high seas fleet high seas fleet battle fleet german_imperial_navy saw action world war formation created february renamed high_seas_fleet admiral architect fleet envisioned force powerful challenge royal_navy kaiser championed fleet instrument seize overseas possessions germany global power concentrating powerful battle fleet north_sea royal_navy required disperse forces british_empire believed germany achieve balance force seriously damage british naval heart risk theory held britain challenge germany fleet posed significant threat primary component fleet battleships typically organized ship squadrons contained formations including creation high_seas_fleet consisted squadrons battleships squadron added dreadnought revolution greatly affected composition fleet pre dreadnoughts fleet rendered obsolete required replacement dreadnoughts squadrons completed outbreak war mid modern pre dreadnoughts constitute squadron additional squadrons older vessels mobilized onset hostilities end conflict formations disbanded fleet conducted series sorties north_sea war designed lure isolated portion numerically superior operations frequently fast battlecruisers raid british coast bait royal_navy operations culminated june high_seas_fleet confronted grand fleet battle inconclusive british won strategically convinced admiral german fleet commander highly favorable outcome fleet action secure german victory war leading advised kaiser order resumption submarine warfare campaign primary responsibility high_seas_fleet secure german naval bases north_sea boat operations fleet continued conduct sorties north_sea detached units special operations baltic_sea following german defeat november allies interned bulk high_seas_fleet scapa_flow ultimately scuttled crew june days signed treaty versailles creation admiral state secretary ardent supporter naval expansion speech support naval law december stated navy question survival germany viewed great_britain powerful royal_navy primary threat germany discussion kaiser month post state secretary stated germany dangerous naval enemy present england attacking fleet require percent advantage strength achieve victory decided ratio required german navy final total german battleships britain required build meet ratio envisioned royal_navy adhered called power standard formulated naval defence act required larger fleet largest naval powers combined risk theory building fleet ratio germany strong event british naval victory royal_navy damage allow ranked naval power rise implicit theory assumption british adopt offensive strategy allow germans use mines submarines numerical odds fighting decisive battle thames fact believed germany emerge victorious naval struggle britain believed germany possess superior ships manned better trained crews effective tactics led capable officers program envisioned fleet nineteen battleships divided ship squadrons ship flagship reserve squadrons divided ship divisions supported classes coastal defense ships large eighteen small cruisers divisions torpedo boats assigned fleet secured naval law passed march construction fleet completed april rising international tensions particularly result outbreak boer war south_africa boxer rebellion china allowed push expanded fleet plan second naval law passed june doubled size fleet battleships large small cruisers planned larger fleet early september informed kaiser sought battleships potentially secure double squadron total strength battleships naval arms race initial period german naval expansion britain feel particularly threatened lords admiralty felt implications second naval law significantly dangerous threat fleet set naval law believed important focus practical situation speculation future programs easily reduced cut entirely segments british public quickly seized perceived threat posed german construction programs despite dismissive reaction admiralty resolved surpass german battleship construction admiral head admiralty introduced sweeping reforms large counter growing threat posed expanding german fleet training programs modernized old obsolete vessels discarded scattered squadrons battleships consolidated main fleets based europe britain series diplomatic arrangements including alliance japan allowed greater concentration british battleships north_sea fisher reforms caused problems plans counted dispersal british naval forces early conflict allow germany smaller concentrated fleet achieve local superiority longer depend higher level training german officer corps enlisted ranks superiority modern german squadrons british fleet britain signed france britain primary naval rival destruction russian fleets russo japanese war strengthened britain position removed second traditional naval rivals developments allowed britain power standard focus solely building germany october admiral fisher stated probable enemy germany germany keeps fleet concentrated hours england fleet twice powerful concentrated hours germany damaging blow plan came launch february new battleship armed main battery inch guns considerably powerful battleship afloat ships capable battle dreadnought need significantly larger old pre dreadnoughts increased cost necessitated expensive canals accommodate german naval budget stretched thin new funding abandon challenge britain result went request additional funding amendment second naval law passed appropriated funding new battleships required increased size passed second amendment naval law march provide additional billion marks cope growing cost latest battleships law reduced service life battleships years allowed push replacement older vessels earlier final amendment passed represented compromise parliament amendment authorized new battleships light cruisers amendment called high_seas_fleet equipped squadrons battleships squadron battlecruisers eighteen light cruisers ship squadrons placed reserve armored light cruisers outbreak war august ship squadron dreadnoughts battle squadron assembled nassau class battleships second squadron