John Harper's original Jutland report and the later version overseen by Beatty support different interpretations of the battle's lessons. In the account presented here, Beatty suppressed the original because it assigned him blame and required it to be rewritten. Harper and Reginald Bacon were knowledgeable participants, but their accounts also require allowance for their own allegiances. F2, F3, G3, and N3 are linked to the earlier conclusions, while O3 and the Nelson decision reflect the later interpretation. The proposed connection between battle analysis and design therefore depends partly on how these competing accounts are read.
Notable Point · 57:25-58:42
Competing Jutland reports and the case for F3
A critical account of Jutland links the original conclusions with F2, F3, G3, and N3, and the revised account with O3, while acknowledging Harper and Bacon's partisanship.