§ 10. Captain Viscount CURZONasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether the total number of torpedoes fired by the German fleet at the battle of Jutland and the average range can be approximately stated; and whether the figures can be sub-divided between capital ships and torpedo craft, together with the number of hits recorded against the British Fleet?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY (Mr. Amery)Approximately, 66 torpedoes fired by the German Fleet were seen by His Majesty's ships. Two hits were recorded against the British Fleet. The number of torpedoes fired from enemy capital ships 2160 cannot be stated, but the percentage is estimated to be small. An official German report on the Battle of Jutland gives the total number of torpedoes fired as 107, but does not state how many of these were fired from capital ships. According to this report, the ranges at which torepdoes were fired from the destroyer flotillas varied between 10,000 and 6,000 yards.
Mr. MALONEIs the hon. Gentleman aware that if the Admiralty had not dropped the development of torpedo-carrying aircraft there would not have been so many German ships to fire torpedoes?