Department overview | |
---|---|
Formed | 1917 |
Preceding Department | |
Dissolved | 1964 |
Superseding agency | |
Jurisdiction | Government of the United Kingdom |
Headquarters | Admiralty Building Whitehall London |
Department executives | |
Parent department | Admiralty |
Child Department |
The Admiralty Naval Staff [1] was the former senior command, operational planning, policy and strategy department within the British Admiralty. It was established in 1917 and existed until 1964 when the department of the Admiralty was abolished. It was replaced by the Ministry of Defence (Naval Staff) as part of the Ministry of Defence Navy Department. [2]
In December 1916, Admiral Sir John Jellicoe was appointed Admiral of the Fleet and First Sea Lord he would oversee the expansion of the Naval Staff at the Admiralty and the introduction of convoys, In April 1917, the Admiralty War Staff function was abolished and replaced by a new Admiralty Naval Staff department and Jellicoe was also given the additional title of Chief of the Naval Staff he was assisted initially by two deputies, the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff and the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff, these would be joined later by the Deputy First Sea Lord and Vice Chief of the Naval Staff, Jellicoe was relieved at the end of 1917. Changes in the structure of the Staff were implemented from 1918 onward during the interwar period some of the divisions were wound down in peace time but would be re-established with the advent of the Second World War. After the war the divisions were once again downsized.
The term 'Naval Staff' does not mean all Naval Officers serving in the former Admiralty Department, it means the divisions that are responsible under the Office of the Chief of Naval Staff and including his deputy, vice and assistant chiefs of the staff for the formulation of naval strategy including strategic planning, conduct of operations, implementation of naval policy, application of tactical doctrines, the collection and dissemination of intelligence and for stating the broad naval requirements, including the quantities and specification of ships, naval aircraft, armament and equipment the Naval Staff also included some civilian members.
The admiralty divisions should be not confused with its departments which were distinct and separate from the function of the naval staff in that they were superintended by the offices of the various Sea Lords responsible for them and were primarily administrative and logistical support bodies.
Board of Admiralty member (*)
The Naval Staff was organised by Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Jellicoe as follows: [3]
The Naval Staff was organised as follows: [3]
The Naval Staff was organised as follows: [3]
The Naval Staff was re-organised under Admiral of the Fleet Sir Rosslyn Wemyss as follows: [3] [4]
The Naval Staff was re-organised under Admiral of the Fleet Sir David Beatty, as follows:
The Naval Staff was re-organised during the early inter-war years, and the post Deputy First Sea Lord is abolished:
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Madden re-structured the Naval Staff as follows: [5]
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Frederick Field organised the Naval Staff as follows: [6]
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Ernle Chatfield kept the Naval Staff as follows: [7]
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound re-organised, the Naval Staff as follows: [8]
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Andrew Cunninghamre-organised the Naval Staff, as follows:
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Bruce Fraser re-organised the Naval Staff, as follows: [10]
Admiral of the Fleet Earl, Louis Mountbatten, re-organised the Naval Staff, as follows: [11]
Admiral of the Fleet Earl, Louis Mountbatten, re-organised the Naval Staff, as follows: [12]
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Caspar John, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff re-organised the Naval Staff, as follows: [13]
Admiral Sir David Luce as First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff organised the Naval Staff in July 1964 as follows: [14]
Following the merger within the Ministry of Defence until 1971 former naval staff divisions were renamed as directorates as well as new ones being established for specific purposes some other notable changes during this period included the commandant general, and the hydrographer of the navy now as part of the naval staff as follows: [15]
The Admiralty was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy until 1964, historically under its titular head, the Lord High Admiral – one of the Great Officers of State. For much of its history, from the early 18th century until its abolition, the role of the Lord High Admiral was almost invariably put "in commission" and exercised by the Lords Commissioner of the Admiralty, who sat on the governing Board of Admiralty, rather than by a single person. The Admiralty was replaced by the Admiralty Board in 1964, as part of the reforms that created the Ministry of Defence and its Navy Department.
The Naval Intelligence Division (NID) was created as a component part of the Admiralty War Staff in 1912. It was the intelligence arm of the British Admiralty before the establishment of a unified Defence Intelligence Staff in 1964. It dealt with matters concerning British naval plans, with the collection of naval intelligence. It was also known as "Room 39", after its room number at the Admiralty.
The post of Controller of the Navy was originally created in 1859 when the Surveyor of the Navy's title changed to Controller of the Navy. In 1869 the controller's office was abolished and its duties were assumed by that of the Third Naval Lord whose title then changed to Third Naval Lord and Controller of the Navy. In 1904 the title was changed again to Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy. In 1965 the office of the Third Sea Lord was abolished. The post-holder is responsible for procurement and matériel in the British Royal Navy.
