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Letter from Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, 1st Sea Lord, to WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty, commenting on the 28 destroyers and torpedo boats in the Dardanelles, " a much bigger proportion than we have at home" suggesting that the French be asked to send more destroyers and light cruisers [typescript copy].

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Letter from Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, 1st Sea Lord to WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty, on his "upbraiding letter" on Fisher's lack of support for the Dardanelles operations.

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Telegram from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Vice-Admiral Sackville Carden [in command of naval operations at the Dardanelles], on the Dardanelles campaign, urging him to destroy the forts at Chanak, and stating that the results to be gained were great enough to justify the loss of ships and men which success could not be obtained without. [Hand-written drafts, initialled by WSC. See also CHAR 13/45/165.].

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Minute from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War], on the landing of the Royal Naval Division in the Dardanelles: WSC suggests that a good General be sent there to take command of the troops, including the Royal Naval Division, and suggests Lieutenant-General Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston. [Hand-written copy].

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Telegram from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Grand Duke Nicholas [Russian Minister of War], reporting the success of the initial attack in the Dardanelles. WSC asks when the Russian fleet and army would be ready to co-operate. [Hand-written draft, initialled by WSC].

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Minute from WSC to Sir Edward Grey [Foreign Secretary], suggesting that information on the landings in the Dardanelles should be sent to the Grand Duke Nicholas [Russian Minister of War]. [Hand-written draft, initialled by WSC].

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Telegram from Sir Louis Mallet [British Ambassador to Turkey] to the Foreign Office, on his concerns about causing panic in Turkey with reinforcements to the British fleet, and a warning to the forts at the Dardanelles that they would be bombarded by the fleet if German ships came out. [Typescript copy].

Scope and Contents Letter from WSC to Lieutenant-Colonel Oswald Fitzgerald [Personal Military Secretary to Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener, Secretary of State for War], hoping that Kitchener would not keep General Sir Ian Hamilton [commander of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force] too short of men. WSC states that he felt that there should be another 20,000 men in [the Dardanelles] and urges Fitzgerald not to lose two or three precious days. [Hand-written copy, signed by WSC, with envelope and covering note...

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Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War], hoping that he would not keep General Sir Ian Hamilton [commander of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force], too short of men, adding that a loyal man like Hamilton would go on with what he had and never say a word until he cracked up. WSC suggests that another 20,000 men be sent to the Dardanelles. [2 Hand-written copies signed by WSC].

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Draft note from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to [Vice-Admiral Sackville Carden, in command of naval operations at the Dardanelles], on the Dardanelles campaign, stating that the results to be gained by attacking were great enough to justify the loss of ships and men which success could not be obtained without. [Hand-written drafts, initialled by WSC. See also CHAR 13/45/120-122.].

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Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War], on the naval attack on the Dardanelles. WSC states that it would be desirable for an attack on Alexandretta [Iskenderun, Turkey] to be simultaneous, so that if the attack on the Dardanelles was a failure it could be presented as a mere demonstration to cover the seizure of Alexandretta. [Hand-written copy].

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Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War], on fixing a date for the military attack on the Dardanelles, and approving the choice of General Sir Ian Hamilton as Commander-in-Chief. [Typescript copy; further copy at CHAR 13/48/30-32].

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Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War], on fixing a date for the attack on the Dardanelles, and also approving the choice of General Sir Ian Hamilton as Commander-in-Chief. Includes forwarding note from WSC to the Prime Minister [Herbert Asquith, later 1st Lord Oxford and Asquith] and Sir Edward Grey [Foreign Secretary]. [Typescript copy; further copy at CHAR 13/48/24-25].

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Minute from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Sir Edward Grey [Foreign Secretary], stating that Eleutherios Venizelos [Prime Minister of Greece] should be told that the Royal Navy intended to force the Dardanelles without military assistance. If so, the Turks on the Gallipoli peninsula would be cut off and could be reduced at leisure, and Greek military movements should be decided in relation to these facts. [Hand-written, initialled by WSC, annotated "not sent"].

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Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War], on the transport of troops from Egypt to the Dardanelles, and the results for reinforcements for India and Iraq. WSC also mentions the claims of Russia on Constantinople [later Istanbul, Turkey] and progress in attacks on forts in the Dardanelles. [2 copies].

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Telegram from Grand Duke Nicholas [Russian Minister of War] to WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty, on the actions of the Russian Black Sea Fleet against a Turkish port, and the Fleet's readiness to work with the Allies at the Dardanelles; includes covering note. [Typescript copy. See CHAR 13/48/77 for covering letter].

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Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to the Prime Minister [Herbert Asquith] on the importance of General Sir Ian Hamilton [Commander, Mediterranean Expeditionary Force] getting to Lemnos [Greece] at the earliest possible moment, as naval operations [at the Dardanelles] might depend on military assistance at any time. [Hand-written copy].

Scope and Contents Telegram from WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty to Grand Duke Nicholas [Russian Minister of War], on the progress of naval operations in the Dardanelles. WSC also expresses satisfaction that the Russian Fleet would be watching the mouth of the Bosphorus to prevent the escape of Turkish and German ships, and would be ready to attack Turkish forts. [Hand-written copy, initialled by WSC; typescript copy at CHAR 13/48/87. Includes covering note from Edward Marsh [Private Secretary to WSC] to the...

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Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War], on sending an advance party of troops from Egypt to the Dardanelles. WSC also asks if a "good General" could be sent there to cut off the enemy retreat, and suggests Major-General Aylmer Hunter-Weston.

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Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War], forwarding a letter [not present] from Vice Admiral Sackville Carden [Commander of naval operations at the Dardanelles], on the transport of troops from Egypt to the Dardanelles. [Hand-written copy, with typed transcript].

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Telegram from WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty to Grand Duke Nicholas [Russian Minister of War] on arrangements proposed for the Russian Fleet in the Dardanelles and Bosphorus, the shortage of Allied destroyers and small craft and the need for assistance from the Greek Fleet. [Hand-written copy].

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Comments by WSC on letters from Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher on naval operations in the Dardanelles[typescript with handwritten annotations].

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Telegram from WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty to the Grand Duke Nicholas [Russian Minister of War], reporting on the Allied naval attack on the Dardanelles on 18 March, particularly the establishment of fire predominance over the fortresses, and the loss of three battleships to drifting mines, resulting in the attack being broken off until the mines could be dealt with. [Hand-written copy].

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Letter from Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener, Secretary of State for War, to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty], on the Dardanelles, explaining that the land operations were being prepared, and asking the Navy to carry on attacking the forts, so that the Turks would use up their ammunition.

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Extract from Letter from Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, 1st Sea Lord, to WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty, on rumour that Gen Sir Ian Hamilton in the Dardanelles had carte blanche to send for more troops from Egypt.