Iles war diary, 1914-1919 / G. H. Iles - Page 307
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[Page 307]
against the German High Command – It was very difficult to find an understanding for such a view for the soul object of the British Navy during hostilities was to guard and control the sea communications and together with the Naval power of our Allies, to force the enemy into submission as quickly as we possibly could
It took a considerable time to effect this, but as far as the British Navy was concerned, such work had been done with utmost efficiency, and probably far more efficient than any other war in which our country or our Empire was engaged, - and as Percival Hislam quoted "that the annihilation of a hostile navy was no more a traditional feature than the annihilation of an hostile army" – Our object never was, and never will be, to smash and to kill, but to force upon the enemy the terms of our choosing – It cost us close on 6000 in killed alone to win the Jutland Battle and where the German battleships done their best to avoid a fight