, producing a standoff in the North Sea.
- Somebody had to accept risk for a decisive fleet action to occur, which both sides tried to engineer differently.
Intelligence Made The British Move First
- British codebreaking (Room 40) gave advance warning of German movements and was decisive in setting up the encounter.
- Radio traffic and poor German radio procedures let the British sail before the Germans expected them.
