Action of 19 August 1916

Action of 19 August 1916
Part of the First World War
Map of the North Sea
Date 18–20 August 1916 Location North Sea 56°N 03°E / 56°N 3°E / 56; 3 (North Sea) Result Indecisive
Belligerents
United Kingdom	Germany
Commanders and leaders
John Jellicoe David Beatty	Reinhard Scheer Franz von Hipper
Strength
29 battleships 6 battlecruisers 5 armoured cruisers 26 light cruisers 70 destroyers 1 minelayer 1 seaplane carrier 1 submarine	18 battleships 2 battlecruisers 7 light cruisers 56 torpedo boats 2 Zeppelins 3 submarines
Casualties and losses
39 killed 2 light cruisers sunk	1 battleship damaged
Action of 19 August 1916 class=notpageimage| Location in the North Sea

The action of 19 August 1916 was one of two attempts in 1916 by the German High Seas Fleet to engage elements of the British Grand Fleet, following the mixed results of the Battle of Jutland, during the First World War. The lesson of Jutland for Germany had been the vital need for reconnaissance, to avoid the unexpected arrival of the Grand Fleet during a raid. Four Zeppelins were sent to scout the North Sea between Scotland and Norway for signs of British ships and four more scouted immediately ahead of German ships. Twenty-four German submarines kept watch off the English coast, in the southern North Sea and off the Dogger Bank.^[1]