by ROBERT FARLEY
A century ago, the two greatest fleets of the industrial age fought an inconclusive battle in the North Sea.
The British Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet fielded a total of 58 dreadnought battleships and battlecruisers, ships over twice the size of most modern surface combatants. Including smaller ships, the battle included 250 vessels in total.
The two fleets fought to a draw, with the Germans inflicting more casualties but still being lucky to escape alive. The Grand Fleet could very easily have annihilated the Germans—an outcome which, however tragic, would not have moved the needle on the rest of the war.
