HISTORY #5: 100 years since the Battle of Jutland!

The 2nd Division of the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet prepares
to open fire on the German High Seas Fleet.

The 31st of May 2016 marks 100 years since Britain and Germany fought each other in the Battle of Jutland. It was the biggest fight to take place on sea during World War One and happened in the North Sea, just off the coast of Denmark. British ships had set sail to stop the German fleet and there was an expectation that Britain would win the battle. Britain's navy was superior to Germany's - they had a bigger fleet and more firepower. But the battle didn't unfold as simply as many thought it would do. Around 100,000 men were involved in the battle of Jutland and 250 ships. The battle was fought over 36 hours from 31 May to 1 June, 1916. The German High Seas Fleet was under the command of the Admiral Reinhard Scheer. In charge of the British fleet that day was Admiral Sir John Jellicoe. It brought together the two most powerful naval forces of the time and it became the largest sea battle in naval warfare history in terms of the numbers of battleships involved. More than 6,000 Britons and 2,500 Germans died. Who won the battle? The Germans claimed victory, as they lost fewer ships and men. The British press reported this and Admiral Jellicoe was criticized for being overly cautious in the battle and was later sacked. But within days, attitudes changes and Jutland was seen by some people as a victory for the British. This was because Germany never again tried to challenge the British Grand Fleet and stayed in their bases for the rest of the war. Who really won the Battle of Jutland is a topic that is still debated now, 100 years on. More information, details and photos from the battle here and here.

FLEETS #5: Royal Navy in WWI and WWII: classes, vessels and losses

In the following images they are depicted the most important classes of warships which were in service with the Royal Navy in World War I, all the vessels that were in service with Royal Navy in both World Wars and those were lost during these great wars. More posts will follow for your collection of current naval fleets but also of fleets from the past.

All the ships of Royal Navy in WWII (1939)

Click to enlarge and save the image to view the details - Royal Navy vessels in World War II. High resolution here. Image by Oscar Parkes for Daily Telegraph. They are included two of the Lion class battleships that never completed. Also notice two of the five King George V class battleships with the old names (Jellicoe, later Anson and Beatty, later Howe). Ships that their construction started after 1939 are not included such as the battleship HMS Vanguard.