Transcript Sea Power and Maritime Affairs

Sea Power and Maritime
Affairs
Lesson 5.8: The U.S. Navy and World
War I, 1914-1918
Enabling Objectives
• DESCRIBE the European political and alliance state of
affairs leading to WW I.
• DESCRIBE German and British major sea and land
operational strategies for winning WW I.
• DESCRIBE events leading to the entry of the United States
into World War I.
• SUMMARIZE U.S. strategy and diplomacy in World War I.
• EXPLAIN the effect of the events of World War I on
Mahanian Theory.
• RECOGNIZE contributions of the U.S. Navy during World
War I.
The U.S. Navy and WW I:
1914-1919
• Triple Alliance
– Germany, AustriaHungary, Italy
• Triple Entente
– Britain, France,
Russia
• Mutual Defense Pacts
– Germany/Austria
– Russia/Serbia
– Britain/Russia
• The Schlieffen Plan
The Spark
• July 1914: Heir to the
Austrian throne
Archduke Ferdinand
assassinated
• July 28: Austria
declares war on Serbia
• July-August:
Serbia/Russia
mobilize against
Austria
British Royal Navy- Strategy
• Goal: Destroy High
Seas Fleet in a large
engagement.
• Strategy:
– Sea-lift British Army to
France.
– Distant blockade of
Germany.
– Avoid German mines
and torpedo boats near
the coast
Gallipoli Campaign - 1915
• German-led Ottoman Turk Fleet
–
–
Closes Dardanelles - Entrance to the Black Sea.
Allied line of communication with Russia is cut.
• Winston Churchill:
–
–
Advocate of amphibious assault on Gallipoli Peninsula.
Objective: Constantinople to open supply route to
Russia through the Black Sea.
• Admiral Sir John Fisher
– First Sea Lord resigns in protest.
• Dardanelles
–
–
Mines in sea lanes.
Guns emplaced on shore covering the straits manned
by the Ottoman Turk Army.
Gallipoli Campaign - 1915
The German Imperial Navy
• Goal:
–
Defeat portions of the
British Grand Fleet in
small engagements
• Strategy:
Numerically inferior to
the British Grand Fleet
– Maintain a “Fleet in
Being”- potentially
threatens Allied
operations by its mere
presence in port
–
Stalemate
• (1915) Land forces
deadlocked on
Western Front
• Germany’s solution:
Raid Britain’s
oceanic supply
lines
Battle of Jutland
• 31 May – 1 June 1916
• Largest naval battle to date ends in a tactical draw.
– Only large fleet action of the war.
– Last great battle between battleship fleets.
– Jellicoe fails to win a victory.
• Afraid of stern chase over mines/submarines.
• Turned away from torpedoes.
• Would not risk fighting at night.
– Minor strategic importance to the outcome of the
war.
• Tactical lesson: Speed and long-range gunfire
outstripped the commander's means of observation
and control of forces.
Battle of Jutland
War Against Shipping
•
Unrestricted Sub Warfare
– Indiscriminate attack of enemy commerce with subs.
– By 1915-1916 Germany was losing the war and U-Boats
were the only weapon not yet fully utilized.
– Germany plans to knock out Britain before US aid can be
mobilized
– The Campaign ALMOST worked…
12
U.S. Navy Contributions to WWI
• Wilson reluctantly declares
war on 6 April 1917.
• Rear Admiral William Sims.
• Integrated into convoy
system
20-25 merchants and 6-8
destroyers
– Change from “hunt-and-kill”
patrols to a convoy system.
–
U.S. Navy Contributions to WWI
• Submarines
–
Germany lost 187 U-boats, however:
• Sank 5,234 merchant ships
• Sank 10 battleships, 20 destroyers, and 9
submarines
– Allied & Neutral Ships Lost: 1914-18
1914
1915
1916
1917
3
396
964
2,439
• Aviation
–
–
–
Anti-submarine warfare
Early attempts at power projection
Strikes on German naval bases
1918
1,035
End of the War (1918)
• U.S. Navy transported over 2
million ground troops.
• US advocated convoy
system defeats U-boat
threat.
• Kaiser Wilhelm abdicates
throne.
• 11 November 1918 - war
ends on “Armistice Day”.
– Now celebrated as
Veterans’ Day in the U.S.
Effect of World War I on
Mahanian Theory
• Support in two areas:
–
Commercial antagonism and rivalry cause war.
–
Faith in the battle fleet for command of the sea.
• Unrestricted Submarine Warfare's implications
ignored.
– Commerce raiding can affect the course of the
war.
–
Importance of convoy system to protect against
submarine attacks.
Battle History Video
• Chapter 2 “Fire and
Water”
- Time 00:00- 04:00.
Enabling Objectives
• DESCRIBE the European political and alliance state of
affairs leading to WW I.
• DESCRIBE German and British major sea and land
operational strategies for winning WW I.
• DESCRIBE events leading to the entry of the United States
into World War I.
• SUMMARIZE U.S. strategy and diplomacy in World War I.
• EXPLAIN the effect of the events of World War I on
Mahanian Theory.
• RECOGNIZE contributions of the U.S. Navy during World
War I.
Discussion…
Questions?