Famous Victory

THE RIDDLE OF JUTLAND -- Langhorne Gibson & Vice-Admiral J. E. T. Harper--Coward-McCann ($4).

"But what good came of it at last?" Quoth little Peterkin. "Why, that I cannot tell," said he; "But 'twas a famous victory."

--Robert Southey.

Biggest naval battle of the Great War, according to the Germans, was the victory of their High Sea Fleet at Skagerrak, May 31, 1916; according to the British, the victory of their Grand Fleet at Jutland, the same date. As even little Peterkin or little Wilhelmine might have pointed out, this could hardly be so, since the two battles were one and the same. Like other contemporary mix-ups, however, the action was so far from clean-cut that both sides could claim a victory and both sides did. Eighteen years after the event, Authors Gibson & Harper do their Allied best to prove that England really won. Neutral U. S. readers, however, will still feel that much can be repeated on both sides.

First news of the battle was broadcast by Germany, whose fleet got back to Wilhelmshaven 24 hours before Jellicoe's sea-dogs limped in to their base at Scapa Flow. By the time the British Admiralty got around to contradicting the German report, Englishmen and the world at large were inclined to think that Germany had had the better of it. As far as damage goes, official figures still support their claim--British losses: 14 ships (112,000 tons), 6,094 men; German losses: 11 ships (60,000 tons), 2,551 men. But German Admiral Scheer was first to quit the scene of battle, never again ventured out to seek a general engagement. England's Grand Fleet, though never used as a unit in battle, was still unchallenged mistress of the seas.

Authors Gibson & Harper supply an excellent description of the Jutland battle, an enlightening series of pictorial charts. For those still interested in the Jellicoe-Beatty controversy they reiterate the facts, hazard a verdict: both were British seamen.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.