New-York tribune., 1919-02-13
.Jellicoe Tells of
Jutland Sea Fight;
Lauds Grand Fleet
Former British Commander
Says England Did Not
Have Supposed Superb
ority When War Started

LONDON, Feb. 12.--The dangers to
which the British Grand Fleet, short of
cruisers, destroyers and with defence
less bases, was exposed during the mrs,
two and a half years of the war owing
to the German use of submarines.
mines and tourpedoes are described in
book written by Admiral Viscount
Jelllcoe, former commander of the fleet
and published day, covering the ac-
tivities Of 1914-I6.
Admiral Jellicoe points out that the
German high seas feet possessed
elghty-eight destroyers, compared with
forty-two for the Grand Fleet, and
reveals that owing to the submarine
menace the Grand Fleet in the fall Of
1914 moved from Lough Swilly and re-
turned to the North Sea only when the
anchorage in Scapa Flow became rea-
sonably safe.
Took No Chances
One third of the admiraNs book is
devoted to the Battle cf Jutland. In
summing up the lessons of the battle
Admiral Jelllcoe dwells upon "the dan
ger involved IN leaving too much to
chance in fleet action, because our feet
was the one and only factor vital to
the existence Of the empire and, indeed.
to the Allied cause.
we had no reserve outside the battle
meet which could in any way replace it
IN the event of disaster, or even should
ltS margin of superiority be eliminat-
ed" the admiral continues.
When the battle fleets approached
there was q difference of reckoning
between the British battle fleet and the
attle-cruiser squadrons, due to the
cruisers having been engaged for sew
eral hours and having repeatedly al
tered their course. Hence, instead of
beng encountered right ahead the enc
my appeared on the starboard bow"
Instant action was necessary. the
admiral says, and he decided to deploy
on the port wing division, thus com
pelilng the Germans to turn off to star
board to avoid being crossed. This
manpuvre, which has been described
as mastery by reviewers, threw the
enemy into complete confusion. The
German commander in chief realized
that his only hope lay in escape, and
proited by his superiority in torpedo
craft low VISIBILITY, the approach Of
darkness and the proximity of his bases
and mine fields.
he enemy at this period fired hun
dreds of torpedoes, as German officers
have since stated Admiral Jellicoe
continues, "and though the Germans
were in the gravest peril, the position
of the Grand Fleet itself was menaced
by determined torpedo attacks in thick
weather.
But the British feet by turning its
battle line four times during the ac-
ton" the admiral says, got clear of
the torpedoes which were racing toward
the British ships and defeated the
tactics upon which the Germans based
their hopes" Admiral Jellicoe pays
tribute to the skill of his captains in
handling their ships and avoiding tor
pedoes and collisions whle keeping
their positions.
After estimating the relative strengths
OF the two fleets early in the war, Ad-
mlral Jellicoe expresses surprise that
the Germans were so cautions, and
says:
"If this country in the future decides
to rely for safety against raids or in
vaslon on the fleet alone, it is essen
tlal that we possess a considerably
greater margin of superiority over a
possible enemy in all classes of yes
sells than we did in August, 1914"