Kimmel was sent with Battleship Division Nine to bring American battleship gunnery up to Grand Fleet standards and found a poor initial position. He moved between ships, devised new targets, and adjusted methods without provoking a complete bureaucratic fight over the formal manual. This intensive work turned the American formation from a weak performer into one of the Grand Fleet's better squadrons. The episode demonstrates Kimmel's ability to diagnose and improve combat readiness under wartime conditions.
Notable Point · 1:00:22-1:01:43
Improving US battleship gunnery with the Grand Fleet
Kimmel's wartime assignment with Battleship Division Nine is presented as evidence of his ability to improve a fighting formation.