AS ORGANISER
In 1905 Captain Jellicoe went to the Admiralty as Director of Naval
Ordnance. Having been Fisher's assistant late in the 'eighties he knew
his department and the men connected with it. He knew better than any
other man of his age what the Navy wanted, and he evidently made up
his mind that she should have it.
He was heart and soul a "Fisher man" and a great admirer of the
splendid work Sir Percy Scott had performed. Indeed, much of Scott's
genius might have been lost or wasted without Jellicoe's help and
enthusiasm.
He took the part of Director of Naval Ordnance just at the right time.
One of the most important reforms for which the Service has to thank
him was fitting all guns mounted in ships of the first line with new
day and night sights, and the installation of fire-control instruments
for "spotting" and controlling at long range firing. He was also
instrumental in getting rid of all gunnery lumber, and he put his
foot down on many little tricks and dodges which had been practised in
shooting competitions.
It was almost entirely due to him that in a period of eighteen months
the percentage of "hits" was raised from forty-two out of a hundred
rounds to an average of seventy.
In recognition of this a knighthood was conferred upon him in 1909;
though previous to this honour he was made Controller of the Navy.
Here, again, his knowledge of _matériel_ necessary to the Service and
his great technical ability were invaluable; his quickness, firmness
and quiet manner had a great effect on the celerity with which work
was done in private as well as in the royal dockyards. There had been
a great deal of trouble in the past with contractors owing to the
difficulty in getting plans and estimates passed quickly.
Jellicoe soon changed this, and inspired the men under him to be
decisive and swift and thorough. Describing the work he accomplished
during his Controllership of the Navy a critic in _Engineering_ paid
Sir John high and deserved tribute, on the occasion of his leaving
the Admiralty and hoisting his flag as Vice-Admiral of the Atlantic
Fleet; this was in December, 1910.
After pointing out that Jellicoe's tenure of office was marked by a
period of unusual naval shipbuilding activity, the author of the
article in _Engineering_ gave the number of new vessels of all classes
added to the Navy between 1907 and 1910 as ninety, including twelve
battleships and armoured cruisers, eight protected and unarmoured
cruisers, and seventy destroyers, torpedo boats and submarines.
In addition to the numbers given, there were then about sixty ships
building, including eight battleships and armoured cruisers, seven
protected and unarmoured cruisers, and forty-five destroyers and
submarines, whilst the preliminaries to laying down were well advanced
in the case of a further twenty-two ships; these, as enumerated in the
current year's naval estimates, included five battleships and armoured
cruisers, three protected and unarmoured cruisers, and fourteen
destroyers, submarines and fleet auxiliaries. The sea-going and
fighting efficiency of all these warships was in advance of their
prototype in many important respects in _matériel_.
Shipbuilding output has thus been well maintained in the dockyards,
and there, as in the private yards doing Admiralty work, the delay in
beginning new vessels is now at a minimum. The whole machinery of
administration in this respect has been accelerated. The period of
construction of large armoured warships remained at two years,
notwithstanding the great increase in the size and displacement of the
latest types. Admiral Jellicoe was a frequent visitor at the works of
contractors, and by this means was enabled to assist and encourage
those responsible in realizing the best results and to infuse them
with his characteristic enthusiasm for the efficiency of the Service.
"The repairs and maintenance of the Fleet have been well looked after
by Sir John Jellicoe," wrote the critic of _Engineering_, "who has
realized throughout the importance of liberal financial provision to
enable the prompt and proper execution of repairs. The total number of
men employed (shipbuilding and repairs, etc.) in the home dockyards
has considerably increased during his period of office. Sir John,
having at one time been associated with the building of warships in
private yards, has devoted much attention to improving and extending
the resources of the dockyards for shipbuilding and repair work. A
recent important innovation in dockyard and port equipment is the
adoption of large floating-docks for Dreadnoughts and floating-cranes
to serve them, a policy which recognizes _inter alia_ the importance
of the quality of mobility in docks and cranes. The equipment of
temporary bases in time of war becomes easy of arrangement when
floating-docks and floating-cranes lie fully equipped and ready for
use and transfer. Two such docks, capable of lifting 32,000 tons--one
for Portsmouth and one for the Medway--are now under construction,
whilst contracts for two large floating-cranes, capable of lifting 100
tons at a radius of 125 feet, and 150 tons at about 90 feet, will very
shortly be placed.
"Sir John Jellicoe has been a strong Controller and his severance from
the Admiralty is a matter of personal regret, which is not by any
means confined to the members of the Board and the heads of
departments. No Controller has been more popular; none has commanded
greater respect as an administrator."
It has been stated that during this period Sir John Jellicoe would
sometimes work for fifteen or sixteen hours a day, when business
pressed. He never "fussed" or gave the impression of "rush," and he
neither worried nor drove his subordinates.
His words were few, but to the point. And he has never been known to
make a request or give an order twice.
It was during the period Jellicoe began to carry on the good work
Fisher had started at the Admiralty that the Emperor of Germany wrote
a remarkable letter to the late Lord Tweedmouth, First Lord in 1908.
At the time it was declared by Tweedmouth to be confidential and
purely personal, but the contents have at last become more or less
public.
This letter, in the light of latter-day events, is particularly
interesting. It was quoted for the first time by _The Morning Post_,
and it throws a strong light on the Kaiser's real character. One can
imagine the First Sea Lord of the Admiralty, Lord Fisher--whom the
German Naval Party feared so keenly--describing it in his frank
fashion as an infernal piece of bluff.
"During my last pleasant visit to your hospitable shores," the Emperor
wrote, "I tried to make your authorities understand what the drift of
the German Naval policy is. But I am afraid that my explanations have
been misunderstood or not believed, because I see the 'German Danger'
and the 'German Challenge to British Naval Supremacy' constantly
quoted in the different articles. This phrase, if not repudiated or
corrected, sown broadcast over the country and daily dinned into
British ears, might in the end create most deplorable results.
"It is absolutely nonsensical and untrue that the German Naval Bill is
to provide a Navy meant as a 'challenge to British Naval Supremacy.'
The German Fleet is built against nobody at all. It is solely built
for Germany's needs in relation with that country's rapidly growing
trade.
"There is nothing surprising, secret or underhand in it, and every
reader may study the whole course mapped out for the development of
the German Navy with the greatest ease."
After a long preamble on the subject of what England might do (from
the Kaiser's point of view) with regard to her shipbuilding programme,
the letter refers to a letter written and published by Lord Esher, in
which the Emperor accuses him of misinterpreting Germany's feelings by
alleging that "every German from the Emperor down to the last man
wished for the downfall of Sir John Fisher":
"As far as regards German Affairs Naval," the letter continues, "the
phrase is a piece of unmitigated balderdash, and has created an
immense merriment in the circles of those 'who know' here. But I
venture to think that such things ought not to be written by people
who are high placed, as they are liable to hurt public feelings over
here. Of course, I need not assure you that nobody here dreams of
wishing to influence Britain in the choice of those to whom she means
to give the direction of her Navy, or to disturb them in the
fulfilment of their noble task....
"I hope your Lordship will read these lines with kind consideration.
They are written by one who is an ardent admirer of your splendid
Navy, who wishes it all success, and who hopes that its ensign may
ever wave on the same side as the German Navy, and by one who is proud
to wear the British Naval Uniform of an Admiral of the Fleet, which
was conferred on him by the late Great Queen of blessed memory.
"Once more. The German Naval Bill is not aimed at England, and is not
a challenge to British supremacy of the sea, which will remain
unchallenged for generations to come."
The German Emperor's "generations to come" has resolved itself into
less than six years.