Letter from [WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty] to Vice- Admiral Sir John Jellicoe [Commander-in-Chief, Grand Fleet] on the risk to the Fleet from German submarines in the North Sea, and the need to secure the safety of the Fleet during the "long and indefinite period of waiting for a general action". WSC also comments on the chances of German invasion, and protecting the Fleet's anchorage. [Carbon copy].

Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War], criticising the War Office for changing their sea bases without consulting the Admiralty. WSC states that if the Germans were able to establish submarine bases at Zeebrugge and Ostende [Belgium], they would be able to harass cross-channel communications. [Hand-written copy, unsigned].

Letter from Prince Louis of Battenberg [later 1st Lord Milford Haven) to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] offering his resignation as 1st Sea Lord as his birth and parentage were impairing his usefulness on the Board of Admiralty.

Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Prince Louis of Battenberg [later 1st Lord Milford Haven], accepting his resignation [as 1st Sea Lord], and praising his work at the Admiralty. [Hand-written copy, signed by WSC].

Accounts from HMS Glasgow of the naval battle off Coronel [Chile], 1 Nov 1914, resulting in the destruction of Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock's squadron, and the loss of HMS Good Hope and HMS Monmouth. [Typescript copy].

Letter from Rear-Admiral Sir David Beatty, Commander, 1st Battle Cruiser Squadron, to WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty, on the need to concentrate on the complete destruction of the enemy fleet.

Letter from Rear-Admiral David Beatty [Commander, 1st Battle Cruiser Squadron], to WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty, stating that he had always asked for equality with the German battle cruisers: "give me my 5 cats and a good litter of kittens and there shall be no successful raid on the Coast".

Letter from King George V (Buckingham Palace [London]), to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty], expressing delight at the victory of Vice-Admiral Sir (Frederick) Doveton Sturdee [over Admiral von Spee in the Battle of the Falkland Islands].

Letter from Commodore Roger Keyes [Captain and Commodore in charge of the Submarine Service] to Vice-Admiral Henry Oliver [Chief of Staff, Admiralty] on submarine deployment in the North Sea. [Duplicate typescript].

Report from Commodore Roger Keyes [Captain and Commodore in charge of the Submarine Service] to the Chief of the War Staff, Admiralty [Vice-Admiral Henry Oliver] on a patrol by destroyers and submarines, and their attempt to intercept German battleships following a raid on Scarborough [Yorkshire], complaining that important signals had failed to reach him. [Duplicate typescript].

Telegram from WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty to Field Marshal Sir John French [Commander-in-Chief, British Expeditionary Force, later 1st Lord Ypres], regretting that the Royal Navy could not provide artillery support on the Belgian coast. WSC explains that small ships were not powerful enough, and it was not justifiable to expose battleships to risk of attack by submarines, except to support a land attack of primary importance. [Hand-written draft, unsigned].

Letter from Vice-Admiral Sir John Jellicoe [Commander- in-Chief of the Grand Fleet] (HMS Iron Duke) to WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty, regretting that a telegram to his wife on fleet movements had been made public. Jellicoe also comments on problems of the Grand Fleet, particularly a collision between HMS Monarch and HMS Conqueror, and on the success of the Armed Merchant Cruisers.

Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War] on the treatment of naval units serving with the Army in France. WSC argues that they should continue to be subject to the Naval Discipline Act, not given the choice to "become a soldier or be sent home"; he lists the five units concerned: armoured trains, motor omnibuses, aircraft, armoured cars and 15-inch howitzers. [Two draft carbon copies].

Memorandum by WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] on the need to secure naval command of the Baltic, in view of the stalemate on the Western Front. [Hand-written draft, initialled by WSC].

Minute by WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] reporting his meeting with the French Naval Attache, Jean, Comte de Saint- Seine, on the possibility of joint action in the Mediterranean. [Hand-written copy by Edward Marsh, Private Secretary to WSC].

Letter from Admiral of the Fleet 1st Lord Fisher [1st Sea Lord] to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] on the German raid on Scarborough, Whitby [Yorkshire], and Hartlepool [County Durham] and on the dangers from mines in the North Sea.

Letter from Admiral of the Fleet 1st Lord Fisher to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] recommending Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas [Martyn] Jerram, or Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Bethell to succeed Vice-Admiral Sir John Jellicoe as 2nd Sea Lord. Fisher also comments on the "Cromwellian" 1st Lord Morley [of Blackburn], hinting at a story of Morley "succumbing to the aroma of knee breeches and silk stockings". [Hand-written, with typescript copy; second page of copy at CHAR 13/28/114].

Letter from Admiral of the Fleet 1st Lord Fisher to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] on German submarines, stating that Grand-Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz [Head of the German Admiralty] was "digging out" with submarines which he was building ostensibly for others. Fisher comments that he played the same game himself when 1st Sea Lord and advises WSC to drop a Dreadnought and build 20 submarines in lieu. [Hand-written, with typescript copy].

Letter from Admiral of the Fleet 1st Lord Fisher [1st Sea Lord] to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty], on his letter to Sir John Bradbury [Joint Permanent Secretary to the Treasury] on the loss of wireless equipment, through Treasury opposition to new wireless stations. Fisher also comments on Admiral of the Fleet Sir Arthur Wilson's plan to move the Grand Fleet to Rosyth [Fife, Scotland] and recommends the construction of 32-knot battle cruisers. [Hand-written, with typescript copy].

Letter from Admiral of the Fleet 1st Lord Fisher [1st Sea Lord] to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] welcoming him back from a visit to France. Fisher comments on subjects including the fortification of Scapa Flow [Orkney, Scotland] and the inadequacy of wireless abroad, stressing the need for five high power stations overseas. [Hand-written, with typescript copy].