NAVY NEWS, DECEMBER 2008 45
Leaders, senior and junior
F
OR more than two centuries
advancement to luck, patronage, publicity, of Ark Royal and Barham, the Italian frogman FOR all the professionalism,
the volunteer officers found
the RN has rather lived in the
money. He was hailed as a fighting admiral raid on Alexandria). insight and fl ashes of genius
themselves first immersed in
shadow of Nelson and his
yet “his victories only existed in the pages of Above all, Cunningham exerted a moral displayed by the protagonists
the world of the lower decks for
wartime newspapers”. ascendancy over the Italian Fleet from the in Andrew Lambert’s book, the
achievements.
ten weeks learning the basics of
Post-war his actions at Jutland helped to split outset. It remained in the shadow of the Royal Royal Navy came through its
naval life.
The admiral was, of course, one cog (and the officer corps as the battle was re-fought by Navy for the duration of the war. greatest test thanks to a largely
They were a mixed bunch,
a rather important one at that) in the huge, pro-Beatty and pro-Jellicoe-ites. Lambert is fulsome in his praise of ABC. inexperienced corps of offi cers
as future Oscar winner Alec
well-oiled machine which was the Georgian David Beatty was no second Nelson, either “He was magnificent in victory, unbreakable and ratings.
Guinness found: “butcher’s
Royal Navy. as a leader in battle or as a ‘people person’. in defeat.” He stood up to his political It is the former, the temporary
assistants, a housepainter, a
But his victories at the Nile, Copenhagen He was, the author points out, “not a nice masters, shed tears at the loss of ships he had naval officers who were the
maker of pianos, a couple of
and Trafalgar not merely eclipsed his man – along with his talents and his charisma ordered into battle at Crete. Throughout he backbone of a service which
schoolmasters, an aggressive,
contemporaries – his ‘band of brothers’ – but came an overbearing arrogance and ‘some demonstrated “true greatness”. mushroomed sevenfold during
foul-mouthed Post Office clerk,
pretty much every other British naval leader elements of a bounder’.” This is a fine anthology with astute pen World War 2, who are the focus
a Scottish laird.” They shared
before or after. And he is defined, arguably, by one glib portraits of these leaders. The author is as of Brian Lavery’s In Which They
a few common interests: beer,
The highly-respected maritime historian remark on the bridge of HMS Lion on May quick to praise as he is to criticise – it is all too Served: The Royal Navy Officer
the opposite sex, football (again
Prof Andrew Lambert has already produced 31 1916 – “There seems to be something easy for biographers to destroy reputations. Experience in the Second
little has changed) and nearly
an admirable biography of Nelson, but now wrong with our bloody ships, today” – and the All the admirals featured made mistakes, World War (Conway, £20 ISBN
all, the actor observed, “wished
turns his attention to 11 naval leaders from destruction of his beloved battle-cruisers that possessed flaws of character, yet all in some 978-1-84486-070-8).
to be taken for old salts within
Elizabethan times to the modern era. same afternoon. way left their mark on the Royal Navy. Brian Lavery is a rara rare bre b eed
days of joining up”.
These men were “not necessarsararily the best ily the best YYeet there is also much to admiret thhere None, however, believes the author, among naval historians: hesttorianians: s he
The author has done The authThe au
admirals in history”, says the author in e author in about Beaabout Bet tty, Prof Lambert explains. “equalled Nelson – his sublime genius, the understands ships hiips and
an excellent job ofan exxc
Admirals: The Naval Commanders Who ders Who “He liv“He H ed for his career and his ultimate expression of nap val command, looms sailors (many authorsauthors
weaving together a weeav
Made Britain Great (John MurMurrayray,, countrcoountry; he died young, worn over them.” favour one or the other).oother).
large number of la
£20 ISBN 978-0-571-23156-0),56-0), out by hard wo ork [and] This is very much a uch a
published and p
but each one helped shape a nanavvy y mental anguish.mental anm guish.” social history of the the
unpublishedu
which would be viewed as the he Despite Beatty’s wartime navy – the hhe
accounts, plusac
pre-eminent maritime force in n reputarepputation as a experience offf
official rf eports
the world. ‘fighting admiral’,‘fi‘ ghhting admiral’, t thehe war, joining up,
and documents,and a
The achievements of author argues thaaauuthoor argues that his training, public
to paint atoo
most within this volume – achievacchievi eements behind a perception
comprcomp ehensive
Blake, Anson, Hood and desk as Firdesk as First Sea Lord in the feature as
picturpictuure of the gamut e
Parker, for example – are turbturbuulent post-WW1 wulent post-WW1 world were heavily as
of experiences of theof exxperi
rather beyond the limited naval al far moar more lasting.re lasting. anti-submarinenee
wartime ofwartime oe ficer corps
knowledge of this reviewer, bbuutt Beatty fought tirelessly for a strong tty fof ugght tirelessly for a strong tactics or the art of rtt of
– aided by numer– aided bd ous
three 20th-Century leaders do stand o stand Fleet, tried to rally a wied to rt rally a weary public behind amphibious warfarfara e.e.
