Who failed to recognize that David Beatty was unsuited to senior vice-admiral command?
Short answerIt was a collective failure: competence as a captain or subordinate squadron commander did not prove he could lead the Royal Navy's most important operational formation.
NotesBeatty could perform adequately when carrying out a superior's direction or commanding a smaller force with time to recover from mistakes. The Battle Cruiser Fleet demanded independent judgment, staff selection, and sustained control on a different scale. His failure to build a staff chosen strictly for quality was especially damaging.