dreadnoughts iii battle squadron included kaiser class battleships completed class battleships entered service early result squadron remained composed pre dreadnoughts naval law passed britain germany attempted reach compromise led british war minister arms reduction mission ended failure law announced shortly germans aware early royal_navy abandoned idea decisive battle german fleet favor distant blockade entrances north_sea british easily control geographical position emerged distinct possibility german fleet unable force battle terms render militarily useless war came british fact adopt strategy coupled restrictive orders kaiser preferred fleet intact chip peace settlements ability high_seas_fleet affect military situation markedly reduced strategy german_navy pre war planning held british compelled mount direct attack german coast defeat high_seas_fleet place close blockade course action permit germans away numerical superiority grand_fleet submarines torpedo boats rough equality forces achieved high_seas_fleet able attack destroy british fleet implicit strategy assumption german vessels better designed better trained crews employed superior tactics addition assumed britain able concentrate fleet north_sea owing demands global empire start conflict powers germans able attack royal_navy local superiority british accommodate projections appointment fisher began major reorganization royal_navy concentrated british battleship strength home waters launched dreadnought revolution introduced rigorous training fleet personnel british concluded joint defense agreement france allowed british concentrate north_sea french defended mediterranean worse british began developing strategy distant blockade germany starting removed ability german light craft reduce britain superiority numbers essentially german naval planning start world war logistics personnel primary base high_seas_fleet north_sea wilhelmshaven western jade bight port located mouth major base north_sea island provided fortified forward position german bight kiel important base baltic supported forward bases kaiser canal connected baltic allowed german_navy quickly shift naval forces seas peacetime ships active duty high_seas_fleet stationed wilhelmshaven kiel danzig germany possessed major overseas base china stationed steam ships period burned coal fire boilers naturally tied stations friendly ports german_navy lacked sufficient overseas bases sustained operations single ships operating commerce raiders navy experimented device transfer coal warships underway practice general use german capital ships cruising range nmi operate atlantic_ocean year came position state secretary consisted total officers petty officers enlisted men ranks branches positions outbreak war increased significantly officers petty officers men capital ships typically commanded captain sea corvette captain ships typically total crew excess officers men light cruisers screened fleet crew sizes fleet torpedo boats crews officers men later classes approached history early battleships classes constructed allow creation second squadron february renamed admiral brother commander high_seas_fleet flagship sms peace time fleet conducted routine pattern training exercises individual ships squadrons combined fleet year entire fleet conducted cruises atlantic_ocean baltic_sea prince henry replaced late vice admiral served april vice admiral command high_seas_fleet months world war took command following departure vice admiral sms friedrich der replaced fleet flagship march despite rising international tensions following assassination june high_seas_fleet began summer cruise norway july peacetime cruise fleet conducted drills proceeding norwegian july following day fleet began steam germany result austria-hungary ultimatum serbia 27th entire fleet assembled returning port ships remained heightened state readiness war austria-hungary serbia broke following day span week major european powers joined conflict world war high seas fleet conducted number sweeps advances north_sea occurred november british forces encountered admiral commander high_seas_fleet adopted strategy battlecruisers rear admiral raided british coastal towns lure portions grand_fleet destroyed high_seas_fleet raid december operation evening december german battle fleet dreadnoughts pre dreadnoughts came nmi isolated squadron british battleships skirmishes rival destroyer screens darkness convinced von faced entire grand fleet orders kaiser avoid fleet von broke engagement turned fleet germany following loss sms battle bank january kaiser removed admiral post february admiral replaced commander fleet admiral conducted series fleet advances march fleet steamed north returned incident followed april fleet covered mining operation days later april high_seas_fleet advanced failed meet british forces sortie followed fleet advanced far forced turn weather august fleet steamed north cover return auxiliary cruiser month later september fleet covered laying operation operation year conducted october advance result direction vice admiral commander chief high_seas_fleet january admiral ill continue post favored aggressive policy predecessor advocated greater usage boats coordinated attacks grand_fleet received approval kaiser february carry intentions ordered fleet sweeps north_sea march april april battlecruisers conducted raid english coast april fleet provided distant support planned raid mid battlecruiser struck previous raid repair work forced operation pushed end month battle jutland admiral fleet composed dreadnoughts pre dreadnoughts light cruisers torpedo boats departed jade early morning fleet sailed concert hipper battlecruisers supporting cruisers torpedo boats british navy room intercepted german radio traffic containing plans operation admiralty ordered grand_fleet totaling dreadnoughts battlecruisers sortie night order cut destroy high_seas_fleet utc battlecruiser forces encountered began running gun fight south battle fleet reaching high_seas_fleet vice admiral