
So, if Jutland is what it is: the greatest dreadnought battle of them all I believe we can have an analysis at four levels:
1. The technology level
2. The intelligence level
3. The tactical level and
4. Outcome.
At the technologic level it seems that, after all, the German ships presented, by the outcome of the battle, a better design and building than the British. I agree that all the bright ideas were British: battleships and battlecruisers were their´s, but the Germans managed to had better protected ships. We cannot deny the fact that the Germans are highly disciplined and that their industrial view is one of perfectionism. We can tell the same about their capability to build and use their guns.
But there it ends. The intelligence level of the conflict, one that brings military victory too often, was on the British side. What happened at Jutland was, almost, a Xerox copy of what happened at Midway: radio interception, interpretation and decision making. There the British obtained strategic advantage while achieving tactical superiority by knowing what their enemies do not.
At the tactical level the British were, at their senior commads, superior to the Germans in the sense that Jellicoe outmanouver Scheer two times in one afternoon. This, I think, do not aplied to the junior tactical doctrine because the Germans´ orders were better interpreted by the ships´ captains than the British ones. On the other hand we have the famous 180 degrees retreat manouver that the Germans executed so beatifully both times when Jellicoe cross their "T" and was almost in position to sink Scheer.
And the outcome. The Germans sunk more (and more valuable) ships. That even Beatty would agree. After all it was him who turned to a captain after the blowing of Indefatigable and said: "It seems something is wrong with our bloody ships today..." But the tactical and strategical achievements were British because they outmanouvered Scheer on the battlefield and sent him back to port where he never came out again. Great Britain mantain the mastery of the seas and of the comercial aproaches. the Germans were incapable to block the British Islands.
One thing can be said and that is that Jellicoe was unable to achieve a Trafalgar-like victory because he didn´t was agressive enough, and the High Seas Fleet scored a good goal with their night training, which allowed them to escape.
It´s not a draw, it´s a British victory, but not an awesome victory.
