LORD FISHER

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 29 June 1917, Page 1

LORD FISHER

AND THE DARDANELLES BUNGLE. Admiral Lord Fisher explained his views on naval strategy—viz., that shipsj Unsupported by troops, should never, attack forts —to the following members of the Asquith Administration : To the Prime Minister 1 — 1. By memorandum. 2. By a letter threatening resignation. 3. By a conversation. Mr Churchill— In conversation on several occasions. Mr Balfour—1. By memorandum in 1915. •• • 2. By refusing, on January 26, 1915, to lunch with him or have him in his own house, because he spoke so subtly of the Dardanelles expedition that he swayed all the rest of the War Council. Lord Kitchener — By getting up from the council table on January 28, 1915, to resign, and? only sitting down again on Lord Kitchener's urgent entreaty, and on his pointing out that he (Lord Fisher) was the only dissentient. Lord Fisher consented to remain at the Admiralty in spito of this undertaking—1. Because of political importance of relieving Russia. 2. Because, in the first instance, the proposed plan was a tentative action which could be stopped at any moment if unsuccessful by simply withdrawing the ships, as no men were landed. Lord Fisher resigned directly the expedition assumed such dimensions as to threaten safety of the Empire because— 1. Of taking essential requirements away from the decisive theatre of the war*-i.e., the North Sea—and thereby jeopardising onv naval supremacy. 2. He foresaw that from lack of prompt action the expedition' was doomed to failure. Therefore the only thing to do was to vacate Gallipoli while it was possible to save great precious lives. Lord Fisher considered the situation so serious on May 10, 1915, that he resigned. Had C4allipoli been vacated in May, 1915, the total casualties would have been verysmall.—' British Weekly.'