Lord Cork and Orrery had a credible career before his wartime recall, so his failure in Norway does not mean that he had always been incompetent. The naval and Army commanders became preoccupied with fighting one another rather than the Germans. A counterfactual replaces them with Alexander Ramsay at sea and Adrian Carton de Wiart on land, which might have produced a different campaign. This is a judgment about hypothetical appointments, not proof of what would have happened. The case shows why wartime command selection had to consider current temperament, joint-service cooperation, and political sponsorship alongside an officer's professional record.
Chapter · 50:19-52:49
Norway exposed the political side of command selection
Cork and Orrery's conflict with Army leadership shows that a strong prior career did not guarantee effective joint command in the Norwegian campaign.