The Strength of the Two Fleets
The table below illustrates the size of both fleets at the Battle of Jutland:
 |
 |
 |
|
British Grand Fleet |
|
|
28 |
16 |
|
0 |
6 |
|
9 |
5 |
|
8 |
0 |
|
26 |
11 |
|
77 |
61 |
|
1 |
0 |
|
1 |
0 |
Dimensions of Ships
Below is a comparison of the battlecruiser flagships of Beatty and Hipper:
As can be seen from the table above, the ships are of similar size but have different strengths and weaknesses. The British emphasis is on higher speed and bigger guns at the expense of defensive armour. The German emphasis is on greater defensive armour at the expense of higher speed and bigger guns. The German advantage in defensive armour was increased by the fact that British armour-piercing shells frequently failed to explode on impact.
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