Author: R.B. Watts
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476620768
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 231
Book Description
Since the beginning of the 20th century, the United States has sought to achieve Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan's vision of "command of the sea" using large battle fleets of capital ships. This strategy has been generally successful: no force can oppose the U.S. Navy on the open seas. Yet capital ship theory has become increasingly irrelevant. Globally, irregular warfare dominates the spectrum of conflict, especially in the aftermath of 9/11. Fleet engagements are a thing of the past and even small scale missions that rely on capital ships are challenged by irregular warfare. In a pattern evident since World War II, the U.S. Navy has attempted to adapt its capital ship theory to irregular conflicts--with mixed results--before returning to traditional operations with little or no strategic debate. This book discusses the challenges of irregular warfare in the 21st century, and the need for U.S. naval power to develop a new strategic paradigm.
American Sea Power and the Obsolescence of Capital Ship Theory
Author: R.B. Watts
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476620768
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 231
Book Description
Since the beginning of the 20th century, the United States has sought to achieve Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan's vision of "command of the sea" using large battle fleets of capital ships. This strategy has been generally successful: no force can oppose the U.S. Navy on the open seas. Yet capital ship theory has become increasingly irrelevant. Globally, irregular warfare dominates the spectrum of conflict, especially in the aftermath of 9/11. Fleet engagements are a thing of the past and even small scale missions that rely on capital ships are challenged by irregular warfare. In a pattern evident since World War II, the U.S. Navy has attempted to adapt its capital ship theory to irregular conflicts--with mixed results--before returning to traditional operations with little or no strategic debate. This book discusses the challenges of irregular warfare in the 21st century, and the need for U.S. naval power to develop a new strategic paradigm.
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476620768
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 231
Book Description
Since the beginning of the 20th century, the United States has sought to achieve Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan's vision of "command of the sea" using large battle fleets of capital ships. This strategy has been generally successful: no force can oppose the U.S. Navy on the open seas. Yet capital ship theory has become increasingly irrelevant. Globally, irregular warfare dominates the spectrum of conflict, especially in the aftermath of 9/11. Fleet engagements are a thing of the past and even small scale missions that rely on capital ships are challenged by irregular warfare. In a pattern evident since World War II, the U.S. Navy has attempted to adapt its capital ship theory to irregular conflicts--with mixed results--before returning to traditional operations with little or no strategic debate. This book discusses the challenges of irregular warfare in the 21st century, and the need for U.S. naval power to develop a new strategic paradigm.
The Battleship Builders Constructing and Arming British Capital Ships
Author: Ian Buxton
Publisher: Seaforth Publishing
ISBN: 1848320930
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 323
Book Description
The launch in 1606 of HMS Dreadnought, the worlds's first all-big-gun battleship, rendered all existing battle fleets obsolete, but at the same time it wiped out the Royal Navy's numerical advantage, so expensively maintained for decades. Already locked in the same arms race with Germany, Britain urgently needed to build an entirely new battle fleet of these larger, more complex and more costly vessels In this she succeeded spectacularly; in little over a decade fifty such ships were completed, almost exactly double that of what Germany achieved It was only made possible by the companyÍs vast industrial nexus of shipbuilders, engine manufacturers, armament fleets and specialist armour producers, whose contribution to the Grand Feet is too often ignored. This heroic achievement, and how it was done, is the subject of this book. It charts the rise of the large industrial conglomerates that were key to this success, looks at the reaction to fast-moving technical changes, and analyses the politics of funding this vast national effort, both before and beyond the Great War. It also attempts to assess the true cost- and value- of the Grand Fleet in terms of the resources consumed. And finally, by way of contrast, it describes the effects of the post-war recession, industrial contraction, and the very different responses to rearmament in the run up to the Second World War.
Publisher: Seaforth Publishing
ISBN: 1848320930
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 323
Book Description
The launch in 1606 of HMS Dreadnought, the worlds's first all-big-gun battleship, rendered all existing battle fleets obsolete, but at the same time it wiped out the Royal Navy's numerical advantage, so expensively maintained for decades. Already locked in the same arms race with Germany, Britain urgently needed to build an entirely new battle fleet of these larger, more complex and more costly vessels In this she succeeded spectacularly; in little over a decade fifty such ships were completed, almost exactly double that of what Germany achieved It was only made possible by the companyÍs vast industrial nexus of shipbuilders, engine manufacturers, armament fleets and specialist armour producers, whose contribution to the Grand Feet is too often ignored. This heroic achievement, and how it was done, is the subject of this book. It charts the rise of the large industrial conglomerates that were key to this success, looks at the reaction to fast-moving technical changes, and analyses the politics of funding this vast national effort, both before and beyond the Great War. It also attempts to assess the true cost- and value- of the Grand Fleet in terms of the resources consumed. And finally, by way of contrast, it describes the effects of the post-war recession, industrial contraction, and the very different responses to rearmament in the run up to the Second World War.
