Jellicoe qualified as a gunnery officer in 1883 and returned to HMS Excellent as an instructor the following year. He subsequently led its experimental department and became assistant director of naval ordnance, giving him experience in training, weapons development, and administration. His technical obsession invites comparison with the later American admiral Willis Lee, another commander closely associated with exceptional naval gunnery. Jellicoe's flagships consistently ranked among the Grand Fleet's best shooting ships. He nevertheless avoided giving them awards merely because they were his own, reserving recognition for performance he considered demonstrably fair.
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HMS Excellent and Jellicoe's gunnery standards
Repeated appointments at HMS Excellent made Jellicoe a gun specialist whose flagships later set exceptionally high standards without receiving automatic favoritism.