Hi

[Harley]

Better interest myself, as I am a tiresome busybody. The name's Simon Harley, known as Harley to all. I have a passing knowledge of many navies but my true aspiration is a commanding knowledge of the Royal Navy in the First World War and the period leading up to it. I also firmly believe that the case for the Admiralty being a technology-resistant, reactionary branch has been wildly overstated, but I'm always willing to read other views, hence joining forums brimming with intellect.

Harley

[herakles]

Well Harley - welcome. I hope you are a tireless busybody here.

As concerns the Admiralty being technology shy, I seem to recall they were the first to use radio for communications. Contrast this with the miles of cable laid out in the trenches of Western France and Belgium. Cable that was forever being destroyed by gunfire.

[The Sailor]

And from me on the West Coast too Harley.
We can use your well written posts here. Also we get to shoot at you over fun stuff like Britain won the war without Australia's help.
Glad you could join our little scurvy band.

[Harley]

Thank you gentlemen. Always good to chat to knowledgable people of an Antipodean nature :p.

Indeed Herakles, Admiral Sir Henry Bradwardine Jackson was one of the pioneers of wireless, who should really rank up there with Gugliemo Marconi (they both became friends despite working on rival systems).

I will concede it was bizaare that Wireless Telegraphy becoming the pigeon of the Torpedo branch, along with all electrical matters, was odd and didn;t exactly help matters. And yet the RN prevailed!

Harley

[herakles]

Harley, as I understand it, there was a fear - real or imagined - that radio messages would be easy to intercept.

I guess that's probably true. Decent encryption had to wait a couple of decades to be invented.

But the loss of life on the Western Front caused by rotten or totally missing communications is a very heavy price to pay.

[Harley]

Quite. I would not have liked to have been a signaller forever scouring the lines of communication looking for breaks in the telephone line. The odds of getting hit by roaming shellfire would be increased somewhat I'd imagine.

Harley