The idea of a mine barrage across the North Sea was first proposed in the summer of 1916 by Admiral Reginald Bacon and was agreed at the Allied Naval Conference on 5 September 1917. The Royal Navy—and in particular Admiral Beatty as Commander in Chief of the Grand Fleet—was skeptical about the value of the operation and did not feel it justified the large logistical and manufacturing commitment required.
The idea of a mine barrage across the North Sea was first proposed in 1916 by Admiral Bacon and agreed upon at the Allied Naval Conference on September 5, 1917. The Royal Navy, particularly Admiral Beatty as Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Fleet, had reservations about the operation's practicality due to its logistical and manufacturing demands.