The Battle of Jutland was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916, in the waters of the North Sea, between forces of the Royal Navy and Imperial German Navy. The battle involved 250 warships, and, in terms of combined tonnage of vessels engaged, was the largest naval battle in history. The engagement was the result of the high commands of the two nations' eagerness to give their publics a victory in contrast to the stalemate on the ground in Western Europe (the Battle of Verdun had been underway for three months at the time the opposing fleets sortied). Both navies had plans to lure the other's battlecruisers into a trap where they could be defeated by a superior force of battleships. In the event, the battle had no impact on the course of the war and victory was claimed by both sides. Summary Ships present The British capital ships carried a larger weight of broadside— compared to —than the German ones. The German Navy's torpedo boats were of similar size and function to the destroyers in the Royal Navy, and are often referred as such. Losses Number in parentheses indicates date of loss (31st May or 1st June) Abbreviations Officers killed in action are indicated thus: Abbreviations for officers’ ranks (German ranks translated according to current NATO practice): Adm / Admiral VAdm / Vice-admiral : Vizeadmiral / VAdm RAdm / Rear-admiral : Konteradmiral / KAdm Cdre / Commodore : Kommodore / Kom Capt / Captain : Kapitän zur See / KptzS Cdr / Commander : Fregattenkapitän / FKpt Lt Cdr / Lieutenant-commander : Korvettenkapitän / KKpt Lt / Lieutenant : Kapitänleutnant / KptLt SLt / Sub-lieutenant : Oberleutnant zur See / OLtzS Other abbreviations Frhr:Freiherr / title in the Prussian nobility equivalent to Baron) SMS: Seiner Majestät Schiff / German; translation: His Majesty's Ship) the Hon.: The Honourable Royal Navy Grand Fleet Began sortie from Scapa Flow 9.30pm 28 May The Grand Fleet was the main body of the British Home Fleets in 1916, based at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands and Invergordon on the Cromarty Firth in Scotland. Commander-in-chief, Grand Fleet: Admiral Sir John Rushworth Jellicoe, in HMS Iron Duke Second in Command, Grand Fleet: Vice-admiral Sir Cecil Burney, in HMS Marlborough Chief of Staff: VAdm Sir Charles Edward Madden, Captain of the Fleet: Cdre Lionel Halsey, C.B., C.M.G., AdC. Master of the Fleet: Capt Oliver Elles