Figure 1.--

At the time of World War I, the principal ship type that was seen as the implemnt of naval power was the battleship, often called drednoughts. It was the naval capital ship. This was because HMS Dreadnought (1906) revolutionized naval warfare. Until Dreadnought, battleships had a widerange of weaponry of different calibre. It was finally realizedthat the guns of real importance was the big guns. Dreadnought was the first embodiment of this principle, making all other existing battleships obsolete. This actully was a major advantage to the Germans. They did not have a large fleet of non-drednoughts like the Royal Navy. There was a related ship type, the battle cruiser with the same big guns as a battlehip, but without the same armour, especually the heavy deck plating. The naval War had a huge inmpact on the War. The Allied naval blockade severly impaired German insustrial production by cuting off raw materials. It also prevented needed food imports. The resulting food shortages adversely affected civilain morale. And the only way Germany had of breaking the blockade was to use its battleships to destoy the battleships of the British Home Fleet. The war at sea did not make the headlines of the great land battles. There was only one major fleet engagement--Jutland (1916). The massive Dreadnoughts of World War I navies were the first battleships. They were the superweapons of the day and enormously expensive. Even so, two small vessel types had an enomous impact on the War and both were capable of sinking the heavily armored and gunned dreadnoughts. The destroyer made its debute in naval warfare.At sea, the submarine, especially the German U-boat, unexpectedly became a major new vessel type. The German U-boat would prove to be decisive, but not in a way that the Germans anticipated. It failed to cut off Britain'vital sea lanes, but to Germany's great detriment, suceeded in bringing America into the War. Experiments began on carriers, but had no impact on the War.

Battleships

At the time of World War I, the principal ship type that was seen as the implemnt of naval power was the battleship, often called drednoughts. It was the naval capital ship. This was because HMS Dreadnought (1906) revolutionized naval warfare. Until Dreadnought, battleships had a widerange of weaponry of different calibre. It was finally realizedthat the guns of real importance was the big guns. Dreadnought was the first embodiment of this principle, making all other existing battleships obsolete. This actully was a major advantage to the Germans. They did not have a large fleet of non-drednoughts like the Royal Navy. The naval War had a huge inmpact on the War. The Allied naval blockade severly impaired German insustrial production by cuting off raw materials. It also prevented needed food imports. The resulting food shortages adversely affected civilain morale. And the only way Germany had of breaking the blockade was to use its battleships to destoy the battleships of the British Home Fleet. The war at sea did not make the headlines of the great land battles. There was only one major fleet engagement--Jutland (1916).

Battle Cruisers

There was a related ship type, the battle cruiser with the same big guns as a battlehip, but without the same armour, especually the heavy deck plating.

Destroyers

The massive Dreadnoughts of World War I navies were the first battleships. They were the superweapons of the day and enormously expensive. Even so, two small vessel types had an enomous impact on the War and both were capable of sinking the heavily armored and gunned dreadnoughts. The destroyer made its debute in naval warfare.

Submarines

At sea, the submarine, especially the German U-boat, unexpectedly became a major new vessel type. The submarine was, however, incorrecly named. It was not a true under-water vessel. It was a surface vessel with the capability of submerging for short periods. The major world navies showed an interest in submarines, but did not take it very seriously before the War. The Russians showed some interest, but did not devote much of their limted industrial capacity to submarines. They purchased American subs made by Holland for experimentatal operations. The Germans showed the most interest, largely because they had to use innovation. There was no way they could seriously challenge the Royal Navy with thir excellent, but snall number of battleships. They thus ininayed a development program. The U-1 was of course the first German submarine (1906). It is preserved in the Deutsches Musum in Munich. It was based on French concepts. Early submarines like the U-1 weredeathtraps. Fuel vapots had a tendency to explode. Highly volitile gasoline proved deadly. The Germans invented the diesel submarine which made the submarine possible because diesel was less volitile. There were many problems to be solved. One of the most serious was all the exposed electrical surfaces and water sloshing about everywhere. One eraly advocate of the submarime was Royal Navy Admiral Percy Scott. He predicted that submarines would play a major role in furyre baval wars (1911), even making the battleship obsolete. Few people took him seriously. No one took him seriously. This changed very quickly when U-21 sank HMS Pathfinder (September 1914). The Royal Navy was totally unprepared for this new challenge. A 500 ton ship that cost virtually othing to produce could destroy a massibe, costly battleship. There were no anti-submarine measures in place at the onset of the War. The Germans U-boats were almost decisive. They came very close to knocking the British out of the War by cutting the sealanes to North America. The Germans actually sank more ships than they did in World War II. The problem for the Germans was they had so few U-boats when the War broke out. And then there were the Americans who threatened to enter the War. The Royal Navy managed to defeat the U-boat threat with convoys and a tew technoloy--ASDAC (SONAR). The German U-boat would prove to be decisive, but not in a way that the Germans anticipated. When the Germans resumed unrestricted submarine warfare, Americame into the War and the Germany Navy unlike their pledge, failed to prevent the transport of a massive American army to France. The Royal Navy concluded that with ASDAC and the convoy system that the submarine would not be a threat in any future war. And for that reasons only minor improvements were made in submarine design and technology in the inter-War period.

Carriers

It failed to cut off Britain'vital sea lanes, but to Germany's great detriment, suceeded in bringing America into the War. Experiments began on carriers, but had no impact on the War.

Created: 4:32 PM 12/31/2017
Last updated: 4:32 PM 12/31/2017