. ▁This ▁sortie ▁was ▁the ▁init iation ▁of ▁a ▁strategy ▁adopted ▁by ▁Admir al ▁Friedrich ▁von ▁In gen ohl , ▁the ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁High ▁Se as ▁Fle et . ▁Admir al ▁In gen ohl ▁intended ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁battle c ru is ers ▁of ▁Kon ter ad mir al ▁( R ear ▁Admir al ) ▁Franz ▁von ▁Hi pper ' s ▁I ▁Sc out ing ▁Group ▁to ▁ra id ▁British ▁coast al ▁towns ▁to ▁l ure ▁out ▁port ions ▁of ▁the ▁Grand ▁Fle et ▁where ▁they ▁could ▁be ▁destroyed ▁by ▁the ▁High ▁Se as ▁Fle et . ▁Early ▁on ▁ 1 5 ▁December ▁the ▁fleet ▁left ▁port ▁to ▁ra id ▁the ▁towns ▁of ▁Sc ar borough , ▁Hart le pool , ▁and ▁Whit by . ▁That ▁evening , ▁the ▁German ▁battle ▁fleet ▁of ▁some ▁twelve ▁dread n ought s — including ▁Ost f ries land ▁and ▁her ▁three ▁sister s — and ▁eight ▁pre - d read n ought s ▁came ▁to ▁within ▁ ▁of ▁an ▁isolated ▁squad ron ▁of ▁six ▁British ▁batt les hips . ▁However , ▁sk irm ishes ▁between ▁the ▁rival ▁destroy er ▁screens ▁in ▁the ▁darkness ▁convinced ▁In gen ohl ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁faced ▁with ▁the ▁entire ▁Grand ▁Fle et . ▁Under ▁orders ▁from ▁Kaiser ▁Wilhelm ▁II ▁to ▁avoid ▁risk ing ▁the ▁fleet ▁unnecess arily , ▁In gen ohl ▁broke ▁off ▁the ▁eng agement ▁and ▁turned ▁the ▁battle ▁fleet ▁back ▁toward ▁Germany . ▁ ▁The ▁Battle ▁of ▁Dog ger ▁Bank , ▁in ▁which ▁Vice ▁Admir al ▁David ▁Beat