 British code breakers at Room 40 in the Admiralty building could read German messages within a few hours of receiving them.Sufficient information had been gleaned on the evening of 14 December, to know that the German battlecruiser squadron would shortly be leaving port but the information did not suggest that all of the German fleet might be involved.Admiral John Jellicoe, commanding the Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow, was ordered to despatch the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron (Vice-Admiral David Beatty), with , , and , together with the 2nd Battle Squadron (Vice-Admiral Sir George Warrender) containing of the modern dreadnoughts, , , , , and , with the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron (Commodore William Goodenough) commanding , , and .