The Emergence of the Modern Capital Ship
Author: Stanley Sandler
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 350
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 350
Book Description
Clash of the Capital Ships
Author: Eric Dorn Brose
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781682477113
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 352
Book Description
The Battle of Jutland, May 31-June 1, 1916, pitted Great Britain and Imperial Germany--the two largest fleets of World War I--against one another for the first time. At that time, it would be the largest clash of capital ships in the history of modern naval warfare. Arguably, the outcome of World War I was at stake. Focusing on the many fine studies of naval encounters in the North Sea and the primary sources that appeared as the centennial of this clash approached, Eric Dorn Brose seized an opportunity to reexamine Jutland, its pre-history, and aftermath. Considering new scholarship within the context of extant literature, the author reveals why each side claimed a victory that belonged to Britain and its cautious admiral, Sir John Jellicoe by examining the key roles naval and political leaders in Germany and Great Britain played during the fight.With an awareness of previous research, and a lively, fresh approach, Brose provides a concise history of the Jutland clash and the era of naval combat itself.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781682477113
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 352
Book Description
The Battle of Jutland, May 31-June 1, 1916, pitted Great Britain and Imperial Germany--the two largest fleets of World War I--against one another for the first time. At that time, it would be the largest clash of capital ships in the history of modern naval warfare. Arguably, the outcome of World War I was at stake. Focusing on the many fine studies of naval encounters in the North Sea and the primary sources that appeared as the centennial of this clash approached, Eric Dorn Brose seized an opportunity to reexamine Jutland, its pre-history, and aftermath. Considering new scholarship within the context of extant literature, the author reveals why each side claimed a victory that belonged to Britain and its cautious admiral, Sir John Jellicoe by examining the key roles naval and political leaders in Germany and Great Britain played during the fight.With an awareness of previous research, and a lively, fresh approach, Brose provides a concise history of the Jutland clash and the era of naval combat itself.
German Capital Ships of the Second World War
Author: Siegfried Breyer
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 147381460X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 686
Book Description
“Outstanding . . . covers the major units starting with the Deutschland Class, through the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, to the Bismarck and Tirpitz.” —WW2 Cruisers The Kriegsmarine’s capital ships—Deutschland, Admiral Scheer, Graf Spee, Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Bismarck, and Tirpitz—continue to generate intense interest among warship enthusiasts, despite the fact that no new source of information has been unearthed in decades. What has come to light, however, is a growing number of photographs, many from private albums and some that lay forgotten in obscure archives. These include many close-ups and onboard shots of great value to modelmakers, as well as rare action photos taken during wartime operations. This book is a careful selection of the best of these, but on a grand scale, with around one hundred images devoted to each ship, allowing in-depth coverage of its whole career, from launching and fitting out to whatever fate the war had waiting for it. For sake of completeness, there are even sections reproducing the various design studies that led to each class, while an appendix covers the uncompleted Graf Zeppelin, Germany’s only attempt to build an aircraft carrier, the vessel which clearly displaced the battleship as the capital ship of the world’s navies during the war. Essays on technical backgrounds and design origins by the well-known expert Siegfried Breyer and explanatory captions by Miroslaw Skwiot draw out the full significance of this magnificent collection of photos. “Highly recommended for those who wish to admire seven of the most magnificent warships built anywhere in the twentieth century. We will certainly never see their like again.” —Journal of the Australian Naval Institute
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 147381460X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 686
Book Description
“Outstanding . . . covers the major units starting with the Deutschland Class, through the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, to the Bismarck and Tirpitz.” —WW2 Cruisers The Kriegsmarine’s capital ships—Deutschland, Admiral Scheer, Graf Spee, Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Bismarck, and Tirpitz—continue to generate intense interest among warship enthusiasts, despite the fact that no new source of information has been unearthed in decades. What has come to light, however, is a growing number of photographs, many from private albums and some that lay forgotten in obscure archives. These include many close-ups and onboard shots of great value to modelmakers, as well as rare action photos taken during wartime operations. This book is a careful selection of the best of these, but on a grand scale, with around one hundred images devoted to each ship, allowing in-depth coverage of its whole career, from launching and fitting out to whatever fate the war had waiting for it. For sake of completeness, there are even sections reproducing the various design studies that led to each class, while an appendix covers the uncompleted Graf Zeppelin, Germany’s only attempt to build an aircraft carrier, the vessel which clearly displaced the battleship as the capital ship of the world’s navies during the war. Essays on technical backgrounds and design origins by the well-known expert Siegfried Breyer and explanatory captions by Miroslaw Skwiot draw out the full significance of this magnificent collection of photos. “Highly recommended for those who wish to admire seven of the most magnificent warships built anywhere in the twentieth century. We will certainly never see their like again.” —Journal of the Australian Naval Institute
