Q&A · 3:22:01-3:23:51

A later German fleet at Jutland

Later German ships could gain a major advantage at Jutland, while the accompanying submarines are predicted to decide the wider war.

Question

What if Germany's later fleet, including H39 battleships and submarines, appeared before Jutland?

Short answer

Germany gains a strong chance of winning the battle, subject to British numbers and ammunition limits; the later submarines are firmly predicted to win the wider war.

Notes

The imagined force includes two H39 battleships and all the submarines Germany built during the Second World War. Radar-directed gunnery and the later ships' capabilities give Germany a substantial advantage at Jutland. Alex stops short of guaranteeing victory in the battle because British reinforcements, including the Harwich Force, could present more destroyers than the Germans have shells to stop. He is firmer about the wider war, predicting that the later submarines would win it. His reasoning combines their improved technology with the First World War tactics and British practices that he considers more favourable to a submarine campaign.