Editing Battle of Jutland (section)

====Submarine deployments====
A plan was devised to station submarines offshore from British naval bases, and then stage some action that would draw out the British ships to the waiting submarines. The battlecruiser {{SMS|Seydlitz}} had been damaged in a previous engagement, but was due to be repaired by mid-May, so an operation was scheduled for 17 May 1916. At the start of May, difficulties with condensers were discovered on ships of the third battleship squadron, so the operation was put back to 23 May. Ten submarines—{{SMU|U-24||2}}, {{SMU|U-32|Germany|2}}, {{SMU|U-43|Germany|2}}, {{SMU|U-44||2}}, {{SMU|UC-47||2}}, {{SMU|U-51||2}}, {{SMU|U-52||2}}, {{SMU|U-63|Germany|2}}, {{SMU|U-66||2}}, and {{SMU|U-70||2}}—were given orders first to patrol in the central [[North Sea]] between 17 and 22 May, and then to take up waiting positions. ''U-43'' and ''U-44'' were stationed in the [[Pentland Firth]], which the Grand Fleet was likely to cross when leaving [[Scapa Flow]], while the remainder proceeded to the [[Firth of Forth]], awaiting battlecruisers departing [[Rosyth Dockyard|Rosyth]]. Each boat had an allocated area, within which it could move around as necessary to avoid detection, but was instructed to keep within it. During the initial North Sea patrol the boats were instructed to sail only north–south so that any enemy who chanced to encounter one would believe it was departing or returning from operations on the west coast (which required them to pass around the north of Britain). Once at their final positions, the boats were under strict orders to avoid premature detection that might give away the operation. It was arranged that a coded signal would be transmitted to alert the submarines exactly when the operation commenced: "Take into account the enemy's forces may be putting to sea".{{sfn|Tarrant|1995|pp=56–57}}

Additionally, ''UB-27'' was sent out on 20 May with instructions to work its way into the Firth of Forth past [[Isle of May|May Island]]. ''U-46'' was ordered to patrol the coast of [[Sunderland, Tyne and Wear|Sunderland]], which had been chosen for the diversionary attack, but because of engine problems it was unable to leave port and ''U-47'' was diverted to this task. On 13 May, ''U-72'' was sent to lay mines in the Firth of Forth; on the 23rd, ''U-74'' departed to lay mines in the [[Moray Firth]]; and on the 24th, ''U-75'' was dispatched similarly west of the [[Orkney Islands]]. ''UB-21'' and ''UB-22'' were sent to patrol the Humber, where (incorrect) reports had suggested the presence of British warships. ''U-22'', ''U-46'' and ''U-67'' were positioned north of [[Terschelling]] to protect against intervention by British light forces stationed at [[Harwich]].{{sfn|Tarrant|1995|pp=57–58}}

On 22 May 1916, it was discovered that ''Seydlitz'' was still not watertight after repairs and would not now be ready until the 29th. The ambush submarines were now on station and experiencing difficulties of their own: visibility near the coast was frequently poor due to fog, and sea conditions were either so calm the slightest ripple, as from the periscope, could give away their position, or so rough as to make it very hard to keep the vessel at a steady depth. The British had become aware of unusual submarine activity, and had begun counter-patrols that forced the submarines out of position. ''UB-27'' passed [[Bell Rock Lighthouse|Bell Rock]] on the night of 23 May on its way into the Firth of Forth as planned, but was halted by engine trouble. After repairs it continued to approach, following behind merchant vessels, and reached [[Largo Bay]] on 25 May. There the boat became entangled in nets that fouled one of the propellers, forcing it to abandon the operation and return home. ''U-74'' was detected by four [[Trawlers of the Royal Navy|armed trawlers]] on 27 May and sunk {{cvt|25|mi|nmi km}} south-east of [[Peterhead]]. ''U-75'' laid its mines off the Orkney Islands, which, although they played no part in the battle, were responsible later for sinking the cruiser {{HMS|Hampshire|1903|2}} carrying [[Herbert Kitchener|Lord Kitchener]], the [[Secretary of State for War]] on 5 June, killing him and all but 12 of the crew. ''U-72'' was forced to abandon its mission without laying any mines when an oil leak meant it was leaving a visible surface trail astern.{{sfn|Tarrant|1995|pp=58–60}}