German postcard celebrating "the great German victory over the English" off Jutland, May 31, 1916. The Battle of Jutland (or of the Skagerrak) was the largest naval engagement of the war. Although, as on this card, the Germans declared victory, the outcome was less clear, and the German surface fleet did not again contest British control of the North Sea.
Der große Sieg der Deutschen über die EngländerSeeschlacht an Jütlands Küste 31. Mai 1916 - The great German victory over the EnglishNaval battle off the coast of Jutland, May 31, 1916
"The Defence was heavily engaged, salvoes dropping all around her. At 1815 a salvo hit her abaft the after turret and a big red flame flashed up. The ship heeled, then quickly righted herself and steamed on. But almost immediately another salvo struck between the forecastle turret and foremost funnel, and she was lost to sight in an enormous black cloud which, when it cleared, showed no signs of a ship at all."
At the end of May, 1916, the British (May 30) and German (the 31st) fleets moved into the North Sea with similar plans and deployments: a squadron of half a dozen ships to lure the enemy into the guns of a large battle fleet. Admiral Reinhard Scheer commanded the German High Sea Fleet, and Rear Admiral Franz Hipper his smaller battle squadron. Their British counterparts were Admiral John Jellicoe commanding the Grand Fleet, and David Beatty the squadron. Hipper's and Beatty's squadrons first exchanged fire at 3:48 PM. By 6:00 PM both fleets were engaged in the Battle of Jutland, the largest naval battle of the war. Defence had a failing shared with other British ships: its magazines were dangerously close to, and unprotected from, the gun turrets, and a direct hit on the turret could lead to the ignition of the magazine. Defence sank with all hands at 6:20. The British suffered heavier losses in the battle: 14 ships and 6,097 men to Germany's 11 ships and 2,551 men, but the British fleet remained the stronger, and the German surface fleet did not again contest control of the North Sea.
Naval Battles of the First World War by Geoffrey Bennett, page 181, copyright © Geoffrey Bennett 1968, 1974, publisher: Pan Books, publication date: 1983
1916-05-31, 1916, May, Battle of Jutland, Jutland
