Scope and Contents Letter from Admiral of the Fleet 1st Lord Fisher to WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty, on submarines, noting that 21 submarines had been removed from the Navy List since his retirement as 1st Sea Lord in 1910, and only 12 added; Fisher comments that Britain was falling behind Germany in large submarines. He also comments on the work of the Royal Commission on Fuel and Engines, recommending that it should "die" on 31 Dec 1913. Includes a note by WSC stating that the Commission must continue...

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Letter from Admiral of the Fleet 1st Lord Fisher to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] on the Navy Estimates, stating that if he were 1st Sea Lord he would guarantee a saving of 4 million pounds for 1914-15 and adding that the Estimates should be the job of the 1st Sea Lord rather than the First Lord. [Typescript copy; see CHAR 13/21/88 for original].

Scope and Contents Letter from Admiral of the Fleet 1st Lord Fisher to WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty, on submarines, noting that 21 submarines had been removed from the Navy List since his retirement as 1st Sea Lord in 1910, and only 12 added; Fisher comments that Britain was falling behind Germany in large submarines. He also comments on the work of the Royal Commission on Fuel and Engines, recommending that it should "die" on 31 Dec 1913. Includes a note by WSC stating that the Commission must continue...

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Letter from Admiral of the Fleet 1st Lord Fisher to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] on the Navy Estimates, stating that if he were 1st Sea Lord he would guarantee a saving of 4 million pounds for 1914-15 and adding that the Estimates should be the job of the 1st Sea Lord rather than the First Lord. [See CHAR 13/21/29 for typescript copy].

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Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to an unidentified correspondent [? Geoffrey Dawson, Editor of the Times], regretting that the word "permanent" was omitted in the Times report of his reference to the "permanent unity of Ireland". WSC also comments on out of date articles being published in the Times on warship design. [Carbon copy].

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Minute from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to the 3rd Sea Lord [Rear-Admiral Archibald Moore] asking him to check figures on the German cruiser building programme, compared to the British cruiser programme. [Carbon copy].

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Minute from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to the 1st Sea Lord [Prince Louis of Battenberg, later 1st Lord Milford Haven], 2nd Sea Lord [Vice-Admiral Sir John Jellicoe] and 3rd Sea Lord [Rear-Admiral Archibald Moore] on a paper by Admiral of the Fleet 1st Lord Fisher on submarines. [Carbon copy].

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Memorandum from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to the Cabinet, on the Navy Estimates, 1913-14 (Shipbuilding Programme). WSC proposes that an additional 4 destroyers should be provided, at a cost of approximately 500,000 pounds, and also comments on proposed savings of 975,000 pounds in the Capital Ships programme for 1914-15. Includes index of papers prepared in the Admiralty Department. [Printed].

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Admiralty memorandum showing comparison of increases of British naval armaments with those of other countries. [Printed].

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Note by the 3rd Sea Lord [Rear-Admiral Archibald Moore] on the increase in size and cost of capital ships.

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Address by Rear-Admiral Reginald Bacon [Managing Director of the Coventry Ordnance Works] to the [Institute of Naval Architects] on battleship design, sent to WSC by Admiral of the Fleet 1st Lord Fisher with covering note. [Typescript copy; see CHAR 13/21/105 for original note].

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Minute from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to the 3rd Sea Lord [Rear-Admiral Archibald Moore] on the Admiralty decision to take over eight destroyers under construction in private yards, and on the increased number of light cruisers being built. [Carbon copy].

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Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to [? Admiral of the Fleet 1st Lord Fisher], on a paper by Captain [? William Reginald] Hall against large submarines and steam submarines. [Carbon copy].

Scope and Contents Prime Minister's printed personal minutes, November and December 1943. Some written by WSC when in the Middle East [and Carthage, Tunisia, and Marrakesh, Morocco].Includes texts of minutes from WSC (annotated with additional printed information) to: Sir Edward Bridges [Secretary to the War Cabinet]; the Chiefs of Staff; members of the Cabinet and other government ministers; Sir Alexander Cadogan [Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs]; Desmond Morton [Prime Minister's...

Scope and Contents First Lord of the Admiralty's printed minutes, September 1939.Includes texts of minutes from WSC (sometimes annotated with additional printed information) to: various naval directors; the Sea Lords, particularly 1st [Sea Lord, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound] and [3rd Sea Lord and] Controller [Rear-Admiral Bruce Fraser]; [Permanent] Secretary [Sir Archibald Carter]; Deputy Chief of Naval Staff [Rear-Admiral Tom Phillips]; Prime Minister [Neville Chamberlain]; other senior officers and...

