Downloaded by [New York University] at 04:26 01 October 2016 ROUTLEDGE LIBRARY EDITIONS: MILITARY AND NAVAL HISTORY Volume 19 NO MORE HEROES Downloaded by [New York University] at 04:26 01 October 2016 This page intentionally left blank Downloaded by [New York University] at 04:26 01 October 2016 NO MORE HEROES The Royal Navy in the Twentieth Century: Anatomy of a Legend CHARLES OWEN Downloaded by [New York University] at 04:26 01 October 2016 First published in 1975 This edition first published in 2016 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 1975 Charles Owen All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN: 978-1-138-90784-3 (Set) ISBN: 978-1-315-67905-1 (Set) (ebk) ISBN: 978-1-138-93563-1 (Volume 19) (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-67724-8 (Volume 19) (ebk) Publisher’s Note The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality of this reprint but points out that some imperfections in the original copies may be apparent. Disclaimer The publisher has made every effort to trace copyright holders and would welcome correspondence from those they have been unable to trace. Downloaded by [New York University] at 04:26 01 October 2016 NO MORE HEROES The Royal Navy in the Twentieth Century: Anatomy of a Legend CHARLES OWEN Downloaded by [New York University] at 04:26 01 October 2016 London George Allen & Unwin Ltd Ruskin House Museum Street First published in 1975 This book is copyright under the Berne Convention. All rights are reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, 1956, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Enquiries should be addressed to the publishers. © Charles Owen, 1975 sb n 0 04 359007 1 Downloaded by [New York University] at 04:26 01 October 2016 Printed in Great Britain in 11 point Times Roman type by Cox & Wyman Ltd, London, Fakenham and Reading For the Heroes who made the Legend Downloaded by [New York University] at 04:26 01 October 2016 This page intentionally left blank Downloaded by [New York University] at 04:26 01 October 2016 Preface Among the several people who went out of their way to help me during the three years in which this book was being prepared, I wish to thank specially Admiral Sir Charles Madden and Captain H. K. Oram, R.N., each of whom read, discussed and commented in detail upon virtually the entire text; Admiral Sir John Hamilton, Lt-General Sir Ian Jacob, Major-General John Owen, Captain S. W. Roskill, R.N., Professor Bryan Ranft, Douglas Matthews, T. H. Hawkins, Benjamin Varela and Lieutenant Anthony Hallett, R.N., each of whom gave similar painstaking atten­ tion to substantial portions of the text; and Captain Donald Titford, R.N., Professor Michael Balfour and Michael Horniman for much practical assistance. I am grateful also to Oram, Hawkins, Horniman and Varela, among others, for invaluable advice and suggestions at the planning stage of the book. My wife, Felicity, besides helping and encouraging me constantly in all these ways, unearthed, fetched and often scrutinised for me much of my research material, including a non-stop flow of books from die London Library; and a good deal of basic research, particularly that covering the first and fourth decades of the century, was her work. I interviewed numerous individuals fairly thoroughly, some in their official and others in their personal capacities. Among the former were the First Sea Lord, the Second Sea Lord, the Commanders-in-Chief Fleet and Naval Home, the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff for Policy, the Flag Officers Downloaded by [New York University] at 04:26 01 October 2016 Sea Training, Medway and Gibraltar, the President Admir­ alty Interview Board, the Directors General Ships, Personal Services, Manpower and Training, the Commanding Officers Britannia R.N. College, H.M.S. Excellent, H.M.S. Dryad, H.M.S. Dolphin, H.M.S. Daedalus and H.M.S. Raleigh, and the Directors Naval Warfare, Operations and Trade. I am grateful also to the Commander-in-Chief Netherlands Home Command, the Commandant Joint Warfare School, the 10 No More Heroes Chairman of the Navy League, the Commanding Officer of the destroyer described in Chapter One, the Navy’s Director of Public Relations and the Manager of the Portsmouth branch of Gieves Limited for kindly making time available. Those who were interviewed in their personal capacities included Admirals of the Fleet Sir Algernon Willis, Sir Varyl Begg and Sir Michael Pollock, Admirals Sir John Bush and Sir John Frewen, Vice Admiral Sir Peter Gretton, Captain Donald