advantage for the
Germans. The Grand Fleet could not attack the German coast, which has
only three good seaways into it, which has a string of islands off it,
and which, difficult for foreign ships in time of peace, is impossible
in time of war. The whole of the shore and off-shore islands were full
of big guns in strong forts--and remember that you can sink a fleet,
though you can't sink a coast--while the waters were full of mines and
submarines.

Moreover, in destroyers, which are as dangerous out at sea as they are
round a base, the German "High Sea Fleet" began with no less than
eighty-eight against the forty-two in the British "Grand Fleet." The
British had so many narrow seaways to defend that they could not spare
Jellicoe nearly enough light cruisers or destroyers. It was only after
Jutland that the Grand Fleet became so very much stronger than the High
Sea Fleet. Before Jutland the odds in favour of the British battle
squadrons were only about four to three; and the Germans had special
advantages in searchlights that showed up everything except the
position of the ships that carried them, in wonderfully bright and
bewildering star-shells, in the gear for bringing all the quick-firing
guns of the big ships to bear at once on light craft trying to torpedo
them, and in very cleverly made delay-shells, which could go through
all but the thickest armour and then burst inside the vitals of a ship.
It was one of these shells that blew up the _Queen Mary_, the finest of
all the British battle cruisers.

Then, as we have seen already, another German advantage, and a very
great advantage, was that, while most British men-of-war had to be
built for general service all round the world, the German High Sea
Fleet (which meant nine-tenths of all the German Navy) could be built
specially for one great battle close at home. Not nearly so much room
was needed for the men to live in, because they were always near the
naval barracks at Wilhelmshaven; and not nearly so much space was
required for fuel. The weight and space saved in these two ways could
all be used for extra shells, thicker armour, and other kinds of
special strength. Thus the Germans were even stronger than the number
of their men-of-war would lead you to think; and they were strongest of
all for battles at night or in misty weather near their own base. The
battle of Jutland seemed to have been made on purpose to suit them.

In 1914 the Germans had bee