Technical expertise did not guarantee the institutional ability to deliver reform. Figures such as Dreyer, Percy Scott, and Bacon could contribute gunnery knowledge, yet most lacked the coalition-building power needed to overcome industry and government resistance. The divided pre-1914 navy, still fractured by Fisher and anti-Fisher politics, contrasts with the more coordinated leadership around Reginald Henderson before the Second World War. The Royal Navy knew shell quality was deficient, but internal political conflict prevented its admirals from concentrating on a recognised material problem.
Notable Point · 59:13-1:02:32
Institutional division blocked known shell reform
Technical experts could identify the shell problem, but Fisher-era factionalism and weak coalition-building kept the Royal Navy from acting before the war.