Admiralty Naval Staff

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Admiralty Naval Staff
Ensign of the Royal Navy animated.gif
Department overview
Formed1917
Preceding Department
Dissolved1964
Superseding department
JurisdictionGovernment of the United Kingdom
HeadquartersAdmiralty Building
Whitehall
London
Department executives
Parent departmentAdmiralty
Child Department

The Admiralty Naval Staff[1] was the former military staff and senior command organisation, responsible for 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 Naval Staff (Navy Department) as part of the Ministry of Defence.[2]

The Admiralty Naval Staff was controlled and directed by the Chief of Naval Staff.

History and development

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 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 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 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.

Responsibilities

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 naval staff for the formulation of naval strategy.[3] This included chief strategic planning, the conduct of operations, the implementation of naval policy, and 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.[3] In order to deliver this the Naval Staff was organised into specialist Departments, Divisions and Sections.[3] The Naval Staff also assist commanders in the planning of their orders and the coordination of effort of multiple units and/or formations.[3]

Members of the naval staff

Board of Admiralty member (*)

Organisation by Date

May 1917

The Naval Staff was organised by Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Jellicoe as follows:[4]

June 1917

The Naval Staff was organised as follows:[5]

December 1917

The Naval Staff was organised as follows:[6]

1918 to 1919

The Naval Staff was re-organised under Admiral of the Fleet Sir Rosslyn Wemyss as follows:[7][8]

1920

The Naval Staff was re-organised under Admiral of the Fleet Sir David Beatty, as follows:

1921 to 1926

The Naval Staff was re-organised during the early inter-war years, and the post Deputy First Sea Lord is abolished:

1927 to 1929

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Madden re-structured the Naval Staff as follows:[9]

1932

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Frederick Field organised the Naval Staff as follows:[10]

1935

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Ernle Chatfield kept the Naval Staff as follows:[11]

1941

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound re-organised, the Naval Staff as follows:[12]

1945

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Andrew Cunningham re-organised the Naval Staff, as follows:

1951

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Bruce Fraser re-organised the Naval Staff, as follows:[14]

1956

Admiral of the Fleet Earl, Louis Mountbatten, re-organised the Naval Staff, as follows:[15]

1958

Admiral of the Fleet Earl, Louis Mountbatten, re-organised the Naval Staff, as follows:[16]

1962

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Caspar John, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff re-organised the Naval Staff, as follows:[17]

1964

Admiral Sir David Luce as First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff organised the Naval Staff in July 1964 as follows:[18]

Departments and Divisions of the Admiralty Naval Staff (1917-1964)

  1. Administrative Planning Department (1952-1959)
  2. Air Division (1924-1928)
  3. Air Warfare and Training Division, (1941-1943)
  4. Anti-Submarine Division (1916-1939)
  5. Anti-Submarine Warfare Division (1939–43)
  6. Anti-U Boat Division (1943–45)
  7. Combined Operations Division
  8. Communications Division (1919-1927)
  9. Convoy Section (1914-1917)
  10. Directorate of Defence Plans (Navy) (1963-1970)
  11. Economic Warfare Division (1939-1945)
  12. Gunnery Division (1920-1928)
  13. Gunnery and Anti-Aircraft Warfare Division (1941-1965)
  14. Gunnery and Torpedo Division (1918-1920)
  15. Historical Section (1912-current)
  16. Local Defence Division (1919-1944)
  17. Mercantile Movements Division (1917-1920)
  18. Minesweeping Division (1917-1918, 1939-1943)
  19. Mobilisation Division (1912-1918)
  20. Naval Air Division (1928 1941) (1963-1964)
  21. Naval Air Organisation and Training Division (1944-1961)
  22. Naval Air Warfare and Flying Training Division, (1943-1950 )
  23. Naval Air Warfare Division, (1951-1962)
  24. Naval Intelligence Division (1912-1965)
  25. Navigation Division (1945)
  26. Navigation and Direction Division (1946-1966)
  27. Operations Division (1912-1918, 1920-1939, 1947-1961)
  28. Operations Division (Foreign) (1918-1920, 1939-1945)
  29. Operations Division (Home) (1918-1920, 1939-1945)
  30. Operations Division (Mining)
  31. Plans Division (1917-1964)
  32. Plans Division (Q), (1943-1952)
  33. Press Division (1940-1942)
  34. Signal Department (1921-1942)
  35. Signal Division (1918-1921) (1942-1965)
  36. Signal Section (1914-1917)
  37. Standardisation Division
  38. Tactical Division (1925-1939)
  39. Tactical and Staff Duties Division (1945-1958)
  40. Tactical and Weapons Policy Division (1958-1965)
  41. Torpedo Division (1920-1928)
  42. Torpedo, Anti-Submarine and Minewarfare Division (1945–50)
  43. Trade Division (1914-1928, 1939-1961)
  44. Trade and Operations Division (1961-1967)
  45. Training and Staff Duties Division (1917-1945)
  46. Undersurface Warfare Division (1950–67)

