The proposed battle of annihilation could deliver strategic victory at an enormous price. The scenario allows for as much as a third of the British fleet being sunk, with additional ships returning severely damaged. Such losses would remove many officers whose names are familiar from the Royal Navy's later Second World War leadership. An earlier peace and healthier national finances would improve Britain's ability to rebuild, though they could not restore that lost generation of experience.
Notable Point · 1:57:52-1:58:38
A victory of annihilation could consume Britain's future admirals
Destroying the High Seas Fleet might cost Britain a third of its own fleet and erase officers who otherwise become familiar Royal Navy leaders in the Second World War.