novelAbuy Chapter 367 British and German Losses
Chapter 367 British and German Losses
"And what about the Germans' losses?" an official asked.
"According to Jellicoe's report, it is confirmed that one battlecruiser, one pre-dreadnought, four light cruisers, and five destroyers were sunk," Jackson read from the document. "The estimated casualties are approximately three thousand."
A moment of silence.
"The tonnage exchange ratio is unfavorable to us," said the head of the Naval Construction Bureau. "We lost more than 110,000 tons, while they lost about 60,000 tons."
"But strategically we've won," another official countered. "The German fleet has been severely damaged and will be unable to challenge our naval supremacy for at least the next three months. The blockade..."
"The people don't care about strategy!" the Prime Minister's military advisor interrupted him sharply. "The people only see the headlines: 'Royal Navy suffers a crushing defeat in the North Sea, losing three capital ships.' Do you know what kind of impact this will have on morale? Do you know how the opposition will exploit this?"
The meeting room fell silent once again.
Jackson put his glasses back on and looked at the North Sea map on the wall: "We need a narrative. A narrative that the public can understand, that can protect the Navy's reputation, and that can deal with political attacks."
"Should we emphasize the losses suffered by the Germans?" someone suggested.
"Not enough." Jackson shook his head. "One battlecruiser against three, the ratio is too obvious."
"Emphasizing tactical situation?" another person said. "We forced the German fleet to retreat; they fled back to port..."
"But we also stopped the pursuit," the Prime Minister's military advisor said coldly. "Why didn't Jericho pursue them at night? Why did he let them escape?"
This question silenced everyone. It was also their biggest fear—if the opposition seized on this and attacked the navy for cowardice and Jellicoe's command errors, it would unleash a political storm.
"Night fighting is too risky," Jackson finally said. "In extremely poor visibility, pursuit could lead to even greater losses. Besides, the Germans are skilled in night fighting; they have systematic training..."
"Can the public understand these explanations?" the advisor asked. "Can politicians accept them?"
No one answered.
Jackson took a deep breath: "We need to be on the same page as Jericho. We need to set the tone before he submits his detailed report."
He looked at the communications officer: "Send a telegram to Scapa Flow: Request Admiral Jellicoe to submit a complete battle report as soon as possible, highlighting the following: 1. Our forces inflicted heavy losses on the enemy, forcing them to retreat; 2. The German fleet has lost the ability to challenge our naval supremacy in the short term; 3. Our officers and men performed bravely, especially the battlecruiser force; 4. Ceasing the pursuit was a prudent decision based on tactical risks."
He paused, then added, "Furthermore, I suggest he detail the design flaws and ammunition magazine security issues of the battlecruisers in his report. This isn't about shirking responsibility; it's about... explaining the reasons."
Everyone in the meeting room understood the subtext of this "suggestion"—to shift some responsibility to ship design and equipment issues, thereby reducing the pressure on command and decision-making.
"Won't this...damage the Navy's reputation?" a young officer asked hesitantly.
"It's better than letting the public think our commanders are incompetent," Jackson said. "And it's true—battlecruiser armor is indeed weak, and magazine protection is indeed problematic. The sinkings of HMS Queen Mary and HMS Indulgence were almost entirely caused by magazine explosions."
He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the streets of London: "The war continues. We cannot allow a naval battle—even a costly one—to shake the nation's morale. So we need to tell a story, a story of courage, sacrifice, and ultimate strategic victory."
"What about the seven thousand who died in battle?" someone asked softly.
Jackson fell silent. He looked out the window at the passersby, at the ordinary British people who knew nothing of the naval battle that had just taken place.
Seven thousand people. Seven thousand sons, husbands, fathers, brothers. Seven thousand lives that will never return home.
"They will be remembered," Jackson finally said in a low voice, "on monuments, in history books, in the memories of loved ones. But for those who are still alive, for those who can still fight, we must move forward."
He turned to face the conference room: "Now, let's get to work. Draft the press release, prepare our responses to parliamentary inquiries, and coordinate the newspapers' reporting direction. We need to define the significance of this naval battle before the opposition and the Germans."
The officers rose and left the conference room. Jackson remained alone, staring at the battle reports on the table, at the cold, hard numbers.
Six thousand seven hundred and eighty-four.
3021.
Tonnage, number of ships, casualty ratio.
War is reduced to numbers, but behind every number is a vibrant life, a broken family, and a life abruptly ended.
As First Sea Minister, he had to consider strategy, politics, and public opinion.
But as a human being, he could only feel profound sorrow.
He picked up the phone and connected with his secretary: "Make arrangements. I'm going to Scapa Flow tomorrow. I need to speak with Jericho in person."
"Yes, sir."
After hanging up the phone, Jackson walked to the honor roll on the wall. There hung portraits of naval admirals throughout history—Nelson, Rodney, Jarvis… They were remembered for their glorious victories.
But war is not just about victory. There is also defeat, Pyrrhic victory, and battles that cannot be defined by simple wins and losses.
The Battle of Jutland—or, as the Germans would say, the Battle of the Skagerrak Strait—was such a battle.
How will it be recorded in history? Will it be a strategic victory for Britain, or a tactical victory for Germany? Will it be Jellicoe's prudence and wisdom, or a missed opportunity?
he does not know.
All he knew was that on this June morning, in this conference room at the Admiralty in London, he had to make a choice: how to tell the story, how to define the battle, and how to face the seven thousand souls who would never return.
No matter how he chooses to tell the story, those souls have already fallen silent.
Noon, Dubai Presidential Palace.
Chen Feng put down the telegram in his hand, leaned back in his chair, and remained silent for a long time.
Wang Wenwu stood in front of his desk, waiting. He knew the Grand Commander needed time to process this information—the first complete battle report from Europe on the Battle of the North Sea.
"So," Chen Feng finally spoke, his voice eerily calm, "Britain lost three battlecruisers, and Germany lost one. Britain suffered nearly seven thousand casualties, while Germany lost about three thousand. In terms of tonnage exchange, Britain suffered greater losses."
"But from a strategic perspective," Wang Wenwu said, "Britain still controls the North Sea. The German fleet has retreated to its ports and is unlikely to challenge for control of the sea in the short term."
Chen Feng nodded, stood up, and walked to the world map on the wall. He traced his finger from Scapa Flow to Port William, and then from Port William to Horn Reef.
"A Pyrrhic victory, or rather, a battle with no clear victor," he commented. "Britain achieved its strategic objectives but at a heavy cost. Germany achieved a tactical victory but failed to break the blockade."
He turned to look at Wang Wenwu: "Do you know what this means?"