diagrams, cartoons anddiagrams, ca
out: Fisher, Beatty and Cunningham.gham.h the need for a pothe need ffor aa powerful Navy, warned And how perceptions of eptions of
charts.h t
John ‘Jacky’ Fisher most definitely did not nitely did not repeatedly of the threatedly off the threaf the t from Jt from Jaapan (largely pan (largely the Navy have changed in the hanged in the
It was as diverse an ofIt was as dive ficer
possess the Nelson touch. He was no leader in unheeded), fought off some sfought off some swingeing cuts six decades since 1939-45.
cadre as you are ever likely to
battle. As a warrior, he detested war and did (but not otherhers) and struggled (in vain) to The monitors of the Mass
see in the RN – even today when
everything in his power to deter it. preserve an independent nandependent naval air arm. Observation movement found
attitudes to class and breeding are
Fisher’s skill was as an organiser and In short, without Beawithout Beatty at the helm, the that the public held the RN in
much more liberal than they were
innovator. He embraced technology and Senior Service wce would have been a far higher regard than its sister
in the 40s.
changed the face of navies around the world weaker force a generaa generation later when it Services.
Yet there is that golden thread
with HMS Dreadnought. faced war once more.ce more. It was the public image of
which links the wartime officer
As radical leaders tend to be, he was a It was a NaNavy vy Andrew Andrew BroBrowne the Navy which drew many of
with his modern counterparts.
controversial figure. He was, believes Lambert, Cunningham – m – ‘ABC’ – would these temporary officers into
The temporary officers were
“in the main right, his enemies wrong. Fisher eventually inherherit as First Sea Lord. the Senior Service – men who,
advised to strike a balance
transformed the nature of naval power and the Cunningham (am ((pictured, rightt) most “perhaps two years ago were
between popularity and authority,
structure of the Royal Navy.” definitely was a ‘fighting admiral’.‘fighting admiral’. bank clerks, shop assistants,
to set an example, to encourage
He hoped that by dragging the Victorian And more than anhan any man, he picked motor mechanics”.
the best from their men without
Navy kicking and screaming into the 20th up the Nelsonian torch.sonian torch. He was, Cinema played a vital role,
showing favouritism, to instil
Century that it would deter war. Unfortunately, the author wrwrites,ites, “the “the finest finest too. Alongside the potboilers
discipline without being unduly
the navies of the world were stimulated rather fighting seaman of theman of the and B movies, major features
harsh.
than discouraged by the Fisher revolution: the war and a master of aster of such as In Which We Serve
Most would serve either in
dreadnought ‘race’ began. command”. proved a massive stimulus –
escorts (famously depicted in
Fisher was a “unique genius”, but he was Montgomermery and presented a reasonably
The Cruel Sea) or in landing craft,
also exacting, rarely forgave shortcomings in may be seen byen by accurate portrayal of life at sea
the two areas which “made the
his staff and was paranoically suspicious of many Britoons asns as our leadiour leadingng in WW2.
greatest contribution to winning
anyone who stood in his way. commander of the of the WWorld orld WWar 2,ar 2, not not “The average sailor loves to
the war”.
Jacky Fisher better prepared the Senior Harris, not Alexander, not Ramsay nor see patriotic stuff on the screen,
The needs of the hour meant
Service for its first global war in a century than Cunningham.m. But at the time,t the time, t the lahe latter although he might grumble like
that training was improvised and,
any man, but it was the unlikely figure of John was a “household name in Brehold name in Britain, the blazes when with his mates,”
in some cases, hurried. Yet the
Jellicoe who was hailed as the ‘new Nelson’. Empire and the wthe world”. one seaman observed of Noël
men rose to the occasion.
In reality, his youthful deputy David Beatty More than ann anythingything,, h he we was the right ight Coward’s film. Not a lot has
By the war’s end in 1945,
possessed more of Nelson’s flair – and is the man in the rright place at the right changed...
the Royal Navy was a “highly-
more interesting character. time: the MediterMediterranean theatre and Drawn in by movies, by the
effective force” and its thousands
Beatty was, believes Lambert, “the first his victories – – TTaranto and Maaranto and Matapan tapan aura of prestige and respect
of temporary officers had a “direct
modern admiral” – an officer who owed his – outshine his defeais defeats (Crete, the loss which surrounded the RN,
effect on winning the war.”
Life begins at (Room) 40
ADMIRAL Sir Reginald Hall Duff to achieve the evthheee evveentual entualntual career and contrcareer and c ibution to prestige would have been much
(1870-1943) is one of the key neutralisation of the Gerhe German man victorvictory ay t sea is wt ell and greater than it was.
fi gures in both the history of the
The Grove
submarine menace.e.. He also sympasymmpathetically told. I The author knocks fi rmly on the
Royal Navy and British intelligence now ran what wwas the as the wwoould not have put head the legend there was some
in the early 20th Century, writes
Review
contemporary equivivvalent quite the same q conspiracy involving the Admiralty
Prof Eric Grove of the University of of the World WWar2 overwhelming to sink the Lusitania.
