ABSTRACT
On arrival at Paddington Station, London, on 9 April, the Cunninghams were met by the Board of Admiralty, a remarkable tribute to Cunningham’s achievements in the Mediterranean, endorsed shortly after by the award of a baronetcy. A man of immense will-power, energy and allround ability, King had a good technical mind, graduated from Annapolis with distinction, was a qualified pilot, had commanded a carrier squadron and a submarine division and, in 1941, the new Atlantic Fleet. Cunningham's measured appreciation of him reflected that of most British figures: A man of immense capacity and ability, he was not an easy person to get on with. At times either King or a subordinate offended the British by their rudeness or by taking unilateral decisions. King was not anti-British, though he was often critical of the Royal Navy. Furthermore, the Admiralty turned down King's request for a diversionary raid by the Eastern Fleet to assist American operations in the Pacific.
