David S Poepoe
Banned
However Admiral Lord Fisher advocated the 'Baltic Project'. This would be an attack by the Royal Navy on Germany directly, the Royal Navy would land a large amphibious force of Anglo-Russian troops in Pomerania (under 100 miles away from Berlin). Lord Fisher hoped to knock the Germans out quickly by taking Berlin and thus lead to a rapid Entente victory.
The Royal Navy would be protected from the German Navy by the tactical deployment of mines and submarines. Also (from Wikipedia) "more than 600 special vessels were required, including landing craft, minesweepers, destroyers, light cruisers, monitors, and some heavy shallow draft support ships. The latter were built in the form of the three "battlecruisers"; HMS Glorious, HMS Furious, and HMS Courageous."
So what if instead of listening to Churchill, the government listened to Admiral Lord Fisher instead. The fleet is prepared, tactical deployment goes ahead and the Royal Naval task force goes ahead. Could the troops be landed in North germany? And if so could the Anglo-Russian forces drive south and take Berlin? If they could I'm guessing Germany would likely surrender, though might they not? Might Germany simply fight to get Berlin back? Could they, due to the Royal Navy having access to Northern Germany and thus being able to supply the force?
Once Fisher's idea had been reviewed by advisors outside the Admiralty they would have seen how impossible it was. The large cruisers, Glorious, Furious and Courageous, were not built for the Baltic Plan, but the Baltic Plan was created to build the large cruisers.
What the Grand Fleet needed were escort and scouting forces that could keep station with the fleet in heavy seas, something which the light cruisers and destroyers of the day could not. The large cruisers were designed to serve this purpose.