Fisher's authority allowed him to keep Renown even after the Admiralty judged her too weak for front-line service. A newer and more heavily armed battleship had already been fitted for command work, yet he could reject it. The exchange also links Renown's speed and maneuverability with qualities Fisher wanted in Dreadnought. His practical objection to the newer flagship was its machinery, which took roughly a year to become reliably operational. He had both a personal attachment to Renown and a defensible concern about propulsion reliability.
Notable Point · 14:53-16:30
Why Fisher kept Renown as his flagship
Fisher had the seniority to keep a familiar, maneuverable flagship and distrusted the unreliable engines of the newer battleship offered by the Admiralty.