The Grand Fleet, 1914-1916

Early in 1914, whilst serving at the Admiralty as Second Sea Lord, I had been offered and had accepted the command of the Home Fleets, which in the ordinary course would have be...

It is hardly surprising if the work and purpose of the Navy had somewhat faded from public interest during the century that had elapsed since the Napoleonic Wars, the last occas...

The Grand Fleet may be said to have come into being only at the outbreak of the War, when it was so christened. As with the name, so with the organisation.

At 8.30 A.M. on August 4th, 1914, the Grand Fleet proceeded to sea in compliance with Admiralty orders. The ships accompanying the Fleet-Flagship _Iron Duke_ were the vessels of...

On September 1st the Dreadnought Battle Fleet with the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron, the 6th Cruiser Squadron and the 2nd and 4th Flotillas were at Scapa Flow, cleaning boilers, s...

On November 1st I left Lough Swilly to confer at the Admiralty with the First Lord and the First Sea Lord, Lord Fisher, who had relieved the Marquis of Milford Haven in this pos...

Developments in the intelligence system at the Admiralty, initiated at the outbreak of war by Rear-Admiral Henry F. Oliver, the Director of the Intelligence Division, and an imp...

In the early summer of 1915 there was a vague impression in some quarters, unsupported, so far as I am aware, by any confirmatory evidence, that the enemy might exhibit greater...

During the later months of 1915 the Grand Fleet continued to sweep and control the North Sea in spite of the enemy’s efforts to effect attrition by submarines and mines. On Octo...

The year 1916 opened and still no general action had been fought in the North Sea, which the Grand Fleet continued to dominate, paying its price--though not so heavy as might ha...

It may not be out of place here to touch upon the general naval situation in the spring of 1916--that is, on the eve of the Battle of Jutland. What were the strategical conditio...

On May 31st, 1916, the Grand Fleet and the High Sea Fleet fought the action which has become known as the Battle of Jutland. The despatch[G] describing the battle, as published...

The “plot” made on the reports received between 5 and 6 P.M. from Commodore Goodenough, of the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron, and the report at 4.45 P.M. from Sir David Beatty in t...

The situation, which had never been at all clear to me owing to the fact that I had not seen more than a few ships at a time, appeared to be as follows:

There has been some discussion on the tactics of the Jutland Battle, and no doubt there will be more. I have endeavoured to give the facts, so that future discussions may take p...

The ships which had received damage in the Jutland Battle had to be repaired without delay. The great majority of the repairs were completed during June or by the first week in...

Events were to prove that my period of command of the Grand Fleet was drawing to a close, my transfer to the Admiralty occurring at the end of November, 1917.