Jellicoe defends the Dover Patrol's unseen work

Jellicoe's reputation for restraint and service to the navy gave Bacon's criticism institutional weight, since he was not an obvious political ally. Jellicoe specifically regretted an Admiralty communiqué that overstated how fully an Ostend blocking operation had closed the fairway. He also argued that public attention naturally settles on dramatic fighting while excluding necessary, invaluable work performed under constant risk without a decisive clash. The contrast explains why patrol, minesweeping, escort, and bombardment could matter strategically yet remain less memorable than fleet battles. Senior participants were therefore fighting over factual corrections and the postwar hierarchy of naval fame.