Difference between revisions of "Navy War Council"

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<blockquote>&hellip; the most absurd bit of humbug that has ever been produced for a long time [lovely hyperbole - S.H.].  It pretends to be the basis of a General Staff, but its constitution shows that whoever devised it has no idea of what a staff is wanted for, or the particular functions of such a body.  The result of the Committee of Enquiry has therefore merely been to produce an absurd anomaly called a War Council, which means nothing.  The study of war forms no part of its work.  The First Sea Lord remains supreme and imposes his crude strategical ideas on the nation.<ref>Diary Entry of 27 October, 1909.  National Maritime Museum.  Richmond Papers.  RIC/1/8.  Quoted in Hunt.  ''Sailor-Scholar''.  p. 21.</ref></blockquote>
 
<blockquote>&hellip; the most absurd bit of humbug that has ever been produced for a long time [lovely hyperbole - S.H.].  It pretends to be the basis of a General Staff, but its constitution shows that whoever devised it has no idea of what a staff is wanted for, or the particular functions of such a body.  The result of the Committee of Enquiry has therefore merely been to produce an absurd anomaly called a War Council, which means nothing.  The study of war forms no part of its work.  The First Sea Lord remains supreme and imposes his crude strategical ideas on the nation.<ref>Diary Entry of 27 October, 1909.  National Maritime Museum.  Richmond Papers.  RIC/1/8.  Quoted in Hunt.  ''Sailor-Scholar''.  p. 21.</ref></blockquote>
  
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==Meetings==
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==Minutes==
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Taken from the Navy War Council's ''Minutes''.<ref>"Navy War Council: Minutes."  The National Archives.  ADM 116/3090.  ff. 1-8.</ref>
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Taken from the Minute book of the Navy War Council held at the National Archives.<ref>"Navy War Council: Minutes."  The National Archives.  ADM 116/3090.</ref>
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===13 October, 1909===
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;Present:
  
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*13 October, 1909.
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*{{FleetRN}} [[John Arbuthnot Fisher, First Baron Fisher|Sir John A. Fisher]], First Sea Lord (President).
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*20 October, 1909.
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*{{RearRN}} [[Alexander Edward Bethell|The Honourable Alexander E. Bethell]], [[Naval Intelligence Department (Royal Navy)|Director of Naval Intelligence]].
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*3 November, 1909.
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*Rear-Admiral [[Herbert Goodenough King-Hall|Herbert G. King-Hall]], [[Naval Mobilisation Department (Royal Navy)|Director of Naval Mobilisation]].
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*4 November, 1909.
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*[[William Graham Greene|W. Graham Greene]], Assistant Secretary (Secretary to the Council).
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*1 February, 1910.
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*22 February, 1910.
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Procedure & general arrangements for carrying on the work of the Navy War Council set forth by President.  Meetings to take place weekly on Wednesday morning.
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*12 April, 1910.
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*22 April, 1910.
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First subject to be considered by Council was question of numbers to be provided in Estimates 1910-1911, having regard to manning requirements on mobilization under possible strategic conditions.  As a preliminary DNM to enquire & prepare statement as to extent to which 129,000 Officers & Men could man existing fleet.
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*10 June, 1910.
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*30 November, 1911.
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===20 October, 1909===
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*1 December, 1911.
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;Present:
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*Admiral of the Fleet Sir John A. Fisher.
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*Rear-Admiral The Hon. Alexander E. Bethell.
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*Rear-Admiral Herbert G. King-Hall.
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*Rear-Admiral [[Lewis Bayly]], [[Royal Naval War College|Rear-Admiral Commanding, Royal Naval War College]].
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*{{CaptRN}} [[George Cuthbert Cayley|George C. Cayley]], Assistant Director, Mobilisation Department.
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*W. Graham Greene.
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The President briefly recapitulated the proceedings of the last meeting, referring to a statement made by Admiral of Fleet Sir A. Wilson at a C.I.D. meeting on the question of preparation of war plans.  He read a paper on general protection of trade & the present arrangement for dealing with German Cruisers on distant stations.  The question of the use of modern submarines in war with special reference to the North Sea was then touched upon.
  
 
==Footnotes==
 
==Footnotes==

Revision as of 22:17, 19 November 2012

The Navy War Council was an ad hoc committee of the Royal Navy formed in October, 1909 to perform the basic function of a naval staff, and to formulate naval war plans and study naval strategy.

Background

In May, 1909, the Director of Naval Intelligence, Rear-Admiral The Honourable Alexander E. Bethell, submitted a proposal for a "Navy War Council", comprised of: the First Sea Lord as President; the Director of Naval Intelligence as Vice-President; an "Assistant Director for War"; the President, and the Captain of the Royal Naval War College; the Naval Assistant to the First Sea Lord. The head of the Naval Intelligence Department's War Division and the Commander of the Royal Naval War College were to act as Joint Secretaries.[1]

The Council was formed of four permanent ex-officio members, being assigned the following responsibilities;

Other department heads of the Admiralty could be summoned, to act as members of the council as and when their expertise was required.

During Fisher's last three months in office the War Council met four times, and during Admiral of the Fleet Sir Arthur Wilson's tenure as First Sea Lord the council met seven times.[2]

Captain Herbert W. Richmond raged in his diary that the Navy War Council was:

… the most absurd bit of humbug that has ever been produced for a long time [lovely hyperbole - S.H.]. It pretends to be the basis of a General Staff, but its constitution shows that whoever devised it has no idea of what a staff is wanted for, or the particular functions of such a body. The result of the Committee of Enquiry has therefore merely been to produce an absurd anomaly called a War Council, which means nothing. The study of war forms no part of its work. The First Sea Lord remains supreme and imposes his crude strategical ideas on the nation.[3]

Minutes

Taken from the Minute book of the Navy War Council held at the National Archives.[4]

13 October, 1909

Present

Procedure & general arrangements for carrying on the work of the Navy War Council set forth by President. Meetings to take place weekly on Wednesday morning.

First subject to be considered by Council was question of numbers to be provided in Estimates 1910-1911, having regard to manning requirements on mobilization under possible strategic conditions. As a preliminary DNM to enquire & prepare statement as to extent to which 129,000 Officers & Men could man existing fleet.

20 October, 1909

Present

The President briefly recapitulated the proceedings of the last meeting, referring to a statement made by Admiral of Fleet Sir A. Wilson at a C.I.D. meeting on the question of preparation of war plans. He read a paper on general protection of trade & the present arrangement for dealing with German Cruisers on distant stations. The question of the use of modern submarines in war with special reference to the North Sea was then touched upon.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "Proposals by Director of Naval Intelligence for carrying out the Duties of a General Staff and Re-organisation of the Naval Intelligence Department." 15 May, 1909. The National Archives. ADM 1/8047.
  2. ↑ Hunt. Sailor-Scholar. p. 21.
  3. ↑ Diary Entry of 27 October, 1909. National Maritime Museum. Richmond Papers. RIC/1/8. Quoted in Hunt. Sailor-Scholar. p. 21.
  4. ↑ "Navy War Council: Minutes." The National Archives. ADM 116/3090.

Bibliography

  • Hunt, Barry D. (1982). Sailor-Scholar: Admiral Sir Herbert Richmond 1871-1946. Waterloo, ON: Wilfrid Laurier University Press. ISBN 0-88920-104-8.
  • Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division (1929). The Naval Staff of the Admiralty. Its Work and Development. B.R. 1845 (late C.B. 3013). Copy No. 8 at The National Archives. ADM 234/434.

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