The historical command baseline at Jutland

The historical timing and command record provide the baseline for replaying the battle under Sturdee. The scouting forces identified one another at about 3:30, the runs south and north occupied roughly two hours, and the main fleet action continued from about 5:30 until 9:00. Jellicoe nevertheless crossed the German T twice despite the incomplete information reaching him. Beatty sent only a couple of incomplete signals during the run phases, relied on flags to control Fifth Battle Squadron, and repeatedly sought a place at the head of the battle line. Those choices favored personal visibility over steady reporting and formation coordination, giving the counterfactual a concrete operational problem to solve.