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Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Field Marshal Sir John French [Chief of Imperial General Staff, later 1st Lord Ypres], on a naval bombardment to support the advance of the Army on Ostende, Belgium, suggesting that the Navy attack Zeebrugge, the base of the German submarines, at the same time. Also includes Admiralty memorandum sketching out naval support for the army. [Hand-written drafts, initialled by WSC].

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Telegram from Field Marshal Sir John French [Chief of Imperial General Staff, later 1st Lord Ypres] to Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War], stating that the naval support of the Army's attack on Ostende [Belgium] had been "most useful". French recommends that the same co-operation be given the next day, with note by WSC, confirming that naval co-operation would be continued. [Initialled by WSC].

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Telegram from Field Marshal Sir John French [Chief of Imperial General Staff, later 1st Lord Ypres] to Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War], stating that the advance along the Belgian coast from Nieuport was not as fast as hoped, and asking for surprise bombardment by monitor and big gun ships. [Typescript copy].

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Telegram from the Supreme Commander of the Russian Armies [the Grand Duke Nicholas] to WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty, accepting in principle the offer of assistance from the Royal Navy to a Russian Army landing on the North German Coast, if the British fleet gained command of the Baltic Sea. [Typescript copy].

Scope and Contents Minute from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to the Prime Minister [Herbert Asquith, later 1st Lord Oxford and Asquith], Sir Edward Grey [Foreign Secretary], and Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War], on naval power in the Baltic. WSC points out that the destruction of the Austrian Navy or the accession to Britain's side of Italy and Greece would enable two fleets to be maintained, each superior to Germany, one of which could be placed in the Baltic. [Hand-written,...

Scope and Contents Memorandum by WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] on naval strength in the Baltic, stating that the Kiel Canal gave Germany the power of putting their whole naval force in the North Sea or the Baltic. He adds that the Royal Navy was not strong enough to provide two fleets, each individually superior to the German Fleet, and that the Admiralty could not obtain the naval command of the Baltic until either a decisive general battle had been won at sea or the Kiel canal was effectively blocked....

Scope and Contents Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War] on the need for artillery on the Western Front, suggesting that territorial batteries be sent to India, and regular artillery brought home: "It is an awful pity to leave these splendid batteries keeping order among natives when trained artillery is our bitterest need. I think myself that every regular battery in India except mountain, ought to come home and be replaced by...

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Telegram from Rear-Admiral Horace Hood to the Duty Captain, Admiralty, on his operations to support the Army in Belgium. [Carbon].

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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].

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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 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].

Scope and Contents Letter from Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener, Secretary of State for War, to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] on the status of naval units serving with the Army in France. Kitchener states that while the War Office would welcome a Naval Brigade or Division, they did not think it necessary to have "irregular" Naval units serving in armoured cars or trains, which could be provided by the War Office. He adds that if these irregular units were only a means for "certain officers and gentlemen...

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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].

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Minute from WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty to the Naval Secretary and Chief of Staff, (Henry Oliver), Admiralty, asking why submarines could not be used to sweep up the lines of moored mines in the Kaphiz minefield, and on methods of dealing with drifing mines [typescript, initialled by WSC].

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Statement by WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty on the resignation of Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher as 1st Sea Lord, mainly over the Dardanelles [carbon].

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Telegram from the Admiralty to Vice Admiral John De Robeck, on precaution against attack by submarines in the Dardanelles [carbon].

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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.

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Letter from WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty to Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, on his resignation as 1st Sea Lord, due to opposition to WSC's policy on the Dardanelles [typescript copy].

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Minute from Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, to WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty, offering his resignation as 1st Sea Lord "I find it increasingly difficult to adjust myself to the increasingly daily requirements of the Dardanelles to meet yr views - As you truly said yesterday I am in the position if continually veto-ing yr proposals", stating that he was leaving for Scotland to avoid all questioning [typescript copy].

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Letter from Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, 1st Sea Lord, to WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty, sending formal memorandum setting out his views on the Dardanelles. [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 rumour that Gen Sir Ian Hamilton in the Dardanelles had carte blanche to send for more troops from Egypt.

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Letter from Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, 1st Sea Lord, to WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty, enclosing formal memorandum setting out his views on the Dardanelles. Stating that he had "looked with misgiving on the steady drain of our Naval force to the Dardanelles" over the past four months, and that a purely Naval action, unsupported by the Army , "would merely lead to heavy loss of ships and invaluable men".

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Letter from WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty to Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, on his resignation as 1st Sea Lord, due to opposition to WSC's policy on the Dardanelles [handwritten draft].

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Minute from Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, to WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty, offering his resignation as 1st Sea Lord "I find it increasingly difficult to adjust myself to the increasingly daily requirements of the Dardanelles to meet yr views - As you truly said yesterday I am in the position if continually veto-ing yr proposals", stating that he was leaving for Scotland to avoid all questioning.

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Letter from Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, 1st Sea Lord to WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty, on forthcoming meeting of the War Council, and naval and military operations in the Dardanelles [typescript copy].

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Letter from Rear-Admiral Horace Hood to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty], giving his views on the Ostend and Zeebrugge [Belgium] expeditions, particularly on the position at Nieuport, and also on Hood's wish to return to the Dover Patrol.