Macintyre, R.N., Professors Alec Rodger and Temple Patterson, Doctors V. Berghahn and Frank Hardie, Oliver Warner, Corelli Barnett, Hugh Hanning, John Harbron, Kenneth Lindsay, A. R. Smith and P. D. Nairne. The confidential records which I made after every interview, official and personal, form an important part of the book’s research material. Other visited research sources, apart from libraries, were the National Maritime Museum, the Imperial War Museum, the Priddy’s Hard Weapons Museum (Gosport), the Sub­ marine Museum (Gosport) and the Naval Gunnery School Photographic Museum (Portsmouth). Among the libraries which proved useful were those of the Admiralty, the Univer­ sity of Southampton, the Royal Naval Club (Portsmouth) and, above all else, the London Library. I am greatly obliged to the staffs of these institutions. Also, I wish to thank for comments or advice Professor Arthur Marder, David Clark, Raymonde Homer, April Weiss and Angela Evans; and for help at various stages with research, organisation and typing Jillian Bond, Pat Chan, Nicky Clark, Faith Holland-Martin, Adrienne Salonika, Jackie Solon and Liz Theobald. Downloaded by [New York University] at 04:26 01 October 2016 Unless otherwise stated, an individual’s title, rank, sur­ name and appointment, when mentioned in this book, are those applying on the particular occasion. Decorations and other awards, however, have usually been omitted. The term ‘the Navy’ or ‘Royal Navy’ refers to Britain’s Navy. CHARLES OWEN Contents Preface page 9 1 YOU KNOW WHAT SAILORS ARE 15 At sea in a modern destroyer. Views of Portsmouth and Dartmouth, and comparison with earlier days. Interview with a First Sea Lord. Short appraisal of Britain’s defence organisation and the Royal Navy’s place in NATO. 2 THE TUMULT AND THE SHOUTING 39 The flamboyant era. The great naval revolution, led by Fisher; the fracas with Beresford. Development of the big gun; the Dreadnought. The growing German menace and the armaments race (1900-12). 3 THE GIANTS 63 Preparations for war. First World War: its naval cornerstones, Jutland and the U-boat conflict. The roles of the giants, notably Lloyd George, Churchill, Fisher, Jellicoe, Beatty (1912-19). 4 SECOND TO NONE 92 The disarmament tangle. The rise in power and influence of the U.S. Navy, and its success in cutting the Royal Navy down to size. Other political and Downloaded by [New York University] at 04:26 01 October 2016 economic factors contributing to the Navy’s decline. The Invergordon nadir (1919-31). 5 RENAISSANCE 128 The Chatfield era. Re-invigoration, rearmament, renaissance. Hitler and Mussolini; critical impact of the Italo-Ethiopian war. Hesitations about the role of aircraft and submarines (1931-39). 12 No More Heroes 6 THE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS pages 157 Second World War: the Navy’s versatility and endur­ ance. The U.S. Navy’s role. Development of multi­ national multi-element warfare: the Normandy invasion. Contributors to victory, notably Roosevelt, Churchill, King, Pound, Cunningham, Mountbatten (1939-45). 7 NO MORE HEROES 181 The Royal Navy today and tomorrow. An examina­ tion of its place in modern society; of trends or reforms, actual and potential, in naval strategy, tactics, administration, materiel and personnel. Has Britain the Navy it needs and deserves? Notes 214 Appendixes 229 a . The British Ministry of Defence, b . First Sea Lords since 1900. c . A Note on NATO. d . The Dreadnought Revolution, 1906-16. e . The Royal Navy Today. Bibliography 236 Index 244 Downloaded by [New York University] at 04:26 01 October 2016 Illustrations 1. County-class destroyer facing page 48 2. Operations room of frigate 3. Fisher with Churchill 49 4. Beresford 5. Wilson 6. First World War: British battle squadron 64 7. Jellicoe 65 8. Keyes 9. Beatty with George V 10. 1930s: British battle squadron 112 11. Chatfield 113 12. Churchill greeting victorious sailors 13. Pound with King 14. Second World War: British aircraft carrier squadron 128 15. Second World War: Swordfish aircraft 16. British destroyer in action 17. Cunningham 129 18. Mountbatten among friends 19. 1944: Destroyer’s bridge, officers looking ahead d i a g r a m : British Ministry of Defence, Navy Downloaded by [New York University] at 04:26 01 October 2016 Department 1970 (reproduced by courtesy o f The Ministry of Defence) 201 This page intentionally left blank Downloaded by [New York University] at 04:26 01 October 2016 Chapter One You Know What Sailors Are The vessel was a destroyer, a County-class guided missile destroyer.