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THE
GRAND FLEET
ADMIRAL JOHN R. JELLICOE
British Admiral John Rushworth
Jellicoe was born in 1859 at Southampton, England. After serving in the First
Peking Relief Expedition and the Boxer Rebellion, he commanded in various
capacities until his appointment as Commander-in-Chief of the British Grand
Fleet on August 4, 1914. Admiral Jellicoe's command of the Royal Navy's most
important fleet was highlighted by the need to contain Germany's new navy while
simultaneously maintaining a decisive commercial blockade. Under these
circumstances, it became imperative that the British Fleet not accept battle
under anything less than favorable conditions. This resulted in accusations of
timidity which were partially unjustified. He was afterall, probably the only
individual on either side who could have lost the war in a single day. The
Admiral led the largest fleet in the world through a period of enormous change,
during which a number of new technologies threatened to sway the balance of
power away from the battleships which composed a majority of British naval
strength at the time. The mere fact that Jellicoe took the time to educate
himself about these new technologies was commendable, although his occasionally
inaccurate declarations regarding them showed that not all of the lessons were
well taken.
Jellicoe, whose official title was Admiral Viscount
Jellicoe of Scapa, authored several books , including The Grand Fleet,
The Crisis of the Naval War and The Battle of Jutland Bank.
Selections of these many sources will be presented here with an emphasis on
major events and issues. |
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The Grand Fleet
From the original 1919 release of this first hand account of the British Navy
during World War One. |
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Preface
The Naval Situation in May, 1916
Chapter 11
The Battle of Jutland
Chapter 12a ·
Chapter 12b ·
Chapter 12c ·
Chapter 12d
The Battle of Jutland (continued)
Chapter 13a ·
Chapter 13b ·
Chapter 13c |
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