Was Gordon Moore technically unqualified to choose the boilers?

Did Third Sea Lord Gordon Moore lack the technical competence to recognize what small-tube boilers could offer?

No. Moore was technically capable but pragmatically unwilling to stake the program on a still-unproven system.

Moore could understand the performance case and challenge Churchill, but he did not share Jellicoe's readiness to push the newer boiler technology. His caution reflected production maturity, schedule, and fleet reliability rather than ignorance. Agincourt's unusual handling appears to have involved Jellicoe and the Second Sea Lord's office. Personnel and administrative channels therefore mattered alongside engineering calculations.