Late-1930s naval leadership offers a warning about institutional burnout. Senior officers and engineers worked extremely long days with few holidays while trying to prepare the Royal Navy for war. Their efforts helped the service absorb losses and continue fighting throughout the Second World War. That achievement carried a severe personal cost which disappears when readiness is measured only in ships and weapons.
Notable Point · 7:48-8:36
The human cost of rebuilding the Royal Navy
The Royal Navy's wartime resilience rested partly on admirals and engineers who exhausted themselves during the prewar rearmament drive.