Instructions for the Director of Naval Ordnance and Torpedoes

Instructions for the Director of Naval Ordnance and Torpedoes at the Admiralty.

24 September, 1907

1. The Director of Naval Ordnance is generally responsible to the Board of Admiralty in regards to matters connected with the armament of the Fleet. He is to keep the First and Fourth Sea Lords fully informed of all details in connection with the Naval Ordnance Service which ought to be brought to their notice respectively.

2. He is the head of the combined Naval Ordnance Department. He is vested with general control over the several Ordnance Establishments at Home and Abroad, and is to consider it an important part of his duty to ascertain that the instructions issued for guidance of the Officers under him are duly observed. The Superintendent of Ordnance Stores is subordinate to him and in charge of the Storekeeping and and Accounts Division of the Naval Ordnance Department.

3. The Director of Naval Ordnance will advise the First Sea Lord on all Gunnery and Torpedo questions, and the Fourth Sea Lord on all questions connected with demand and supply of Ordnance and Torpedo Stores, and he will be directly responsible to the Board on all matters connected with the Ordnance and Torpedo material of the Fleet.

4. He will, when required by the Second Sea Lord, advise on questions connected with the Gunnery and Torpedo training of the Fleet.

5. He will refer all proposals for important changes in Gunnery or Torpedo material to the Controller of the Navy, as well as to the First Sea Lord, and the Fourth Sea Lord is to be informed of all proposed changes in Ordnance or Ordnance Stores.

6. He will advise the Controller in regard to all points in which armaments, gun mountings, torpedoes, electrical apparatus, and patterns affect the construction of ships, and in all questions involving the structural alterations in weights, &c. of ships.

7. He will refer to the Controller any questions entailing work in H.M. Dockyards, provision of Naval Stores, or expenditure under Vote 8.

8. He will be jointly responsible with the Director of Naval Construction to the Controller for the design and manufacture of gun mountings and sights, and for the mechanical arrangements connected with the supply and fitting of torpedo apparatus for ships and boats.

7. He will be consulted by the Director of Naval Construction (or, by the Superintending Electrical Engineer as head of the Electrical Sub-Department) on all electrical matters affecting the fighting and general efficiency of ships, and any proposals involving changes in design or departure from previous practice in regard to such arrangements will be referred for his concurrence.

8. He will keep the Director of Naval Equipment informed of the progress of all gun mounting contracts.

9. He will be associated with the Superintendent of Contract Work in regards to the firing trials of armour plates and will, conjointly with him, recommend their acceptance or rejection.

10. He will refer to the Professional Departments concerned any questions entailing work in H.M. Dockyards, provision of Naval Stores, or expenditure under Vote 8.

9. All drawings and specifications in connection with gun mountings are to be signed by him and the Director of Naval Construction, and all approved drawings will be registered in the Controller's Drawing Office.

10. He is to render a report to the Fourth Sea Lord on 1st May and 1st November of each year on the state of the reserves of Ordnance and Ordnance Stores, showing how far the standard of reserves has been maintained, also the actual stocks of such stores at all Depôts, and approved method of supply in War.

11. He will be placed in immediate and personal communication with the Director of Artillery and the Officers of his Department at the War Office, and he will thus endeavour to facilitate decisions on all matters of detail connected with warlike material supplied to the Navy.

12. Decisions on general and important questions respecting Naval Ordnance, Torpedoes, Ordnance Stores, &c., affecting the War Department, will, as heretofore, be notified officially in the usual way by the Secretary of the Admiralty to the Secretary, War Office, and vice versâ.

13. No new description of Ordnance Stores is to be examined or adopted for use in the Navy, even experimentally, without the concurrence of the Director of Naval Ordnance and the approval of the Board if of sufficient importance. All reports as to the results of any experiment that may be authorised are to be referred to the Director of Naval Ordnance in the first instance.

14. He will be at liberty to communicate directly with the Commanding Officers of the Gunnery and Torpedo schools on all ordnance and torpedo subjects.

15. He will submit for their Lordships' approval, in sufficient time, the estimates for Naval Ordnance and Torpedo Material (Vote 9) for the ensuing financial year. He may approve the carrying out of work at the Naval Ordnance Depôts as provided for in the Estimates.

16. He may accept the lowest tenders for supplies of Naval Ordnance Stores up to a limit of 2,000l. In cases in which it is considered necessary to accept other than the lowest tender, when the amount of the order to be placed exceeds 100l, proposals are to be submitted to the Financial Secretary.

17. He may approve reports of surveys on old Stores, &c., when the depreciation does no exceed 1,000l., but when in excess of that amount reference is to be made to the Financial Secretary. He may also approve the disposal of such articles by sale, &c.

18. He will be ex officio a member of the Council of Ordnance.

19. Such naval executive assistance as My Lords may from time to time determine will be allowed him, and a clerical staff will be specially allotted for the performance of the work connected with his duties.

20. He will obtain the sanction of the First Sea Lord whenever he desires to be absent either on leave or duty.

21. In the absence of the Director of Naval Ordnance the Assistant Director of Torpedoes will be primarily responsible for the work of the Department. The Assistant Director of Naval Ordnance will, however, act generally for Director of Naval Ordnance on Gunnery questions.

 By command of Their Lordships,

 [Signed]C. I. Thomas

Admiralty,

24 September 1907.

March, 1914

1. The Director of Naval Ordnance is generally responsible to the Board of Admiralty in regards to matters connected with the armament of the Fleet. He is to keep their Lordships fully informed of all details in connection with the Naval Ordnance Service which ought to be brought to their notice respectively. He will be advised and assisted by the Assistant Director of Torpedoes with regard to all Torpedo matters and the other subjects mentioned in that Officer's Instructions.

