On 19th May 2016 The National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) opened a major exhibition to commemorate the largest naval battle in history, the Battle ofJutland. ‘36 Hours: Jutland 1916, The Battle That Won The War’ is the most comprehensive exhibition ever staged on the subject, and highlights the essential role of the Royal Navy in winning the First World War.
The Battle of Jutland was the defining naval battle of the First World War, fought over 36 hours from May 31st to June 1st 1916. It is often considered a German victory due to the number of British lives lost; the British lost 6,094 seamen and the Germans 2,551 during the battle. However these figures do not represent the impact upon the British and German fleets. At the end of the battle the British maintained numerical supremacy; only two dreadnoughts were damaged, leaving twenty-three dreadnoughts and four battlecruisers still able to fight, whilst the Germans had only ten dreadnoughts.
NavyBooks was lucky enough to be invited to the Press Preview on Tuesday 17 May and walk through the never-before-seen displays and immersive galleries that have been created. These audio visual ‘pods’ bring home the confusion of battle with sound and fury of guns, explosions and the sea along with voices of the crews of both fleets. Clever use of CGI technology provides moving images of the ships, men and action – so realistic that the curator was asked where they found the archive film.
Ian Whitehouse, Managing Director of NavyBooks said ‘I cannot recommend this exhibition highly enough. The archive material, unique artefacts and the presentation of the exhibition are all beyond reproach. In the year when many eyes will turn to the Western Front and the Battle of the Somme it is important to recognise and remember the essential part that the Royal Navy played in winning the First World War and the sacrifice that this involved’.
The exhibition provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to view the National Museum of the Royal Navy’s collection together with objects from 21 private lenders and five public organisations and is part of a wider NMRN First World War centenary programme, The Great War at Sea. The exhibition launch coincides with the NMRN’s other major contribution to the Jutland centenary, the opening of the battle’s only survivor HMS Caroline, in Belfast 2016.
Over 80 items from the Imperial War Museum have been loaned to the exhibition some of which have never been seen before. They reveal the stories of the brave sailors who fought in terrifying conditions at Jutland, and allow people to reflect and remember the 6000 men who lost their lives at sea. Alongside this will be personal effects from men and women involved in the battle. The diary of Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service Nurse Mary Clarke tells of her service as a naval sister in the Grand Fleet hospital ship PLASSY (May-June 1916). Also included will be the lifebelt belonging to William Loftus Jones, English recipient of the Victoria Cross and commander of HMS Shark which sunk during the battle. The lifebelt was recovered from the body after being washed ashore following the battle, and is displayed alongside a photograph of HMS Shark survivors.
Also on display are three guns that saw action at Jutland; the large gun from German destroyer B98, and two smaller deck guns from HMS Opal and HMS Narbourgh, usually on display at Orkney Islands Council’s Scapa Flow Visitor Centre and Museum at Lyness.
The exhibition also showcases ensigns flown by British warships at the Battle of Jutland. The largest flag from the dreadnought battleship, HMS Bellerophon, measures around 2.6m by 5.3m.
Read here the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Philip Jones' speech at the formal opening of the Exhibition.
For more details see: Jutland Exhibition
NavyBooks has a number of books about Jutland - see Jutland for more details.