Birth of the Battleship
Author: John Francis Beeler
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 232
Book Description
Many books have covered the technological revolution that saw wooden hulls replaced by iron and steel, sail superseded by steam, and smooth-bore muzzle-loading gun giving way to rifled breech-loaders and entirely new weapons like torpedoes. But previous works have tended to concentrate on the technology itself, largely to the exclusion of external but crucial factors, like politics, finance, administrative problems, foreign threats and strategic situations. The years 1870-1885 have also been neglected because they were seen as the 'dark ages of the Admiralty', but this book argues strongly that, although the problems faced were greater than in previous decades, it is actually a pivotal period in the emergence of the modern warship. In so doing, it counters the general perception that that those responsible for British design policy at the time were retrogressive, incompetent, or both. What emerges is a more complete picture of the problems - often insoluble - faced by the Admiralty during the era, and the sensible steps it took to meet them.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 232
Book Description
Many books have covered the technological revolution that saw wooden hulls replaced by iron and steel, sail superseded by steam, and smooth-bore muzzle-loading gun giving way to rifled breech-loaders and entirely new weapons like torpedoes. But previous works have tended to concentrate on the technology itself, largely to the exclusion of external but crucial factors, like politics, finance, administrative problems, foreign threats and strategic situations. The years 1870-1885 have also been neglected because they were seen as the 'dark ages of the Admiralty', but this book argues strongly that, although the problems faced were greater than in previous decades, it is actually a pivotal period in the emergence of the modern warship. In so doing, it counters the general perception that that those responsible for British design policy at the time were retrogressive, incompetent, or both. What emerges is a more complete picture of the problems - often insoluble - faced by the Admiralty during the era, and the sensible steps it took to meet them.
Naval Warfare, 1815-1914
Author: Lawrence Sondhaus
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134609949
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 273
Book Description
This book looks at the transition of wooden sailing fleets to the modern steel navy. It details the technological breakthroughs that brought about this change - steampower, armour, artillery and torpedoes, and looks at their affect on naval strategy and tactics. Part of the ever-growing and prestigious Warfare and History series, this book is a must for enthusiasts of military history.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134609949
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 273
Book Description
This book looks at the transition of wooden sailing fleets to the modern steel navy. It details the technological breakthroughs that brought about this change - steampower, armour, artillery and torpedoes, and looks at their affect on naval strategy and tactics. Part of the ever-growing and prestigious Warfare and History series, this book is a must for enthusiasts of military history.
The Making of the Modern Admiralty
Author: C. I. Hamilton
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139496549
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 357
Book Description
This is an important new history of decision-making and policy-making in the British Admiralty from Trafalgar to the aftermath of Jutland. C. I. Hamilton explores the role of technological change, the global balance of power and, in particular, of finance and the First World War in shaping decision-making and organisational development within the Admiralty. He shows that decision-making was found not so much in the hands of the Board but at first largely in the hands of individuals, then groups or committees, and finally certain permanent bureaucracies. The latter bodies, such as the Naval Staff, were crucial to the development of policy-making as was the civil service Secretariat under the Permanent Secretary. By the 1920s the Admiralty had become not just a proper policy-making organisation, but for the first time a thoroughly civil-military one.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139496549
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 357
Book Description
This is an important new history of decision-making and policy-making in the British Admiralty from Trafalgar to the aftermath of Jutland. C. I. Hamilton explores the role of technological change, the global balance of power and, in particular, of finance and the First World War in shaping decision-making and organisational development within the Admiralty. He shows that decision-making was found not so much in the hands of the Board but at first largely in the hands of individuals, then groups or committees, and finally certain permanent bureaucracies. The latter bodies, such as the Naval Staff, were crucial to the development of policy-making as was the civil service Secretariat under the Permanent Secretary. By the 1920s the Admiralty had become not just a proper policy-making organisation, but for the first time a thoroughly civil-military one.
