Royal Navy

With the possible exception of the invincible legions of ancient Rome, no armed service in history has ever had a tradition so long and glorious as that of the Royal Navy.

—Warships of the World—Victory Edition

Administration

The Royal Navy and the Naval Service as a whole was directed by the Board of Admiralty, composed of a political appointee styled the First Lord of the Admiralty who represented the navy in Cabinet and in Parliament. He was advised by a number of naval officers on the Board with variously defined briefs. The First Lord's chief adviser was the First Sea Lord (before 1904 known as the Senior Naval Lord) who was responsible for the fighting efficiency of the fleet. The Second Sea Lord (formerly Second naval Lord) was responsible for personnel. The Third Sea Lord (also known as Controller of the Navy) was responsible for materiel. The Fourth Sea Lord (previously known as the Junior Naval Lord) was responsible for supplies. Quorum for the Board was two members, and it issued its directives through the Permanent Secretary of the Admiralty.

The "Admiralty" was a term which encompassed the Admiralty buildings in London housing the various departments which ran the navy; the Department of the Secretary, the Hydrographic Department which mapped the world's oceans, the Naval Intelligence Department created in 1889, the Department of the Director of Naval Ordnance and Torpedoes, the Department of the Director of Naval Construction, the Department of the Engineer-in-Chief (the latter three formerly being in the Department of the Controller), the Department of the Medical Director-General, the Department of the Director of Transports, the Department of the Accountant-General, the Contract and Purchase Department, Victualling Department, the Office of the Admiral Superintendent of Naval Reserves (later the Office of the Admiral Commanding Coastguard and Reserves) and the Royal Marine Office.

The Naval Intelligence Department in the early years of the Twentieth Century effectively became a naval staff which advised the Board of Admiralty on dispositions and strategy. In 1911 this informal arrangement was replaced by the institution of the Admiralty War Staff under a Chief of the Staff which reported to the Board of Admiralty, but was still only advisory. In 1917 the staff was reorganised and given executive powers, the First Sea Lord becoming Chief of the Naval Staff, and the two new appointments tasked with administering the Staff, the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff and Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff, were given positions on the Board. Also in 1917 a Fifth Sea Lord was appointed to represent the Royal Naval Air Service, although with the creation of the Royal Air Force in 1918 this position was discontinued.

Fleets

At the end of the nineteenth century the main British fleet was the Mediterranean Squadron based on Malta. This fleet guarded the sea-routes to the Indian Empire, and guarded against possible war with the French. In Home waters was the Channel Squadron, as well as reserve squadrons at the Home Ports. Smaller squadrons under Commanders-in-Chief were maintained on the North America and West Indies Station, the Cape of Good Hope Station, off China, Australia and the West Coast of America.