Jutland

 It wasn't until youtube animations came around that I really got a hold of what happened at Jutland apart from the post-action conclusions.  I'd look at the charts and diagrams with lines and times and never get the proper gist one short film can show.  That's on me, and the way my head works.

Now I am on about, "exactly how useless were the ship designs leading up to Jutland?"  Not so much the Grand fleet (British) or High Seas fleet (Huns).  The better ships were all together in those groupings, for the most part. 

But ships in the navy not up to the standard of those fleets were often ineffective even when brand new.  Well ineffective unless going up against similarly ineffective opponents.  Forward gun turrets couldn't be operated at speed because too much sea was shipped over the bows.  Secondary aramaent of other ships were in barbettes or casemates on the sides of the hull.  Like old time sailing warcraft and their broadsides.  Also, in any type of speed or any type of seas because smooth as glass they were swamped and unusable.  On British ships.  German ship designs were slightly better.  And guns slightly bigger on the smaller classes of warship.  This can be attributed to the Germans starting from zero and going on a building spree, while the Brits were working with a giant legacy fleet, often adequately employed controlling their colonial empire.  You reluctantly retire older classes because they were good use in many applications besides World War.  

But there was lot of that going around in the Brit fleet; guns mounted that can't be used.  To me, a significant design flaw.  (I dunno about you.)  A flaw that they only got around to solving just a few short years before the Great War.  If they laid down the keel in 1910, then all the guns will be employed even when the ship is moving.  Ok, that may be an exaggeration, but only partly.  

I know the concept is new, but they only seemed to get a handle on what a Destroyer is, and could do, and should do, a few years before the war.  Then the submarine menace knocked that all into a cocked hat and Destroyers had to deal with that, too.  But they don't install depth charge racks at the yard until the S-Class in 1917.  I'm way back in the H classes, designed less than a decade prior.  10 years, and so much changed, including the forward turret that can work.