Bacon's history of the Dover Patrol is exacting and valuable, but it must be read alongside his forceful personality and operational assumptions. He rejected reports that submarines passed the barrage at night until orders from above required its lights to be switched on. A submarine was caught attempting the passage on the first illuminated night, after which the lights remained in use. Bacon was removed and replaced by Roger Keyes, showing how an expert's confidence in one part of a system can obscure evidence from another.
Notable Point · 39:48-40:57
Bacon's technical strengths and the Dover Barrage blind spot
Admiral Reginald Bacon was an exceptional gunnery specialist, yet his refusal to believe submarines crossed the Dover Barrage at night exposed the limits of technical confidence.