Themes

Conflict and Change

• Introduction

• In Focus: 1900

• In Focus: World War One

• In Focus: Interwar

  • Surface Fleet

  • Submarines

  • Royal Marines

  • Fleet Air Arm

• In Focus: World War Two

• In Focus: Post War Conflict

• In Focus: Cold War Climate

• In Focus: Falklands and Beyond

• Special Exhibition: Falklands 25

Learning

• How To: Understand Propaganda

• Propaganda Image Galleries

• Education Project: Sea With Your Own Eyes

Interwar: Surface Fleet

Article Highlights

• Introduction

• Decommissioning and limitation

• Washington Treaty

• The Interwar ships

• Threat of war

• Rearmanent

Rearmanent

The Admiralty gave no extra funding to the 1938 naval shipbuilding programme for capital ships and the Navy also had to restrict their aircraft carrier construction programme to one ship, HMS Implacable. In August 1938 the Empire had 42 reasonably modern large ships and 14 small ones available or in construction. The Admiralty argued this was well below estimated needs for a two-Ocean (Atlantic and Pacific) War. The government responded by ordering the construction of seven new cruisers. The Admiralty continued to push for further money, but so did the other ministries of the Army and Air Force. In particular the rise in the importance of air power and our apparent lack compared to the German and Japanese worried many in Government. After major Admiralty objections the Government finally awarded £410million for the years spanning 1939-1941. Every penny was hard fought for and every penny needed. The new construction plan consisted of four battleships, three carriers, twelve large cruisers, three destroyer flotillas and twelve submarines. One failing was the apparent lack of lighter escort vessels (eight) and minesweepers (sixteen).

Besides spending, the fleet also began to actively prepare for war. The first months of 1938 saw an increase in exercises and training. Joint exercises with the Army and RAF as well as with other dominion Navies became more commonplace. As war seemed more certain and the forces needed to deal with it still distant, many in the Navy hoped war would be delayed until 1941. This was particularly true in the Pacific where our forces were smaller and defensive positions weaker.

In September 1938 when Britain’s Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain went to Munich to try and avoid war one last time, the Navy planned for the worst. It mobilised its reservists and made ammunitions ready. In the Mediterranean, sailors onboard ships were relaxed and morale was high. When Neville Chamberlain returned from Germany on the 29 September 1938 with an agreement many sailors felt a feeling of anti-climax. The reservist and war preparations weren’t immediately stepped down but by November most had been demobilised. The Navy called back some reservists in July 1939 and full mobilisation was started in August and September 1939.

In 1939 preparations within the Admiralty increased greatly. Firstly they applied for more money to allow them to build such ships as the “Flower” class corvettes and Hunt class destroyers, vital for convoy escorts. Minesweeping and coastal defences were re-organised and plans made for War. On the 3 September 1939, Britain declared war on Germany and the Navy received the signal “Total Germany”.