Local Royal Air Force and Royal Navy commands generally cooperated, while the greater dysfunction lay higher in the Air Ministry. A bomber-first faction marginalized Fighter Command, Coastal Command, and support for the army. That was internal factionalism rather than a simple contest between services. The Royal Navy faced a comparable problem during periods when leadership and funding leaned heavily toward the submarine service. Repeated leadership from one capable specialty could still distort procurement and leave the whole force badly unbalanced.
Notable Point · 49:17-51:21
How one service faction can unbalance an entire force
Ordinary interservice rivalry differed from institutional capture by one specialty, which could redirect leadership and funding away from a balanced force.