Force odds shape judgments of command

Command performance has to be judged against the forces and circumstances available to each commander. Defeat against overwhelming odds can reflect the force imbalance more than poor handling. A nominal advantage can also disappear if reinforcements arrive at a different time. At Dogger Bank, however, the British Battlecruiser Force met the German First Scouting Group with a clear preponderance of strength. The failure to destroy Hipper's force therefore raises questions about command and force employment beyond the ordinary uncertainty of battle.