Ironclad's three-part command structure

Rear Admiral Edward Syfret retained overall command and responsibility for the fighting fleet. Rear Admiral Thomas Drew, who had helped organize the operation, served as the amphibious unit commander responsible for the shipping that delivered the assault. Major General Robert Sturges, a Royal Marine officer trusted after commanding the occupation of Iceland, led the land force. Churchill's confidence in Sturges helps explain why a Royal Marine officer commanded predominantly Army formations despite some inter-service debate. The three-part arrangement separated fleet protection, ship-to-shore execution, and ground combat. Later British amphibious command practice during the Falklands War used a comparable division between naval and land responsibilities.