Battle of Jutland

Jutland, fought 31 May to 1 June 1916 in the North Sea, was the largest battleship action of the First World War, pitting Admiral Jellicoe’s British Grand Fleet against Admiral Scheer’s German High Seas Fleet. Britain lost more tonnage and more sailors, including three battlecruisers destroyed by magazine explosions, but the German fleet retreated to port and rarely sortied again. The action confirmed British command of the North Sea and pushed Germany toward unrestricted submarine warfare. It remains a touchstone for debates over gunnery, signaling, and ship design.