The dreaded human factor!

I did try, honestly, I did.  I made a strict promise to myself that the leaning tower of waiting-to-be-read books would be well and truly reduced by summer but, alas, the vagaries of my wandering mind have led me astray - again.  For reasons too tedious to repeat now, I have been tempted back into the mysteries of the battle of Jutland, in general, and Andrew Gordon's monumental tome, The Rules of the Game which I read several years ago, in particular.  Once again I am utterly and helplessly hooked!  I really do believe that Gordon's book should be compulsory reading for any military officer, of course, but also for any politician seriously seeking senior office.  In the story of Jutland there are all the truths you will ever need to know concerning the never-ending tragi-comedy of human history and warfare and whilst some of them emanate from the technology most of them spring from that eternal enemy to "the best laid schemes of mice and men" - human nature.

Take just the British side as an example.  In the Admiralty, from time to time, were those twin Devil's disciples, Jacky Fisher and Winston Churchill.  Big men with big virtues but equally big political/strategic vices to match.  In command of the Grand Fleet of 24 massive 'Dreadnought' battleships, the "Castles of Steel"*, was Adm. Jellicoe, a supremely professional naval expert to his fingertips with a ferocious intellect through which all possible permutations of a future battle with the German High Seas Fleet had been worked through in fine detail - with the exception of what actually happened!  An intensely private and tacitern man who was incapable of sharing his operational philosophy with his fellow officers partly, suggests Gordon in his book, because he didn't think they had the intellectual ability to grasp it, he relied on strict discipline and absolute obedience to orders.  Despite his cold demeanour, he managed to extract intense loyalty from all those who served in his fleet.

Beneath him (although that was a moot point!) and commanding "the big cats" of the seperate battle cruiser fleet which was supposed to be Jellicoe's eyes, was the mercurial Adm. Beatty, a man thought of in Edwardian terms as being 'not quite a gentleman'.  Vain, flamboyant and flawed, this man was an accident waiting to happen - and accidents there were a-plenty!  Put simply, Beatty lacked that final piece of intellectual ability which allows a commander to quickly assimilate a rapidly changing situation and to see the optimum path to follow. And then finally, Adm. Evan-Thomas, commander of the brand new 'super-Dreadnought' squadron equipped with mammoth 15" guns, two of which can can be seen today embedded outside the Imperial War Museum.  These five ships were the very latest in battleship design, stronger, faster and armed more heavily than anything else afloat.  Evan-Thomas was a decent, loyal and somewhat plodding officer, utterly obedient but incapable of using initiative.

Those were just some of the all-too human ingredients that were to make up the bubbling stew of errors, misunderstandings, missed opportunites, high courage, great skill and sheer incompetence which was the battle of Jutland.  Forgive me if I return to this subject from time to time because I am designing a PowerPoint talk on the subject and setting my thoughts down in writing clarifies the mind - somewhat!

* Castles of Steel by Robert K. Massie, a good history of WWI naval warfare, but even better, is his depiction of Edwardian Europe and the great naval race between Britain and Germany in his outstanding book Dreadnought - one of the very best history books I have ever read.  I should add that Gordon's book, The Rules of the Game, in which he carefully steers his way throught the multiple minefields of the very many heated controversies that arose from the battle, might be a tad technical for anyone who, unlike me, is not besotted with the story.  It is, however, probably the final word on the whole muddled subject.

 

Comments

[ortega]

You may have a soulmate in the States. And no, she's not Ann:

"Both parties resemble Gordon Brown, who is about to lose the prime ministership of Britain. On the campaign trail this week, he was famously questioned by a party voter about his stand on immigration. He gave her the verbal runaround, all boilerplate and shrugs, and later complained to an aide, on an open mic, that he'd been forced into conversation with that "bigoted woman."
He really thought she was a bigot. Because she asked about immigration. Which is, to him, a sign of at least latent racism."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704302304575214613784530750.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_BelowLEFTSecond

[David Duff]

That really is a very intelligent article. I fear for America ...

