Before Jutland, a British inquiry asked where a particular German commander's call sign was located. The commander changed call signs when he went to sea, leaving the queried signal associated with the harbor. An accurate answer about that signal could therefore give the wrong impression about the commander's location. A narrowly technical question failed to express the operational need to locate the enemy fleet.
Notable Point · 52:08-52:53
How a call-sign question gave a misleading impression before Jutland
Locating a commander's usual call sign could produce the wrong impression of his movements when he used a different signal at sea.