Superior German artillery, together with better trained German sailors, apparently ended British dominance at sea.
En route to its base on the Kiel Canal, the German fleet arrived in the North Sea on Wednesday afternoon, and off Jutland, fought against the British fleet throughout the afternoon and into the night, in what was probably the greatest naval conflict in history. At the end of the battle, Great Britain had lost the cruisers Lion, Indefatigable, Queen mary, Invincible, and the armed cruisers Black Prince, Warrior and Defense. Additionally, the fifth squadron ships Malaya, Barham, Warspite and Valiant surrendered to Germany after suffering terrible damage and heavy casualties. Germany lost the light cruisers Ebling, Rostock and Weisbaden, the cruiser Frauenlob, as well as several torpedo boats.
To understand the scale of the battle, it suffices to know that of the 900 men in the Indefatigable's crew, only two men could be saved.
If the reports are true, then it appears that the Royal Navy has just suffered the biggest defeat in its history. In London, the Admiralty has not yet made an official statement; the declarations come mainly from the German General Staff, as well as from Danish and Dutch fishing vessels returning to port laden with corpses and wounded.
The German Imperial Chancellor sent a congratulatory telegram to the fleet commander. A note is reported to have been sent by King George V to Admiral Jellicoe of the Royal Navy. The content of this message remains unknown, but it is said to be much less enthusiastic than the German message.
The bulk of the battle apparently took place 125 miles south-southeast of the southern tip of Norway, and about 150 miles from the Danish coast. The engagement began at 4:00 p.m. and continued until dark, around 9:00 p.m. Several scattered engagements then took place during the night.