Admiral Sir Frederic Charles Dreyer, was an officer of the Royal Navy. A gunnery expert, he developed a fire control system for British warships, and served as flag captain to Admiral Sir John Jellicoe at the Battle of Jutland. He retired with the rank of admiral in 1943, having served through two world wars and having already retired once.
Fleet Command is responsible for the command, operations, readiness, training and force generation of all ships, submarines, aircraft squadrons, diving teams, and shore establishments of the Royal Australian Navy. Fleet Command is headquartered at HMAS Kuttabul in Sydney, and is led by the Commander Australian Fleet (COMAUSFLT), also referred to as Fleet Commander Australia (FCAUST), which is a rear admiral (two-star) appointment.
The Navy Command is the current headquarters body of the Royal Navy, and as of 2012 its major organisational grouping. It is a hybrid, neither a command, nor simply an installation. Royal Navy official writings describe Navy Command Headquarters both as a physical site, on Whale Island, Hampshire, a collective formed of the most senior RN officers, and as a budgetary grouping.
Vice Admiral Sir Geoffrey Barnard & Bar was a Royal Navy officer who became Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff.
The Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (A.C.N.S.) is a senior appointment in the Royal Navy usually a two-star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7.
Admiral Sir Sidney Robert Bailey, was a Royal Navy officer who served as President of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich from 1937 to 1938.
The Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS) is a senior appointment in the Royal Navy currently held by the Second Sea Lord. The incumbent is usually a three-star rank and had a NATO ranking code of OF-8, but the position has previously been held by an acting two-star ranked officer and a four-star ranked officer.
The Admiralty War Staff was the former senior naval staff operational planning organisation within the British Admiralty that existed from 1912 to 1917. It was instituted on 8 January 1912 by Winston Churchill in his capacity as First Lord of the Admiralty and was in effect a war council whose head reported directly to the First Sea Lord. After the First World War ended, the War Staff was replaced by the Admiralty Naval Staff department.
The Operations Division was a former directorate of the Admiralty Naval Staff responsible for the creation and implementation of long-term policy in regards to the composition of all Royal Navy fleets, squadrons and commands and including operational planning and monitoring from 1912 to 1961.
The Anti-Submarine Division its original name, was the former anti-submarine warfare, planning and prevention directorate of the Admiralty Department from 1912 to 1963.
The Mercantile Movements Division originally known as the Convoy Section was a former Directorate of the British Admiralty, Naval Staff that coordinated, organised and plotted all Merchant Navy convoys, routing and schedules from 1917 until 1920.
The Trade Division was a Directorate of the British Admiralty, Naval Staff responsible for all matters in relation to U.K. Trade Defence from 1914 until 1928 and then again from 1939 to 1961.
The Gunnery Division was a Directorate of the Admiralty Naval Staff of the Royal Navy responsible for the tactical use of naval weapons and the training of naval personnel in relation to operational requirements. It was established in 1920 when the Gunnery and Torpedo Division was separated into an independent Gunnery Division and Torpedo Division. It existed until 1964 when the Department of Admiralty was abolished and replaced by a new Ministry of Defence.
The Directorate of Navigation and Tactical Control (Naval) was a directorate of the Navy Department, Naval Staff first established in 1912, as the Navigation Department of Hydrographic Department of the Admiralty. In 1945, it was renamed the Navigation Division and assigned to the Admiralty Naval Staff. In 1946, it was redesignated Navigation and Direction Division until 1966, and now part of the Navy Department Naval Staff it was renamed the Directorate of Navigation and Tactical Control (Naval). The staff directorate was administered by the Director Navigation Tactical Control (Naval) who reported to the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Warfare) it existed until 1968.
The Naval Air Organisation and Training Division was a staff division of the Admiralty Naval Staff established in July 1944 It continued to operate until 1961 when it was deactivated. The staff division was administered by the Director Air Organisation and Training who reported both to the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff and the Fifth Sea Lord as Chief of Naval Aviation.
The Minesweeping Division was a staff division of the Admiralty Naval Staff first established during World War I (1917-1918) the deactivated. It was re-activated during World War II (1939-1943) before being abolished. It was administered by the Director of Minesweeping Division
The Directorate Naval Tactical and Weapons Policy originally called the Tactical Section was a directorate of the British Admiralty, and later of the Naval Staff, Ministry of Defence,. Dating from 1920 it operated until 1939 before being abolished. It was revived in 1958 and existed until 1968. The naval staff directorate was administered by the Director, Directorate Naval Tactical and Weapons Policy.
Primary source for this article is by Harley Simon, Lovell Tony, (2014), Naval Staff (Royal Navy), dreadnoughtproject.org, http://www.dreadnoughtproject.org.