2. He is the head of the combined Naval Ordnance Department. He is vested with general control over the several Ordnance Establishments at Home and Abroad, and is to consider it an important part of his duty to ascertain that the instructions issued for guidance of the Officers under him are duly observed. The Superintendent of Ordnance Stores and the Chief Inspector of Naval Ordnance are subordinate to him and in charge of their Divisions of the Naval Ordnance Department.

3. The Director of Naval Ordnance will advise the First Sea Lord on all matters affecting the general system of Gunnery and Torpedo exercises of the Fleet and all military questions connected therewith.

4. He will, when required by the Second Sea Lord, advise on questions connected with Gunnery and Torpedo training.

5. He will be responsible to the Third Sea Lord for all matters connected with the Ordnance and Torpedo material of the Navy, and is to prepare and submit the Annual Estimates required for gun-mountings, air-compressing machinery, &c. (Vote 8, Section III., Subhead G).

6. He will advise the Director of Naval Construction in regard to all points in which armaments, gun mountings, torpedoes, electrical apparatus, and patterns affect the construction of ships, and in all questions involving the structural alterations in weights, &c., of ships, and will be jointly responsible with the Director of Naval Construction to the Third Sea Lord for the design and manufacture of gun mountings and sights, and for the mechanical arrangements connected with the supply and fitting of torpedo apparatus for ships.

7. He will be consulted by the Director of Naval Construction (or, by the Superintending Electrical Engineer as head of the Electrical Sub-Department) on all electrical matters affecting the fighting and general efficiency of ships, and any proposals involving changes in design or departure from previous practice in regard to such arrangements will be referred for his concurrence.

8. He will keep the Director of Naval Equipment informed of the progress of all gun mounting contracts.

9. He will be associated with the Superintendent of Contract Work in regards to the firing trials of armour plates and will, conjointly with him, recommend their acceptance or rejection.

10. He will refer to the Professional Departments concerned any questions entailing work in H.M. Dockyards, provision of Naval Stores, or expenditure under Vote 8.

11. He will be responsible to the Fourth Sea Lord for all matters affecting the demand and supply of Ordnance and Ordnance Stores, and is to keep him informed of all proposed changes in connection therewith.

12. He is to render a report to the Fourth Sea Lord on 1st June and 1st December of each year on the state of the reserves of Ordnance and Ordnance Stores, showing how far the standard of reserves has been maintained, also the actual stocks of such stores at all Depôts, and approved method of supply in War.

13. All drawings and specifications in connection with gun mountings are to be signed by him and the Director of Naval Construction, and all approved drawings will be registered in the Director of Naval Constructions's Drawing Office.

14. He will be placed in immediate and personal communication with the Director of Artillery and the Officers of his Department at the War Office and Woolwich, also with the President, Ordnance Board, and he will thus endeavour to facilitate decisions on all matters of detail connected with warlike material supplied to the Navy.

15. Decisions on general and important questions respecting Naval Ordnance, Ordnance Stores, &c., affecting the War Department, will, as heretofore, be notified officially in the usual way by the Secretary of the Admiralty to the Secretary, War Office, and vice versâ.

16. No new description of Ordnance Stores is to be examined or adopted for use in the Navy, even experimentally, without the concurrence of the Director of Naval Ordnance and the approval of the Board if of sufficient importance. All reports as to the results of any experiment that may be authorised are to be referred to the Director of Naval Ordnance in the first instance.

17. He will be at liberty to communicate directly with the Commanding Officers of the Gunnery and Torpedo schools on all ordnance and torpedo subjects.

18. He will submit for their Lordships' approval, in sufficient time, the estimates for Naval Ordnance and Torpedo Material (Vote 9) for the ensuing financial year. He may approve the carrying out of work at the Naval Ordnance Depôts as provided for in the Estimates. He may also approve estimates for Ordnance Board experiments at Woolwich or Shoeburyness up to a limit of 2,000l. in each case, subject to the condition that funds are available from the appropriate provision under the Vote.

19. When the estimates have been finally approved by the Admiralty and the Treasury, he will, in consultation with the Director of Navy Contracts and the War Office Authorities, (in accordance with with such procedure as may from time to time be approved by the Board) arrange as to the allocation of the orders between the Ordnance Factories and the Contractors.

20. He may approve reports of surveys on old Stores, &c., when the depreciation does no exceed 1,000l., but when in excess of that amount reference is to be made to the Financial Secretary. He may also approve the disposal of such articles by sale, &c.

21. He will be ex officio a member of the Council of Ordnance.

22. Such naval professional assistance as My Lords may from time to time determine will be allowed him, and a clerical staff will be specially allotted for the performance of the work connected with his duties.

23. He will obtain the sanction of the Third Sea Lord whenever he desires to be absent either on leave or duty.

24. In the absence of the Director of Naval Ordnance the Assistant Director of Torpedoes will be primarily responsible for the work of the Department. The Assistant Director of Naval Ordnance will, however, act generally for Director of Naval Ordnance on Gunnery questions.

25. The Director of Naval Ordnance may sign correspondence with the Dockyards or other Admiralty Establishments at home and abroad, or with individual officers of H.M. Navy or Civil Service, on matters relating exclusively to the duties of his Department, but all correspondence communicating Board decisions, or relating to important questions of principle, or affecting other Departments, is to be in the name of the Board, and is to be signed by the Secretary.

 By command of Their Lordships,

 [Signed]W. Graham Greene

Admiralty,

March, 1914.