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Extracts from a letter from [[Hugh Evan-Thomas]] to Captain Haggard. Reproduced in ''The Beatty Papers'' '''Volume III''', pp. 463-464. ==Letter== Admiralty House, Chatham, 14th August, 1923. Thank you for sending the proposed accounts of the battle of Jutland. I do not consider page 20 to be a correct account of what occured and there is still a tone given to the account which implies blame. Lord Jellicoe's objection has not been met. The point is that in the visibility as it was, together with the intense smoke made by the battle cruisers bringing fires forward, it was impossible to see what ''Lion'' was doing until most of the Squadron had turned. ''Barham'' was zig-zagging at the time, which caused delay, but as ''Lion'' had been signalling to ''Barham'' with a searchlight previously to the turn, and had made all alterations of course by that method, there was no reason why a signal should not have been made for ''Barham'' to turn with ''Lion'', by searchlight, if not by wireless, had he wished her to do so. ** [464: In the upper right of this page is a reproduction of a drawing by Evan-Thomas displaying the turn made by ''Barham'', turning to starboard so that she ends up on ''Lion's'' starboard quarter. A similar reproduction is found in Gordon's ''The Rules of the Game''.] Page 37: Fifth Battle Squadron were definitely ordered to turn to Starboard. The signal was 'Compass 16' which was not hauled down for some time after ''Lion'' had passed; so it should be stated. As it is at present written it would appear that it was open to ''Barham'' to turn which way she liked: the fact of turning to Starboard did make a considerable difference, because it made a further turn to starboard necessary in order to get on the enemy side of ''Lion''. Again, according to plan and according to my recollection, the statement that she passed about two miles off on the Port hand is considerably over-stated. It was in my opinion about one mile—If anything a little less. [[Category:Hugh Evan-Thomas]] [[Category:Jutland Controversy]]

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