AUTHOR’S NOTE TO FIRST EDITION

Since this book went to press, in reply to a question asked in the House on 4th May 1927, it was officially stated that “it had been decided to issue what was known as the Official Record of the Battle of Jutland”. In response to a further question as to whether this would be “in the same terms as were originally laid before the Board of Admiralty,” it was stated that it would be “the Harper Report” and that “it would be in the same terms as were approved by the Board of Admiralty”.

As explained in the Introduction, Admiral Harper’s original work was completed in 1919; it was a Record and not a Report. Since then, all essential facts about the Battle have been made public in the British and German official Histories.

The object with which this book was written was not to controvert these facts, but to show how the public has been misled by their being distorted.

FURTHER NOTE TO THIRD IMPRESSION

On 25th May 1927, the day before the First Edition of this book was published, it was officially stated in the House of Commons that Admiral Harper’s Record would be published “as originally compiled, without any amendment.”

The publication of an eight-year-old Record can add nothing to our present knowledge of the facts.