Shell Crisis of 1915
Encyclopedia
The Shell Crisis of 1915 was a shortage of artillery shells on the front lines of World War I
, which largely contributed to weakening public appreciation of government of the United Kingdom because it was widely perceived that the production of artillery shells
for use by the British Army
was inadequate. Along with the failure of the attack on the Dardanelles and Gallipoli, the Shell Crisis was a significant factor in the fall of the Liberal Government, in favour of a coalition, and in the rise to power of the new Minister of Munitions, David Lloyd George
, who would replace Asquith
as Prime Minister in the political crisis of December 1916.
Sir John French mentioned to The Times
war correspondent, Colonel Charles à Court Repington
, that it failed due to a lack of shells. The "Shell Scandal" was reported to the Home Front by The Times
, which described the scandal in graphic detail: 'We had not sufficient high explosives to lower the enemy's parapets to the ground...The want of an unlimited supply of high explosives was a fatal bar to our success' (The Times, May 1915).This clearly pointed the finger of blame at the government. A more sensationalised version of the story was printed in the popular "Daily Mail", blaming the Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener
, under the headline "Lord K's Tragic Blunder".
This led to the Shell Crisis of 1915, which was one of the factors which brought down the Liberal
British government under the Premiership
of Herbert Henry Asquith. Although Liberal politicians held office in subsequent coalitions (and since 2010), no purely Liberal government has held office in the UK since May 1915. Asquith formed a new coalition government and appointed Lloyd George
as Minister of Munitions
. Although Lord Kitchener remained in office as Secretary of State for War, he lost control over munitions production and was increasingly sidelined from control of military strategy.
The Munitions of War Act 1915
prevented recruitment of munitions workers without their employer's consent. It was a recognition that the whole economy would have to be geared for war if the Allies were to prevail on the Western Front. Supplies and factories in British Commonwealth
countries, particularly Canada
, were reorganised under the Imperial Munitions Board
, in order to supply adequate shells and other materiel
s for the remainder of the war. The Health of Munitions Workers Committee, one of the first investigations into occupational safety and health
, was set up in 1916 to improve productivity in factories.
A huge munitions factory, HM Factory, Gretna
was built on the English-Scottish border to produce Cordite
.
An idle part of a factory in Silvertown
was pressed into service to manufacture TNT; this exploded
in January 1917, killing 73 and injuring 400 in what is known as the Silvertown explosion
.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, which largely contributed to weakening public appreciation of government of the United Kingdom because it was widely perceived that the production of artillery shells
Shell (projectile)
A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage sometimes includes large solid projectiles properly termed shot . Solid shot may contain a pyrotechnic compound if a tracer or spotting charge is used...
for use by the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
was inadequate. Along with the failure of the attack on the Dardanelles and Gallipoli, the Shell Crisis was a significant factor in the fall of the Liberal Government, in favour of a coalition, and in the rise to power of the new Minister of Munitions, David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
, who would replace Asquith
H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
as Prime Minister in the political crisis of December 1916.
Details
After the failure of the Battle of Aubers Ridge, May 9, 1915, the British Commander-in-Chief Field MarshalField Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Sir John French mentioned to The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
war correspondent, Colonel Charles à Court Repington
Charles à Court Repington
Lieutenant Colonel Charles à Court Repington , CMG, was a British Army officer and war correspondent.-Biography:Charles Repington was born at Heytesbury, Wiltshire in 1858, where his father was a Conservative Party Member of Parliament...
, that it failed due to a lack of shells. The "Shell Scandal" was reported to the Home Front by The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, which described the scandal in graphic detail: 'We had not sufficient high explosives to lower the enemy's parapets to the ground...The want of an unlimited supply of high explosives was a fatal bar to our success' (The Times, May 1915).This clearly pointed the finger of blame at the government. A more sensationalised version of the story was printed in the popular "Daily Mail", blaming the Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener
Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener
Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, ADC, PC , was an Irish-born British Field Marshal and proconsul who won fame for his imperial campaigns and later played a central role in the early part of the First World War, although he died halfway...
, under the headline "Lord K's Tragic Blunder".
This led to the Shell Crisis of 1915, which was one of the factors which brought down the Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
British government under the Premiership
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of Herbert Henry Asquith. Although Liberal politicians held office in subsequent coalitions (and since 2010), no purely Liberal government has held office in the UK since May 1915. Asquith formed a new coalition government and appointed Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
as Minister of Munitions
Minister of Munitions
The Minister of Munitions was a British government position created during the First World War to oversee and co-ordinate the production and distribution of munitions for the war effort...
. Although Lord Kitchener remained in office as Secretary of State for War, he lost control over munitions production and was increasingly sidelined from control of military strategy.
The Munitions of War Act 1915
Munitions of War Act 1915
The Munitions of War Act 1915 was a British Act of Parliament promulgated during the First World War which brought private companies supplying the Armed forces under the tight control of the newly created Ministry of Munitions, regulating wages, hours and employment conditions...
prevented recruitment of munitions workers without their employer's consent. It was a recognition that the whole economy would have to be geared for war if the Allies were to prevail on the Western Front. Supplies and factories in British Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
countries, particularly Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, were reorganised under the Imperial Munitions Board
Imperial Munitions Board
The Imperial Munitions Board was a national agency, set up in Canada under the chairmanship of Joseph Wesley Flavelle by the British War Cabinet to alleviate the Shell Crisis of 1915 during the First World War...
, in order to supply adequate shells and other materiel
Materiel
Materiel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....
s for the remainder of the war. The Health of Munitions Workers Committee, one of the first investigations into occupational safety and health
Occupational safety and health
Occupational safety and health is a cross-disciplinary area concerned with protecting the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work or employment. The goal of all occupational safety and health programs is to foster a safe work environment...
, was set up in 1916 to improve productivity in factories.
A huge munitions factory, HM Factory, Gretna
HM Factory, Gretna
His Majesty's Factory, Gretna, or H.M. Factory, Gretna as it was usually known, was a UK government World War I Cordite factory, adjacent to the Solway Firth, near Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway...
was built on the English-Scottish border to produce Cordite
Cordite
Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom from 1889 to replace gunpowder as a military propellant. Like gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burning rates and consequently low brisance...
.
An idle part of a factory in Silvertown
Silvertown
Silvertown is an industrialised district on the north bank of the Thames in the London Borough of Newham. It was named after Samuel Winkworth Silver's former rubber factory which opened in 1852, and is now dominated by the Tate & Lyle sugar refinery and the John Knight ABP animal rendering...
was pressed into service to manufacture TNT; this exploded
Silvertown explosion
The Silvertown explosion occurred in Silvertown in West Ham, Essex on Friday, 19 January 1917 at 6.52 pm. The blast occurred at a munitions factory that was manufacturing explosives for Britain's World War I military effort...
in January 1917, killing 73 and injuring 400 in what is known as the Silvertown explosion
Silvertown explosion
The Silvertown explosion occurred in Silvertown in West Ham, Essex on Friday, 19 January 1917 at 6.52 pm. The blast occurred at a munitions factory that was manufacturing explosives for Britain's World War I military effort...
.