| Agency Name: | Admiralty Naval Staff |
| Type: | Department |
| Jurisdiction: | Government of the United Kingdom |
| Headquarters: | Admiralty Building Whitehall London |
| Formed: | 1917 |
| Dissolved: | 1964 |
| Superseding: | Ministry of Defence (Naval Staff) |
| Chief4 Name: | Vice Chief of the Naval Staff |
| Parent Department: | Admiralty |
| Child1 Agency: | Air Division Anti-Submarine Division Gunnery and Torpedo Division Historical Section Mercantile Movements Division Mobilisation Division Naval Intelligence Division Operations Division Plans Division Signal Division Trade Division |
The Admiralty Naval Staff[1] was the former senior command, 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 Ministry of Defence (Naval Staff) as part of the Ministry of Defence Navy Department.[2]
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 department 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 the 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 the 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.
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 the staff for the formulation of naval strategy including strategic planning, conduct of operations, implementation of naval policy, 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 the Naval Staff also included some civilian members.
The admiralty 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.
Board of Admiralty member (*)
The Naval Staff was organised by Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Jellicoe as follows:[3]
The Naval Staff was organised as follows:
The Naval Staff was organised as follows:
The Naval Staff was re-organised under Admiral of the Fleet Sir Rosslyn Wemyss as follows:[4]
First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (Home Waters Operations)
Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Trade Protection Operations)
Deputy First Sea Lord (Policy and Overseas Operations)
The Naval Staff was re-organised under Admiral of the Fleet Sir David Beatty, as follows:
First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (Home Waters)
Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Trade Protection)
Deputy First Sea Lord (Policy and Overseas)
The Naval Staff was re-organised during the early inter-war years, and the post Deputy First Sea Lord is abolished:
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Madden re-structured the Naval Staff as follows:[5]
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Frederick Field organised the Naval Staff as follows:[6]
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Ernle Chatfield kept the Naval Staff as follows:[7]
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound re-organised, the Naval Staff as follows:[8]
First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Andrew Cunninghamre-organised the Naval Staff, as follows:
First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Bruce Fraser re-organised the Naval Staff, as follows:[10]
First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff Vice Chief of the Naval Staff Deputy Chief of the Naval StaffAdmiral of the Fleet Earl, Louis Mountbatten, re-organised the Naval Staff, as follows:[11]
First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff Vice Chief of the Naval Staff Deputy Chief of the Naval StaffAdmiral of the Fleet Earl, Louis Mountbatten, re-organised the Naval Staff, as follows:[12]
First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff Vice Chief of the Naval Staff Deputy Chief of the Naval StaffAdmiral of the Fleet Sir Caspar John, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff re-organised the Naval Staff, as follows:[13]
First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff Vice Chief of the Naval Staff Deputy Chief of the Naval StaffAdmiral Sir David Luce as First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff organised the Naval Staff in July 1964 as follows:[14]
First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff Assistant Chief of the Naval StaffFollowing 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:[15]
Primary source for this article is by Harley Simon, Lovell Tony, (2014), Naval Staff (Royal Navy), dreadnoughtproject.org, http://www.dreadnoughtproject.org.