British manoeuvre and the Baltic option

The Grand Fleet would need to relieve Helgoland with enough strength to defeat the German fleet decisively. British battlecruisers might meanwhile pass through the Øresund into the Baltic, threatening German defences and forcing the High Seas Fleet to divide its attention. If Germany declined the Helgoland battle, its larger ships would be confined to a Baltic role or dependent on the Danish straits for another route. Control of Denmark might then look tempting, but invasion would probably provoke determined resistance, outside support, and a costly long occupation. British manoeuvre would widen the problem while Germany remained tied to the island battle.