Battle of Jutland (1916)

On 31 May/1 June 1916, the Battle of Jutland was fought between the world’s two largest navies – the German High Seas Fleet and the British Grand Fleet. The main naval encounter of the First World War, the Battle of Jutland is generally considered to have ended inconclusively, although the British suffered the highest casualties.

Great Britain lost three dreadnoughts, three armoured cruisers, one flotilla leader and seven destroyers, suffering around seven thousand casualties. Germany lost one battle and four light cruisers, five destroyers and one light cruiser, suffering some three thousand casualties. British naval superiority meant that her losses were less significant, however, and the Imperial German Fleet was unable to break the naval blockade established by the Allies at the start of the war.

Dowager Empress Maria Fyodorovna wrote to her son, Tsar Nicholas II, from Kiev: “Have just received a telegr[am] from ?[unt] Alix – in despair that they lost six battleships! But I think and hope that the Germans have suffered even more.” Nicholas wrote back to his mother three days later from Stavka in Mohilev: “The naval battle near Jutland should be considered a British victory, despite the heavy losses, because the German fleet simply fled to its ports.”