A major new exhibition telling the story of the 36-hour Battle of Jutland has gone on display at the National museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) in Portsmouth, UK.

250 ships and 100,000 men were involved in the historic battle. The British lost 14 ships while the Germans lost 11. When the dust settled, both sides claimed victory in the conflict.

Working with the Imperial War Museum, the exhibition compiles the collections of NMRN, as well as 21 private collectors and five public organisations.

Displaying artefacts, photos and personal diaries recording the events of the battle, 36 Hours: Jutland 1916, The Battle That Won The War is the most comprehensive exhibition ever on the event which took the lives of more than 8,600 British and German sailors.

Among the exhibits on display, highlights include a silver biscuit box from HMS Lion which is believed to have been in Nelson's cabin onboard HMS Victory during the Battle of Trafalgar, as well as a large deck gun from a German B98 destroyer. Many of the exhibits have never gone on public display before.

“One hundred years after the fleets of the Imperial German and Royal Navies fought the defining naval battle of the First World War, it is essential that we mark and commemorate the incredible sacrifice made,” said Dominic Tweddle, director general of NMRN.

“In a year of commemoration it is imperative that the Royal Navy’s greatest battle, the Battle of Jutland, is remembered with the same importance as the Battle of the Somme, and alongside other anniversaries including the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death and the Battle of Hastings. Jutland’s significance in turning the tide of the First World War must not be underestimated. We are proud to be able to tell its story.”

The opening happens shortly before NMRN’s other major contribution to the Jutland centenary, the opening of the battle’s only survivor HMS Caroline on 1 June.