Scope and Contents First Lord of the Admiralty's printed minutes, October 1939.Includes texts of minutes from WSC (sometimes annotated with additional printed information) to: various naval directors; Deputy Chief of Naval Staff [Rear-Admiral Tom Phillips]; the Sea Lords, particularly 1st Sea Lord [Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound] and [3rd Sea Lord and] Controller [Rear-Admiral Bruce Fraser]; [Permanent] Secretary [Sir Archibald Carter]; other senior officers and civil servants.Subjects covered by the...

Scope and Contents First Lord of the Admiralty's printed minutes, December 1939.Includes texts of minutes from WSC (sometimes annotated with additional printed information) to: the Sea Lords, particularly [3rd Sea Lord and] Controller [Rear-Admiral Bruce Fraser], 1st Sea Lord [Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound], and 4th Sea Lord [and Chief of Supplies and Transport, Vice-Admiral Guy Royle]; Deputy Chief of Naval Staff [Rear-Admiral Tom Phillips]; Prime Minister [Neville Chamberlain]; [Permanent] Secretary...

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Typed memorandum with printed note by WSC on the Northern Barrage (mines), explaining the policies behind British Fleet manoeuvres.

Scope and Contents First Lord of the Admiralty's printed minutes, April and May 1940.Includes texts of minutes from WSC (sometimes annotated with additional printed information) to: the Sea Lords, particularly [3rd Sea Lord and] Controller [Rear-Admiral Bruce Fraser], 1st [Sea Lord, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound], and 2nd [Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel, Admiral Sir Charles Little]; [Permanent] Secretary [Sir Archibald Carter]; Deputy Chief of Naval Staff [Rear-Admiral Tom Phillips]; Controller...

Scope and Contents Prime Minister's printed personal minutes, July 1941.Includes texts of minutes from WSC (annotated with additional printed information) to: General Sir Hastings Ismay [Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defence]; members of the Cabinet and other government ministers; 1st Lord Cherwell [earlier F A Lindemann] and Desmond Morton [Prime Minister's Personal Assistants]; Colonel Ian Jacob [Military Assistant Secretary to the War Cabinet]; senior civil servants including Sir Edward Bridges...

Scope and Contents Prime Minister's printed personal minutes, August 1941.Includes texts of minutes from WSC (annotated with additional printed information) to: members of the Cabinet and other government ministers; Sir Edward Bridges [Secretary to the War Cabinet]; General Sir Hastings Ismay [Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defence]; the Chiefs of Staff.Subjects covered by the minutes include: United States shipping provision; civil service appointments; naval matters, including the design of warships and a...

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Letter from WSC, Admiralty, to Rear-Admiral Prince Louis of Battenberg [later 1st Lord Milford Haven], on his proposed appointment as 2nd Sea Lord, stating that it was extremely important that "no whisper" about the appointment should reach the present Board for the time being, also sending some plans which he had worked out secretly for a new type of Cruiser, and asking for his views. [Hand-written copy].

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Minute from WSC ("In the train"), to [Rear-Admiral Charles Madden], 4th Sea Lord, on the deficiency in 21 inch torpedoes, stressing that it was essential that all vessels completed for service should have full reserves of ammunition and torpedoes; asking for report on deficiencies in reserves of guns and ammunition. [Hand-written copy].

Scope and Contents Minute from Rear-Admiral Charles Madden [4th Sea Lord], to WSC, on the shortage of torpedoes and ammunition, stating that it was not due to the lack of energy or foresight of the Director of Naval Ordnance, the Superintendent of Ordnance Stores or the Director of the Torpedo Factory, stating that the main reasons were: the three year heavy building programme; the adoption of the 21 inch heater torpedo at a time of greatly increased requirements and while the Torpedo Factory was being moved...

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Letter from Admiral of the Fleet 1st Lord Fisher (Grand Hotel National, Lucerne [Switzerland]) to WSC, on senior staff appointments, recommending Maurice Hankey [Assistant Secretary of the Committee of Imperial Defence] to be Secretary of the Committee: "He is Napoleonic"; also on warship design, reminding WSC that "Armour is Vision" and that there were only two types to concentrate on, "the smallest Big-ship and the Biggest Small-ship". [Typescript copy at CHAR 13/2/95-97].