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The Operations Division [1] was a former directorate of the Admiralty Naval Staff responsible for the creation and implementation of long-term policy in regards to the composition of all Royal Navy fleets, squadrons and commands and including operational planning and monitoring from 1912 to 1961.
 | |
| Division overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1912 |
| Dissolved | 1961 |
| Superseding Division |
|
| Jurisdiction | Government of the United Kingdom |
| Headquarters | Admiralty Building Whitehall London |
| Parent department | Admiralty Naval Staff |
The Operations division was established in January 1912 initially as a component part of the new Admiralty War Staff created by the First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill and later the naval staff. It worked closely with the Naval Intelligence Division throughout most of existence and remained until 1961 when it was amalgamated with the Trade Division to create a new Trade and Operations Division.[2] In 1964 the Admiralty Department was abolished, however trade and operations functions continued under the new Naval Staff function within the Navy Department[3] of the Ministry of Defence as the Directorate of Naval Operations and Trade.
The division was chiefly responsible for coordinating the distribution of the British fleet globally and for the general day-to-day, movements of each of the Royal Navy's units as ordered by the Board of Admiralty, and acted-upon initially by the Chief of the War Staff later Chief of the Naval Staff. However each of the individual Commander-in-Chief's regulated the movements of fleets, flotilla's or squadrons and ships that was under their respective commands.
The division had to ensure that accurate information was constantly available at all times, this included the positions and conditions of all the most important ships. This was done by devising an operational plotting system that enabled the Admiralty to track of all ship movements, all scheduling of re-fits, monitoring fuel levels, and monitoring ammunition storage levels worldwide .
The division would coordinate closely with the Operational Intelligence Center[4] within the Naval Intelligence Division. The Operations Division received intelligence communiques, reviewed the importance of them, then would recommend any necessary remedying actions to be taken. When orders were approved by the Naval Staff they were communicated to all commanding flag officers who would action them.
As of 1918:[5]
Included:[6]
Included:[6]
Assistant Director of Operation Division (A.D.O.D.):
A more detailed breakdown of the distribution of work allocated within the division to the various staff sections can be seen below as of 1917:[8]
| Section | Admiralty Room | Distribution of Work |
|---|---|---|
| One | 38 (OB) | Distribution of fleet (battleships, battle cruisers and light cruisers) all questions relating to (see also section 9).
Sailing orders for H.M. ships (referred by M. Branch).Refits, docking, repairs etc. of H.M. ships. New ships - programme of trials and commissioning orders. British portion of Monthly Return of War vessels.Reports of Courts-martial and Courts of Enquiry. Visual signals.Is responsible for seeing that other departments concerned are informed of movements of ships. |
| Two | 38 (OB) | Systems of communication generally, including questions of policy regarding to wireless telegraphy (British and Foreign), laying and repair of cables, movements and work of cableships, land-line telegraphs and telephones, communications between H. M. Ships and merchant vessels at home and abroad. |
| Three | 38 (OB) | Harbour and coast defence of the United Kingdom, British Dominions and Colonies and India, including:-
(a) Disposition of guns, lights, mines, booms, etc., and personnel necessary for these; (b) Examination service at all ports; (c) Traffic regulations (see also A.D.O.D.l and Section 4). |
| Four | B. (AH) | Instructions for Entry of H.M. ships into Defended Ports at home and abroad.
Swept Channels, booms, etc., at defended ports. Confidential and public traffic regulations (see also A.D.O.D. 1 and Section 3). Fishing and fishing areas round the North Sea and Atlantic. |
| Five | 38 (OB) | Movements of all H.M. Ships employed abroad and letters of proceedings from Commanders in Chief on foreign stations. (See also Section 10). Corrects “Pink List” (secret telegrams), as regards H.M. Ships abroad. Keeps wall charts in Chart Room corrected as regards vessels on foreign service. |
| Six | A. (AH) | Controlled sailings in connection with French Coal Trade and ore trade from
North coast of Spain. Board of Trade reports. Reports dealing with enemy submarines (see also section 8). Courts of Enquiry relating to reports of sinkings of merchant ships |
| Seven | 38 (OB) | Movements and letters if proceedings of 10th Cruiser Squadron, Grand Fleet destroyer flotillas, H.M. ships (not belonging to the Grand Fleet) at Home ports, H.M. ships stationed at bases, minelayers and mine-carriers in Home waters. Corrects “Pink List” as regards the foregoing vessels. |
| Eight | 66 (OB) | All matters relating to distribution and employment of destroyers, patrol flotillas,
submarines, sloops, special service vessels, auxiliary patrols, escorts by auxiliary patrols. Prepares daily statement of destroyer flotillas. Telegrams and reports dealing with enemy submarines (see also Section 6). |
| Nine | B. (AH) | Movements of ships of the Grand Fleet when detached from repairs, and armed boarding vessels, minesweepers and supply vessels attached to Grand Fleet. White Sea - Trade and defence. Movements and refit of vessels stationed in White Matters relating to Hospital ships. Assists in Chart Room and takes duty there when required. |
| Ten | B. (AH) | Overseas operations. Naval Flotilla on Lakes Tanganyika and Victoria. Questions concerning Persia and Abyssinia. Letters of proceedings from Mediterranean, East Indies and China. |
| Eleven | 38 (OB) | Air Operations. Anti-aircraft defences. W/T and other communications with aircraft. |
| Twelve | 66 (OB) | (Commander, RN.) |
| Twelve (a) | 66 (OB) | Movements of troop and store transports, wheat, sugar and nitrate transports, mercantile fleet auxiliaries (colliers, oilers, store vessels, hospital ships, munition ships, tugs) and merchant vessels carrying valuable Government cargoes. Sailing orders and route instructions for the above. Board of Trade reports. Merchant ship casualties. Minesweeping reports. Matters relating to navigation. |
| Thirteen | B. (AH) | Mining operations and records. Matters relating to torpedoes. |
| Fourteen | Chart Room | Records of all telegrams referring to mines, wrecks, lights, buoys, swept channels, dangerous areas, etc., and plots positions of mines reported, suspicious vessels and objects, and dangerous and prohibited areas. Superintends correction of reference charts by cartographer from Hydrographic office. |
| Fifteen | Chart Room | (Assistant to D.O.D.) |
| Sixteen | Planning Room | Formulation and preparation of all plans |
| Twenty | 39 (OB) | (Acting Staff Clerk in charge of clerical staff). |
| Twenty (a) | 39 (OB) | (Acting Staff Clerk) |
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