Dave in St. Louis
Banned
Crucial point. I skipped some of the small print and couldn't believe Fisher would have been in operational command. However the poster doesn't explain how Fisher came to be leading the fleet. In OTL he retired in 1910 and was recalled by Churchill in 1914 after Prince Louis was eased out but he was the First Sea Lord not the fleet commander and was over 70 I think it highly unlikely he would be leading the fleet
It seems to have been some sort of of sop to Fisher.
"Admiral lord Fisher led the Grand Fleet himself and it was supposed to be the crown on his long career which had started in the age of wooden sail ships and ended in the age of battleships and the first submarines and aircraft carriers."
He was also not quite as reckless as his legend makes out having been furious with Berseford for wanting to engage the Russian fleet on equal terms in when it was on its way to Tsu-Shima. Beresford had a superior force but was prepared to reduce his ships to equalise things. Fortunately confrontation was averted. Fisher also claimed he was against Gallipoli from the start although he didn't speak out against it in public. He resigned over amongst other things risking the Queen Elizabeth at Gallipoli. Hrdly someone who would recklessly enter minefields. His plans involved specially built low draft light battlecruisers. He may well have deployed pre-dreanoughts as mine bumpers as at the Dardanelles as they were more expendable.
Possible alterantive fleet commanders would have been Keyes who was noted for being reckless but probably too junior or Beatty also still rather junior.
Points taken. However, remember Troubridge on the one hand and Cradock on the other. Another thing to consider is the fact that most of the damage seems to have been done when the Grand Fleet was driven into a minefield by the Germans as opposed to Fisher taking them in.