The Late Victorian Navy
Author: Roger Parkinson
Publisher: Boydell Press
ISBN: 9781843833727
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 348
Book Description
A reappraisal of the late Victorian Navy, the so-called `Dark Ages', showing how the period was crucial to the emergence of new technology defined by steel and electricity. In purely naval terms, the period from 1889 to 1906 is often referred to (and indeed passed over) as the `pre-Dreadnought era', merely a prelude to the lead-up to the First World War, and thus of relatively little importance; it has therefore received little consideration from historians, a gap which this book remedies by reviewing the late Victorian Navy from a radically new perspective. It starts with the Great Near East crisis of 1878 and shows how itsaftermath in the Carnarvon Commission and its evidence produced a profound shift in strategic thinking, culminating in the Naval Defence Act of 1889; this evidence, from the ship owners, provides the definitive explanation of whythe Victorian Navy gave up on convoy as the primary means of trade protection in wartime, a fundamental question at the time. The book also overturns many assumptions about the era, especially the perception that the navy was weak, and clearly shows that the 1870s and early 1880s brought in crucial technological developments that made the Dreadnought possible.
Publisher: Boydell Press
ISBN: 9781843833727
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 348
Book Description
A reappraisal of the late Victorian Navy, the so-called `Dark Ages', showing how the period was crucial to the emergence of new technology defined by steel and electricity. In purely naval terms, the period from 1889 to 1906 is often referred to (and indeed passed over) as the `pre-Dreadnought era', merely a prelude to the lead-up to the First World War, and thus of relatively little importance; it has therefore received little consideration from historians, a gap which this book remedies by reviewing the late Victorian Navy from a radically new perspective. It starts with the Great Near East crisis of 1878 and shows how itsaftermath in the Carnarvon Commission and its evidence produced a profound shift in strategic thinking, culminating in the Naval Defence Act of 1889; this evidence, from the ship owners, provides the definitive explanation of whythe Victorian Navy gave up on convoy as the primary means of trade protection in wartime, a fundamental question at the time. The book also overturns many assumptions about the era, especially the perception that the navy was weak, and clearly shows that the 1870s and early 1880s brought in crucial technological developments that made the Dreadnought possible.
The Pre-Dreadnought Revolution
Author: Warren Berry
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752497359
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 370
Book Description
The late nineteenth century saw an unparalleled revolution in warship development as the Victorian navy found itself grappling with intense technical change to ensure its survival in the modern theatre. From the wooden battleships of the 1800s, naval architecture underwent great change to produce a very different form of capital ship, which would have a huge impact and change naval design forever. The pre-dreadnought was constructed of steel, wholly driven by steam power and carried its rifled ordnance in armoured turrets operated by hydraulics. Electrics, mechanical computers, mines and torpedo weapons were also utilised to create an immensely powerful fighting ship the likes of which had never been seen before. This well-illustrated and fascinating history reveals the process involved in that most rapid development, which in such a short time totally altered the naval forces of Britain and ensured that the British Navy remained the most powerful in the world.
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752497359
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 370
Book Description
The late nineteenth century saw an unparalleled revolution in warship development as the Victorian navy found itself grappling with intense technical change to ensure its survival in the modern theatre. From the wooden battleships of the 1800s, naval architecture underwent great change to produce a very different form of capital ship, which would have a huge impact and change naval design forever. The pre-dreadnought was constructed of steel, wholly driven by steam power and carried its rifled ordnance in armoured turrets operated by hydraulics. Electrics, mechanical computers, mines and torpedo weapons were also utilised to create an immensely powerful fighting ship the likes of which had never been seen before. This well-illustrated and fascinating history reveals the process involved in that most rapid development, which in such a short time totally altered the naval forces of Britain and ensured that the British Navy remained the most powerful in the world.