battlecruisers turned north lure germans rapidly approaching grand_fleet command admiral run north leading ships engaged queen elizabeth class battleships 5th battle squadron grand_fleet arrived scene deployed position cross northeast fleet position ordered point turn south west decided conduct point turn launch attack british fleet maneuver dangerous position turned fleet south crossed point turn followed hipper battlecruisers charged british line cover retreat ordered fleet adopt night cruising formation completed series ferocious engagements battleships destroyer screen ensued germans managed punch way destroyers high_seas_fleet reached jade june ordered undamaged battleships defensive positions jade kaiser class battleships maintain state readiness outside wilhelmshaven high_seas_fleet sunk british vessels grand_fleet sunk german leading battleships taken terrible capital ships including sms vessel line battlecruisers drydock extensive repairs months june british capital ships fighting condition compared german warships subsequent operations august warships repaired allow undertake fleet operation august damage incurred sms loss jutland battlecruisers available operation sms von der sms joined sms new battleship sms turned north receiving false report british unit area result bombardment carried warned grand_fleet approach turned forces retreated german ports fleet sortie took place october attack enemy shipping east despite signal intelligence grand_fleet attempt intercept operation cancelled poor weather cruiser torpedoed british submarine hms fleet reorganized december class battleships remained iii squadron newly commissioned kaiser class ships transferred squadron march new battleship built serve fleet flagship entered service 17th hauled flag friedrich der transferred war fourth year taking toll crews ships high_seas_fleet acts passive resistance posting anti war battleships sms january began appear june july crews began conduct active forms resistance activities included work hunger strikes taking unauthorized leave ships came head august series protests anti war speeches demonstrations resulted arrest dozens sailors ordered arrest men battleship center anti war activities series courts martial followed resulted guilty men sentenced death roles men executed early september following german conquest russian port german navy decided eliminate russian naval forces held navy high command planned operation seize baltic island specifically russian gun batteries september order issued joint operation army capture primary naval component comprise flagship iii battle squadrons high_seas_fleet operation began morning october ships engaged russian positions squadron shelled russian gun batteries october fighting islands winding moon german possession previous day ordered cessation naval actions return dreadnoughts high_seas_fleet soon possible admiral light surface forces attack british convoys norway beginning late result royal_navy attached squadron battleships protect convoys presented possibility destroying detached squadron grand_fleet operation called hipper battlecruisers attack convoy escorts april battleships high_seas_fleet stood support april german fleet assembled roads outside wilhelmshaven departed following morning despite success reaching convoy route operation failed faulty intelligence reports boats indicated convoys sailed start middle week west bound convoy left bergen tuesday 22nd east bound group left scotland 24th thursday result convoy hipper attack sortied force battleships battlecruisers late intercept retreating germans germans reached defensive minefields early april approximately nmi torpedoed submarine successfully returned port scapa_flow final fleet action planned end october days armistice effect bulk high_seas_fleet sortied base wilhelmshaven engage grand admiral fleet intended inflict damage possible british navy order retain better position germany despite expected casualties war weary sailors felt operation disrupt peace process war morning october order given sail wilhelmshaven following day starting night october sailors battleships unrest ultimately forced hipper cancel operation informed situation kaiser stated longer navy following capitulation germany november high_seas_fleet command rear admiral interned british naval base scapa_flow prior departure german fleet admiral adolf von clear von allow allies seize ships conditions fleet british light cruiser cardiff led ships allied fleet escort germans scapa_flow massive flotilla consisted british american french warships ships interned guns disabled removal breech blocks crews reduced officers enlisted men capital ships fleet remained captivity negotiations ultimately produced treaty versailles believed british intended seize german ships june deadline germany signed peace treaty unaware deadline extended 23rd ordered ships sunk opportunity morning june british fleet left scapa_flow conduct training maneuvers transmitted order ships interned fleet battleship light cruisers eighteen destroyers saved sinking british harbor personnel royal_navy initially opposed salvage operations decided allow private firms attempt raise vessels scrapping cox company founded handled salvage operations including heaviest vessels raised cox withdrawal financial losses early 1930s took salvage operation remaining ships capital ships raised sms deep permit raising remain scapa_flow light cruisers legacy high_seas_fleet particularly wartime ultimate fate strongly influenced later german navies kriegsmarine officers continued serve subsequent institutions including admiral hipper chief staff commander chief advocated long range commerce raiding surface ships constructing large surface fleet challenge royal_navy viewed futile endeavor initial version construction program kriegsmarine late 1930s called large number class cruisers long range light cruisers reconnaissance forces attacking enemy shipping overruled adolf_hitler advocated large fleet battleships
High Seas Fleet