Togo Heihachiro's experience at Tsushima suggests a different tactical role for the fast ships. The combined force could operate en echelon as a fast wing, supporting the gun line while maneuvering against the German escape route. This keeps vulnerable battlecruisers out of the main battle line. Force disposition then helps determine whether the High Seas Fleet can disengage, while the fast wing can still concentrate fire without accepting the worst mismatch between battlecruiser protection and battleship gunfire.
Notable Point · 1:20:40-1:23:15
Togo's Tsushima doctrine could keep battlecruisers on the wing
A lesson drawn from Tsushima could keep the combined battlecruisers out of Jellicoe's main line and free them to fire from the flank or block a German retreat.