Salford. latter reporting directly to the Bletchley Park and annd historh ical He places the blame fi rmly
Son of the fi rst Head of the over-centralising Chief of the War today’s GCHQ Q emphasis on em on the sclerotic and overloaded
Naval Intelligence Division created Staff, the taciturn Rear Admiral which led to the the Zimmerthet man Admiralty intelligence and
in 1887, ‘Blinker’ Hall (so called Henry (‘Dummy’) Oliver. transmission to telegtelegrram, although operational staff structure that
because of an ailment that caused This unfortunate disconnect, the USA of a the author does make the aut would fail again at Jutland.
his eyes to blink more frequently compounded by the not entirely decrypted secret a good case for its a goodo It might be added that if the
than normal) took over his father’s helpful infl uence of the then telegram from cardinal imporcardinal a tance in intention really had been to bring
old appointment in October 1914, Director of the Operations German foreign n adding decisivadding dec ely to the the USA into the war in 1915
his fragile health as well as his Division Capt Thomas Jackson, minister Zimmerman man U-boat offensivt offen e in leading it signally failed, the USA only
acute brain advising transfer from led to the intelligence failures to Mexico promising omising to America’ica’ss ‘association’ entering the confl ict just over two
fl eet duty – command of the battle that contributed signifi cantly territorial restoration of US ion of US f US with the i h h Allies ( the AlliesAlli ( Americans years later. Then the Admiralty did
cruiser Queen Mary which later to Jutland’s less than happy lands annexed less than a centurthan acentury y could nevcould never quite become er quite ‘allies’ play a role.
blew up at Jutland. In more ways outcome. before in return for supporting themselves). The author has clearly worked
than one therefore moving ashore Hall was, however, very right Germany against the USA. This Yet Hall overstated the case hard to give his account the
to the Admiralty probably saved in his assessment of the result: had a considerable impact on more than a little when he claimed authority of a wide range of
Hall’s life. the High Sea Fleet had been President Wilson’s decision to ask with reference to America’s entry primary and secondary sources
He inherited a department, suffi ciently damaged to keep it in Congress for a declaration of war into the war: “Alone I did it.” and has produced, in this ninetieth
now a division of the Naval War harbour “for a few weeks”. It was on Germany. Perhaps inevitably in the shady anniversary year 1918, a timely
Staff, that was already gaining the out again in August. All this and more is included and secret world of intelligence, and useful new assessment of Hall
benefi ts of a pioneer cryptanalysis He was able to extend his in the new book ‘Blinker’ Hall one can never be sure of the real and his contribution to victory.
organisation that occupied Room control over Room 40 shortly the Spymaster: The Man Who story. Ramsay admits he has no Ramsay clearly communicates
40 in the Admiralty. afterwards and the whole system Brought America into World War corroboration for some of Hall’s Hall’s virtues as a ‘spymaster’, his
This was not at fi rst directly benefi ted from the thoroughgoing 1 by David Ramsay (Spellmount fascinating later assertions. forceful but attractive personal-
controlled by Hall but by pre- reorganisation of the War Staff by £25 ISBN 978-1-86227-465-5). Some are of more than passing ity combining imagination, ruth-
war Director of Naval Education First Sea Lord Sir John Jellicoe in The author is the son of interest, however, notably Hall’s lessness and guile. On fi nishing
Sir Alfred Ewing who only faded 1917. Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay claim to have used an agent to what is an absorbing, informa- HP BOOKFINDERS: Established
from the scene in 1916-17 when Jellicoe took over responsibility the great World War 2 exponent transmit an order to von Spee, the tive and entertaining book, the
professional service locating out
he moved north to be principal of for the Staff as a whole. Oliver of amphibious warfare, and his victor of Coronel, to attack the critical reader need not accept all
of print titles on all
Edinburgh University, giving Hall became Deputy Chief responsible grasp of naval history is generally Falklands and thus place his head the claims made in it.
subjects. No obligation or SAE
control both of this dimension for surface operations (and, sadly, sound, despite an annoying habit in the jaws of the battle-cruiser Nevertheless he or she will have
of signals intelligence and the more failures) and Rear Admiral of referring to the World War 1 trap laid for him. gained a much better idea of the
required. Contact: Mosslaird,
wireless direction-fi nding system Alexander Duff, the fi rst ACNS, Imperial German Navy as the It is an intriguing thought that enormous contribution to the
Brig O’ Turk, Callander, FK17 8HT
that Hall himself had set up. responsible for anti-submarine Kriegsmarine – a name it only does have circumstantial evidence war’s successful outcome made by
Telephone/Fax: (01877) 376377
Hall and Ewing had an uneasy operations. adopted under Hitler. to back it up: if Von Spee had got one of the most able fi gures in its
martin@hp-bookfinders.co.uk
relationship, not helped by the Hall worked closely with The story of Hall’s fascinating back home the blow to British management. www.hp-bookfinders.co.uk
045_NN_Dec.indd 1 18/11/08 08:19:18
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