Post 1964

Main article: Naval Staff (Navy Department)

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:[19]

  1. Defence Intelligence – (former Naval intelligence division)
  2. Directorate of Naval Plans – (former plans division)
  3. Directorate of Defence Plans (Navy) – (new directorate as part of MOD)
  4. Directorate of Naval Administrative Planning – (former administrative planning division)
  5. Directorate of Naval Air Warfare – (former naval air division)
  6. Directorate of Naval Operations and Trade – (former operations and trade division)
  7. Directorate of Naval Signals – (former signals division)
  8. Directorate of Naval Tactical and Weapons Policy – (former tactical and weapons policy division)
  9. Directorate of Operational Analysis (RN) – (new directorate)
  10. Directorate of Surface Warfare (Naval) – (new directorate)
  11. Directorate of Under Sea Warfare (Naval) – (former under sea warfare division)
  12. Directorate of Navigation and Tactical Control (Naval) – (former navigation and direction division)

Admiralty departments

The admiralty naval staff 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.

References

  1. ↑ Moretz, Joseph (2001). The Royal Navy and the capital ship in the interwar period an operational perspective. London: Frank Cass. p. 246. ISBN 9781136340369.
  2. ↑ Stationery Office, H.M. (31 October 1967). The Navy List. Spink and Sons Ltd, London, England. pp. 524–532.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Great Britain, Parliament, House of Commons (1959). "Admiralty Office". House of Commons Papers, Volume 5. London, England: HM Stationery Office. pp. 5–24.
  4. ↑ Smith, Gordon. "British Admiralty World War 1". naval-history.net. naval-history.net, 21 October 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  5. ↑ Smith, Gordon. "British Admiralty World War 1". naval-history.net. naval-history.net, 21 October 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  6. ↑ Smith, Gordon. "British Admiralty World War 1". naval-history.net. naval-history.net, 21 October 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  7. ↑ Smith, Gordon. "British Admiralty World War 1". naval-history.net. naval-history.net, 21 October 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  8. ↑ Black, Nicholas Duncan (2005). ‘The Admiralty War Staff and its influence on the conduct of the naval between 1914 and 1918.’, Ph.D. Thesis. University College University of London. pp. 250 to 251.
  9. ↑ Hamilton, C. I. (Feb 3, 2011). The Making of the Modern Admiralty: British Naval Policy-Making, 1805–1927. Cambridge University Press. p. 292. ISBN 9781139496544.
  10. ↑ Svonavec, Stephen. "Royal Navy October 1932 - Admiralty". fleetorganization.com. Svonavec Stephen, (2001-2014). Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  11. ↑ Stationery Office, H.M. (18 September 1935). The Navy List. Sprink and Sons Ltd, London, England. pp. 414–415.
  12. ↑ Clancy, Patrick; Straka, William. "HyperWar: War at Sea 1939-1945, I: The Defensive [Chapter 1]". ibiblio.org. HyperWar Foundation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  13. ↑ Archives, The National. "Torpedo, Anti-Submarine and Mine Warfare Division, Naval Staff, Admiralty: The tactical employment of patrol groups,". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk. National Archives, ADM 1/31013, 1948. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  14. ↑ Stationery Office, H.M. (18 April 1951). The Navy List. Spink and Son Ltd, London, England. pp. 326–327.
  15. ↑ Stationery Office, H.M. (18 April 1956). The Navy List. Spink and Son Ltd, London, England. pp. 1239–1241.
  16. ↑ Stationery Office, H.M. (18 January 1958). The Navy List. Spink and Son Ltd, London, England. pp. 1227–1229.
  17. ↑ Stationery Office, H.M. (Spring 1962). The Navy List. Spink and Son Ltd, London, England. pp. 906–908.
  18. ↑ Admiralty, Great Britain (July 1964). Navy List. London England: HM Stationery Office. pp. 907–908.
  19. ↑ Admiralty, Great Britain (April–June 1968). "Navy Department: Naval Staff". Navy List. London England: HM Stationery Office. pp. 525–528.
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