Jellicoe:The War at Sea, 1914-1916

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.

Churchill later wrote (though it is unclear from the source when):

I take the fullest responsibility for approving the answer proposed by the First Sea Lord. There was no 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.

Gordon decries the Board for "rather carelessly" approving Jellicoe's plan, and claims that "there were several things wrong with it." He suggests that, "The plausibility of the Germans risking a disastrous fleet engagement in open waters for the sake of so uncertain a ploy as a U-Boat ambush was not subjected to analysis, and the likelihood that they might simply be running away was obscured."

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.

Jellicoe was appointed Knight Grand Cross in the Order of the Bath (G.C.B.) on 8 February. On 5 March he was confirmed in the rank of Admiral after Sir Hedworth Meux was promoted to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet.

In a letter to Jellicoe of 4 July, Balfour commented:

I shall be deeply interested to hear how you propose to deal with the fleet problem on which you and your officers have been engaged. Rest of quote is in J.P.I. p. 171.

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.

1916

Jellicoe wrote to Jackson on 21 May:

I have given much thought to the points you raise in your letter as to relief of Burney and re-organisation of the Battle Fleet.

I am of a very decided opinion that the two officers who are really fitted for the command of the 1^st Battle Squadron are Colville and Madden.

If I felt as fit now as I did at the start I should propose Madden, but I am feeling the strain and it is useless to disguise the fact. I am conscious of it myself. Therefore I do not think I can start with a new Chief of the Staff. Madden is invaluable to me and if I broke down I am quite certain he is better fitted than else to run the Fleet. He is also certainly best Officer for the 1^st B.S., but it is of greater importance that the Chief of Staff should be the best Officer available than that the 1^st BS should have him.

This rules Madden out.

The possibilities for the 1^st BS then are Colville, Bradford, Peirse, Calthorpe. Bradford would not do as I think the 1^st Lord himself believes. Peirse has had no fleet experience for a great many years and is never very confident of himself. I rule him out. Calthorpe is possible but I do not call him first rate & should not recommend his appointment to such a powerful squadron.

Colville remains. He solves all difficulties, and I recommend that he be appointed. He may not be brilliant but he is sound. He's had more experience than anyone else and is physically fit. I am sure that, failing Madden, he is the best solution & I urge his appointment.

In regard to Sturdee, I should never feel safe with him in command of the most important squadron & leading the van. If you do not care to turn him over to the Hercules I would far sooner he kept Benbow in 4^th BS & Hercules remains in 1^st BS than that he should go to 1^st B.S. I am sorry to say that I do not trust his judgement in tactical quations. I feel very strongly about this and I know that other flag officers hold the same views as myself.

I hope therefore that Colville will succeed Burney is the latter goes. As I said before I am of opinion that Burney is the right man for 2^nd SL if Hamilton goes.