Destroying the High Seas Fleet could let surviving British, Japanese, and French heavy ships support an advance along the coast with concentrated gunfire. The scenario also links German fleet losses to reduced capacity to expand the U-boat force later in the war. Fisher's Baltic plan would remain a high-risk undertaking because the victorious Allied fleet would itself be badly damaged. Returning those ships to service could take six to eight months or longer. Coastal pressure and the threat of a Baltic operation might contribute to a negotiated settlement in 1917, rather than ending the war immediately in 1916.
Notable Point · 1:37:58-1:42:50
A decisive victory could open the coast while delaying a Baltic offensive
Concentrated Allied naval gunfire could support a coastal advance, but six to eight months of repairs or more would constrain a Baltic offensive.