command is a sole responsibility and not a democratic one.
What's that got to do with the price of fish? The Board spends all day discussing and all are opposed to the First Sea Lord, with one exception; so back to the other half with a "I'm home dear, what's for dinner?".
This order was unique, no other convoy had been ordered to scatter by the Admiralty. Can you imagine CAS ordering the Bomber Stream to scatter because he thinks that the Luftwaffe might be launching an Me262 NF variant that night, though no-one else does (bar one!)?
Call up Churchill and tell him, never mind the social niceties. The FSL has obviously lost his marbles and many lives and much treasure is at stake. This isn't a marginal, on the one hand but then again on the other, scenario. Nothing suggests that Tirpitz is out after PQ17, SigInt, Ultra,
PR, nothing, except for one report from that very suspect source, a neutral country. Somebody needed to man up and go over Pound's head. Nobody did. The integrity of Naval High Command remained intact. The integrity of PQ17 ended up in tatters.
Poor Show!