As usual a pithy, concise and significant intervention
Another pointless interference with the "Man on the Job" along with "Don't forget to use your destroyers for a night attack" whilst he is trying to get on in poor weather with a difficult co-ordination job with detached destroyers, Force H, Sheffield, CS 1 and the fear that Bismarck might repair her damage and leg it for home.
Pound had sent a number of pointless signals and the 1137B after it was all over and done with was the last straw.
I think Rhys-Jones' point is incorrect
I think Tovey's reaction on the green phone was anything but defensive but that he was hopping mad and extracted an exceptional apology from Pound for its' sending.Tovey's immediate reaction to this message was defensive
It is, as several have pointed out, ridiculous to imagine a Coasts of France" message being expunged (impossible) whilst the 1137B signal remains. Occam's Razor clearly shows the Coasts of France to have been Tovey imagining and exagerrating, which he continued to do for 11 years.
All the best
wadinga