William May's fast, distributed fleet

May wanted dispersed cruising groups whose commanders could conduct their own operations and use radio to coordinate with the rest of the fleet. They would concentrate when an enemy force required it, then separate again for other missions. He exercised the Atlantic and Home Fleets along those lines and later used Dreadnought as his flagship. Speed addressed a central objection to dispersed forces: an enemy might concentrate first and defeat the groups separately. May pushed for Dreadnought to make 21 knots, and the scenario gives him reason to fund better boilers and continue the 14-inch gun programme. Crystal detectors and valve reception systems also offered projects through which his contacts could improve wireless communication. His political connections would help protect this work, as illustrated by the government's reluctance to risk his resignation over further cuts to naval estimates.