John de Robeck

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Admiral of the Fleet Sir John de Robeck, 1st Baronet GCB GCMG GCVO, (10 June 1862 – 20 January 1928) was an admiral in the British Navy commanding the Allied naval force at the Dardanelles during World War I.

De Robeck was born in Naas, County Kildare, Ireland, the second son of John Henry Edward Fock, fourth Baron de Robeck (1823-1904), to a family of Swedish origin, long settled in Ireland.

[edit] Dardanelles Campaign

The 1914/15 naval campaign to win the straits and push on to Constantinople was nearly successful due to a lack of ammunition on the Turkish side. Mines laid in the straits caused some minor casualties but these were enough to unnerve Admiral de Robeck.

The arrival of General Hamilton and his troops gave Admiral de Robeck the possibility to turn over responsibility of taking the straits to the army. Fearing for his career de Robeck took this opportunity with both hands much to the dismay of Churchill.

The situation on the Turkish side was so dire that if de Robeck had pushed his ships on for another day he may well have seen all opposition disappear and been able to steam on to Constantinople and knock the Ottoman Empire out of the war.