The Grand Fleet, 1914-1916: Its Creation, Development and Work

'Lord Jellicoe has won the affection and esteem of the whole of the Grand Fleet. The book is throughout magnanimous, direct, and transparently honest.' - The Spectator In 1914, Great Britain had one of the most formidable navies the world had ever seen. At the outset of the war the Grand Fleet, under the leadership of Admirals like John Jellicoe, moved to contain their enemy’s High Seas Fleet and blockade Germany. Yet, despite the sophistication of the British fleet, it was never able to fully restrict the German navy who led daring raids to bombard the English coast at Yarmouth and Lowestoft and came into conflict with the British at Heligoland Bight and Dogger Bank. Jellicoe, who was commander of the British Grand Fleet at the time, provides fascinating insight into the most famous naval battle of World War One, Jutland. In a step-by-step analysis of the battle, he explained why the British were unable to strike the decisive blow on that day. As well as covering the naval engagements of the first two years of the war, Jellicoe explains how naval warfare developed during this period, with the advent of submarines and the use of mines. The Grand Fleet, 1914-1916 sheds light onto the British navy of the First World War, how it developed, the battles that if fought and the leadership behind it. Admiral of the Fleet John Rushworth Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, GCB, OM, GCVO, SGM, DL (5 December 1859 – 20 November 1935) was a Royal Navy officer. He fought in the Anglo-Egyptian War and the Boxer Rebellion and commanded the Grand Fleet during the First World War. In 1919, he published The Grand Fleet, detailing his wartime experiences.