Beatty's willingness to press through losses makes him a possible substitute for Sackville Carden in an early Dardanelles attack. On this reading, the first naval attack came close to breaking the mine barriers, with the forts under pressure and only one or two mine lines remaining. That judgment depends on hindsight: Carden did not know what lay beyond and chose using the information available to him. A breakthrough by Queen Elizabeth could threaten Constantinople and bring Beatty into a direct fight with the already worn Goeben. His self-image invites a comparison with Nelson at Copenhagen, pressing on despite signals urging caution. Even a successful attack would involve terrible casualties. Beatty might force a path towards Constantinople or become a celebrated casualty in a failed attempt.
Chapter · 1:03:57-1:10:21
Beatty as an advocate for forcing the Dardanelles
The counterfactual moves forward to a Dardanelles operation where Beatty's willingness to press on could produce either a celebrated breakthrough or catastrophic losses.