The independent action expected from Sturdee's squadrons belonged to a longer Royal Navy command debate. George Tryon had tried to train a Mediterranean fleet so subordinate officers could act on their own initiative rather than wait for detailed orders. Although that experiment is inseparable from its famous accident, its divisional ideal did not vanish with Tryon. Jellicoe, Sturdee, and other officers carried the principle forward, giving the alternative Fifth Battle Squadron a doctrinal background rather than a sudden burst of competence.
Notable Point · 2:08:46-2:09:17
Tryon's divisional initiative at Jutland
The initiative expected from a well-integrated Fifth Battle Squadron belongs to a longer Royal Navy effort to make divisional commanders act without waiting for every detailed order.