▁Hi pper ▁and ▁Sche er ▁en vision ed ▁one ▁last ▁major ▁fleet ▁advance ▁to ▁attack ▁the ▁British ▁Grand ▁Fle et . ▁Sche er ▁intended ▁to ▁inf lict ▁as ▁much ▁damage ▁as ▁possible ▁on ▁the ▁British ▁n avy , ▁to ▁achieve ▁a ▁better ▁b arg aining ▁position ▁for ▁Germany ▁regardless ▁of ▁the ▁cost ▁to ▁the ▁n avy . ▁During ▁the ▁planning ▁stages , ▁Hi pper ▁wrote ▁" As ▁to ▁a ▁battle ▁for ▁the ▁honor ▁of ▁the ▁fleet ▁in ▁this ▁war , ▁even ▁if ▁it ▁were ▁a ▁death ▁battle , ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁the ▁foundation ▁for ▁a ▁new ▁German ▁fleet ... such ▁a ▁fleet ▁would ▁be ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁question ▁in ▁the ▁event ▁of ▁a ▁d ish on or able ▁peace ." ▁The ▁plan ▁involved ▁two ▁simultane ous ▁attacks ▁by ▁light ▁cru is ers ▁and ▁destroy ers , ▁one ▁on ▁Fland ers ▁and ▁another ▁on ▁sh ipping ▁in ▁the ▁Th ames ▁est u ary ; ▁the ▁five ▁battle c ru is ers ▁were ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁Th ames ▁attack ▁while ▁the ▁dread n ought s ▁remained ▁off ▁Fland ers . ▁After ▁both ▁strik es , ▁the ▁fleet ▁was ▁to ▁concent rate ▁off ▁the ▁Dutch ▁coast , ▁where ▁it ▁would ▁meet ▁the ▁Grand ▁Fle et ▁in ▁battle . ▁ ▁While ▁the ▁fleet ▁was ▁cons olid ating ▁in ▁Wilhelm sh aven , ▁however , ▁war - we ary ▁sail ors ▁began ▁desert ing ▁en ▁mas se . ▁As ▁Von ▁der ▁T ann ▁and ▁Der ff ling er ▁passed ▁through ▁the ▁lo cks ▁that ▁separated ▁Wilhelm sh aven