Fisher's experience before the reform programme

Fisher's reforms followed a career that stretched from the sailing navy into the twentieth century. His experience included gunnery, torpedoes, Portsmouth administration, fleet command, and Whitehall politics. He had also served on demanding overseas stations and learned how senior officers combined seamanship, diplomacy, and administration. This background made him an unusually informed advocate of new technology, though it also inclined him to equate newer ships with better answers.