This was the period during which the world balance of sea power swung in favour of Britain. In 1906, the largest battleship built up until then, HMS Dreadnought, was launched from Portsmouth. Displacing 21 060t, she could outgun any ship in the world and the word ‘Dreadnought’ came to signify an entire class of large battleships.
Midshipman Syfret specialised in gunnery and was aboard HMS Aurora during the Battle of Dogger Bank against the German High Seas Squadron in World War I. He also served on HMS Centaur and HMS Curacoa, and by the end of the war had reached the rank of lieutenant commander, with accolades from his commanding officers for his dedication to duty while under enemy fire.
FIRST COMMAND
In 1928, Syfret was awarded with his first full command on the destroyer HMS Volunteer, which was part of the Mediterranean Fleet based at Gibraltar. Three years after this, he was appointed captain of the light cruiser HMS Caradoc, which saw duty in the Indian Ocean. This was followed a few years later by his appointment as Deputy Director of Plans at Whitehall.
By 1938, the Admiralty knew that conflict with Nazi Germany was on the horizon. When hostilities broke out the following year, Syfret was Naval Secretary to the First Sea Lord at Admiralty House, with the rank of Rear Admiral.
This story is from the March 27, 2020 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
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This story is from the March 27, 2020 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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