[Umbongo]

1. "Adm. Jellicoe, a supremely professional naval expert to his fingertips with a ferocious intellect"

Please refer to my comment on Mr Kamm concerning those with "ferocious" intellects/intelligence.

2. Concerning the article in the WSJ: the treachery - and that is not an exaggeration - of the political classes in the US and UK is laid bare by the history of immigration since the end of WW2. In the US, however, there is, at least, the pretence that a laisser faire legal and illegal immigration policy is an extension of the US welcome extended since the middle of the 19th century to immigrants who, in improving their own lives, thereby benefited the US.

In the UK there has never been any policy (except that of cowardice and neglect) concerning immigration. The failure to stem the post-WW2 immigration from the Caribbean wilfully imported a wholly avoidable race problem into the UK, the consequences of which are (almost) completely harmful and the full effects of which are still playing out. The deliberate policy of encouraging immigration from the third world by the present Labour administration and connived in by both Conservatives and the LibDems - and exacerbated by uncontrolled immigration from the EU - has shattered for ever the cultural homogeneity of the nation.

Since this is Britain, this patent destruction of our culture will not result in blood on the streets. Instead there'll be a long, slow, grudging and whining decline into third world status. The political class will retain its grip on power while patronising and despising those who, in a facade of democracy, it allows to vote only in order to legitimise that grip. I'm glad I'm old: it's my children - and their children - I feel sorry for.

[H]

If we're talking military intellect, may I recommend "On The Psychology of Military Incompetence"(http://www.amazon.co.uk/Psychology-Military-Incompetence-Pimlico/dp/0712658890/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273055064&sr=8-1)? It's an interesting study of (inter alia) why apparently buffoonish characters get promoted to high command, particularly in peace time. It is replete with amusing anecdotes, although I imagine that many of the situations described were extremely unamusing for those involved. Enjoy!

[David Duff]

Thanks, 'H', but that, I think, is quite anold book, I seem to remember reading it, or something like it absolutely yonks ago.

To be fair, out and out incompetence amongst senior officers was not common during Jutland. I except, of course, Beaty's Flag Officer, Seymour, who had a history of incompetence which Beatty should dealt with, and the totally absurd officer in the Admiralty who detested all the scruffy civilians in Room 40 and who demanded to know where Scheer's call sign was located on the day the Germans 'came out' and was told that it was in Willemshaven and because the fool never knew that Scheer changed to a different call sign when at sea, he told Jellicoe and Beatty that the High Seas Fleet was abck in base when in fact ti was already on its way to the Horns Reef. The main protagonists I would rate as follows: Jellicoe - brilliant, Beatty - flawed, Evan-Thomas - hidebound. But remember - we won - because we didn't lose, and that was down to Jellicoe.

[H]

You are quite right. It is an old book, a classic even. No doubt you did read it long ago!

[David Duff]

Everything seems like long ago these days!

[Greg House]

Quite an interesting judgement on the Battle of Jutland, I have recently finished reading both of Massie's books, Dreadnought and Castles of Steel. He is a very impressive historian and successfully outlines all social cultural political and personal backgrounds for the eventual clash in the North Sea. I must see if I can get hold of Gordon's book here in the Antipodes. If you are able could you put your Powerpoint on the battle of Jutland on the net? I am currently using a few of Massie's minor concepts to work up a couple of novels especially around the naval reasons for the US joining the war.

[David Duff]

Greg, welcome to D&N.

I'm not sure how to put a PowerPoint on the net but I have saved your blog to my 'Favourites' list so I will try and e-mail it to you - when it is finished. As you can imagine, 'drawing' the little boat figures and then moving them round the screen is quite a complex operation especially for an absolute beginner like me. However, like a hanging inthe morning it concentrates the mind wonderfully as I try to get the timings and the details right - for which I heartily thank Andrew Gordon and his forensic investigation.

I'll be in touch.