British First Lord Bolton Eyres claimed battleship still backbone of the navy according to the Dutch magazine Marineblad dated 1935 no. 4

An item referred to the N.M.R. dated 18 April 1934 reporting that the First Lord Sir Bolton Eyres Monsell stated during a diner of naval engineers that the battleship was still the backbone of the navy .The Greek revolution pointed out that destroying of warships with bombs thrown by aircraft was less simplified as many aircraft enthusiasts believed.(1)

Note
1. Bolton Meredith Eyres-Monseil, 1st Viscount Monseil (22 February 1861-21 March 1969), Conservative party politician and First Lord of the Admiralty 1931-1933.