First Sea Lord Walter Kerr supplied authority from the Navy's old school and was remembered for accuracy, moderation, and reliability. His colleagues described him as cautious about change but unwilling to retreat once research had convinced him that a reform served the Navy. Kerr applied that method to submarines in 1900: he judged their immediate usefulness limited but argued that Britain needed a design and practical experience before the technology matured elsewhere. His equal responsibility for common entry therefore undercuts the claim that the scheme was simply an untested Fisher experiment.
Chapter · 53:08-57:46
Walter Kerr made common entry an evidence-led reform
Kerr's reputation for accuracy and his cautious investment in submarines show that common entry had the backing of a conservative institutional authority, not only Fisher.