Jellicoe:The War at Sea, 1914-1916

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The Life of Admiral of the Fleet
John Rushworth Jellicoe,
First Earl Jellicoe
5 December, 1869 – 20 November, 1935
Jellicoe, 1920.JPG
Chapters
Background and Early Life • Service as Lieutenant • Commander • Command and China • Director of Naval Ordnance • Flag Rank and Controller • Sea Service and Second Sea Lord • Command of the Grand Fleet • The War at Sea, 1914-1916 • The Battle of Jutland • After Jutland • First Sea Lord and the Submarine Menace • Controversy and Dismissal • Empire Tour • Governor-General of New Zealand • The Jutland Controversy • Retirement • Death and Legacy

Letter of 30 October, 1914

The Secretary of the Admiralty sent the Board's reply on 7 November:

I have laid before the My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty your letter of the 30th ultimo.,and I am commanded by them to inform you that they approve your views, as stated therein, and desire to assure you of their full confidence in your contemplated condict of the Fleet in action.
2. My Lords will, as desired, give orders for all available Ships and Torpedo Craft to proceed to the position of the Fleet Action on learning from you that it is imminent.[1]

Churchill later wrote:

Gordon decries the Board for "rather carelessly" approving Jellicoe's plan, and claims that there were several things wrong with it."[2]

I take the fullest responsibility for approving the answer proposed by the First Sea Lord. There was nno reason in the first phase of the naval war for seeking a battle except in the best conditions, bit I do not accept any responsibility for the actual conduct of Jutland which took place in conditions of relative strength different from those which existed in October 1914.[3]

1915

On 8 January, 1915, Rear-Admiral Duff of the Fourth Battle Squadron wrote in his diary:

Had a discussion with the V.A. [Vice-Admiral Gamble] I agree with him that the Fleet is very badly run. The Staff in the Iron Duke is far too large, which prevents decentralisation, and takes all initiative and authority out of the hands of the V.A.s.[4]

On 16 September, 1915, Jellicoe went on leave for ten days. Warspite was sent to Rosyth to return him to the fleet in the event of a concentration. Burney moved aboard Iron Duke in temporary command, and Madden took command of the First Battle Squadron.[5]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Quoted in Jellicoe Papers. I. p. 79.
  2. ↑ Gordon. Rules. p. 21.
  3. ↑ Quoted in Bennett. Naval Battles of World War I. p. 136.
  4. ↑ Duff Diary. National Maritime Museum. DFF/15.
  5. ↑ Commander Matthew Best's notebook entries for 16 September, 23 September, 1915. Liddle Collection. University of Leeds. RNMN/BEST. Box 1. Volume III.

Bibliography

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