The Battle of Jutland

The largest naval battle of the First World War, and the largest naval battle in history was going to be fought in the North Sea near Jutland of Denmark. It started on Mai 31 and was Germans intention to lure and destroy a the Grand Fleet of Britain. Germany's fleet were to small to match the great fleet of Britain they did not aim to destroy the whole fleet but to destroy a part of it to release the British Naval blockade of the North Sea. This would allow German mercantile shipping to operate again. The British fleet on the other hand wanted to destroy the German fleet or at least keep the fleet away from their own shipping lanes. During the battle fourteen British and eleven German ships were sunk and both sides had a great loss of life


The battle only lasted one day, to June 1 1916 and afterwards both sides claimed victory of the battle. The British had lost more ships and many more sailors than the Germans, but the Germans did not successfully fulfill their goal eider.