Battle of Jutland: 100 Years Anniversary

The Battle of Jutland, which began on 31 May 1916, was the only major naval battle of the First World War, and the only time that the German High Seas Fleet and the British Grand Fleet confronted each other. The battle was fought in the North Sea, off the coast of Denmark’s Jutland peninsula. The battle was “confused and bloody”, with the British losing 14 ships and over 6,000 men, and the Germans losing eleven ships and over 2,500 men. After the battle both sides claimed victory. The German Fleet had inflicted greater losses on the British Fleet, but the Grand Fleet remained the dominant naval force after the battle. The British navy were able to secure its control of shipping lanes, allowing Britain to implement the blockade, which according to Nick Hewett of the Imperial War Museums, “contribut[ed] to Germany’s eventual defeat in 1918”.

The British Government has announced that it will hold a series of commemorations to mark the centenary of the battle, including a number of events in the Orkney Islands.