WI: German Task Forces at Jutland?

Naval tactical formation evolved during WW1. So WI the Germans, by experience and luck arrived at the concept of the 'Task Force' in 1916 and had trained using it by Jutland?

Would having maybe 4 Task Forces centred on a 4 battleship division each with an assigned battle cruiser or two, 2 or 3 light cruisers and a dozen destroyers, fighting in a style more akin to WW2 have made much difference to Jutland? I assume the 6 pre dreads would form a 5th TF with a dozen destroyers and whatever else could be scraped up.

I imagine communications might be an issue, were they up to the task of balanced TFs in 1916 if the need was recognised and acted upon?
 
At Jutland the Germans were trying to catch a small portion of the much stronger British fleet in order to outnumber it locally and destroy it with effectively the entire balance of the German fleet before the bulk of the British Grand fleet turned up - by splitting up their fleet into such units they achieve the opposite

Let's play this out - what happens when one of these super squadrons bumps into Beatty's 2 Battlecruiser Squadrons and Fast battleship squadron?

Its out numbers 6 -2 in BCs and 4 - 4 in Battleships (with the British Battleships being Queen Elizabeth's) - providing Beatty is no less a numb skull than OTL then 1 on 1 Evan-Thomas and his 5th Battle Squadron is going to dominate

If it 'bumps' into the Grand fleet its clocks will be well and truly cleaned unless it manages to run which it cannot as it is slower or night falls

No the only way the HSF is going to get a meaningful victory in the North sea is if the bulk of the HSF manages to isolate a single Squadron and manages to destroy it.
 
16 BBs aren't going to crush 28 BB, but would 2 or 3 balanced TFs be better able to cut off and destroy Beatty's ships than the OTL tactical organisation? I imagine it would be more flexible and less unwieldy so might have a better shot.
 
Even though commands were pretty centralized in recognition of the technological limitations, Jutland was characterized by a poor grasp on the tactical situation by commanders on both sides. Beatty left behind the 5th Battle Squadren, then blundered into the HSF, the HSF blundered into the Grand Fleet twice, crippled German battlecruisers sailed through the Grand Fleet in plain sight, the HSF escaped in the night despite Jellicoe's light forces making repeated contact. Dispersing the fleet into "task forces" would only make things more confusing to little advantage.
 
I don't advocate dispersing the Fleet, just controlling it differently. If each battleship division was at the centre of its own Task Force with its own scouting BCs and light cruisers and its own torpedo attack/defence capability then when light forces make contact with the enemy the heavies are immediately on the scene under the same command and able to react. When the TF becomes engaged the Fleet commander decides wether or not to send other TFs to engage or whatever.
 
I don't advocate dispersing the Fleet, just controlling it differently. If each battleship division was at the centre of its own Task Force with its own scouting BCs and light cruisers and its own torpedo attack/defence capability then when light forces make contact with the enemy the heavies are immediately on the scene under the same command and able to react. When the TF becomes engaged the Fleet commander decides wether or not to send other TFs to engage or whatever.

This limits the scouting units to the same speed and location as the main fleet units. Assuming they all come together when the Grand Fleet is located either there is complicated manoeuvres to form a line of battle or else the HSF is spread out compared to the Grand Fleet allowing the latter to concentrate against elements of an already weaker fleet.
 
True. How was this addressed in WW2 when dealing with slower BBs and fast everything else? Did aircraft make it a moot point?
 
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