Fisher to Winston Churchill 1915

Letter from Admiral Lord Fisher to Churchill, 5 April 1915.
Reference: Churchill Papers, CHAR 13/57/2. Crown copyright.

“From Maginness’ report the Inflexible is far worse than Lion so will be quite 3 months hors-de-combat! The war may be over by then if Holland comes in! I don’t think you are sufficiently impressed by Cambon’s warning as to Holland! We ought to have every detail organized to move in a moment to Texel! [island off the coast of the Netherlands]. You are just simply eaten up with the Dardanelles and cant [sic] think of anything else!

D-m the Dardanelles! they’ll be our grave! A.K.W. says Texel not Terschelling [island off the coast of the Netherlands] – that ought to be settled – Kitchener ought to have some good troops told off – transports ready – Every one told off -! We shall be as usual “Too late”!

We could have had the Greeks & everyone else at the right time but we are “too late” ALWAYS! This war might be described as “Procrastinations – vacilliations – Antwerps”* (That’s copyright!).”

* Reference to Churchill’s unsuccessful attempt to defend Antwerp in 1914