Naval Warfare 1914-1918: From Coronel to the Atlantic and Zeebrugge

The History of World War I

by Tim Benbow

At the start of the war, the German Empire had cruisers scattered across the globe, some of which were subsequently used to attack Allied merchant shipping. The British Royal Navy systematically hunted them down, though not without some embarrassment from its inability to protect Allied shipping. However, the bulk of the German East-Asia squadron did not have orders to raid shipping and was instead underway to Germany when it encountered elements of the British fleet. Soon after the outbreak of hostilities, Britain initiated a naval blockade of Germany. The strategy proved effective, cutting off vital military and civilian supplies.

The 1916 Battle of Jutland developed into the largest naval battle of the war, the only full-scale clash of battleships during the war. The Kaiserliche Marine's High Seas Fleet, commanded by Vice Admiral Reinhard Scheer, squared off against the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet, led by Admiral Sir John Jellicoe. The engagement was a standoff, as the Germans, outmaneuvered by the larger British fleet, managed to escape and inflicted more damage to the British fleet than they received. Strategically, however, the British asserted their control of the sea, and the bulk of the German surface fleet remained confined to port for the duration of the war. German U-boats attempted to cut the supply lines between North America and Britain. The nature of submarine warfare meant that attacks often came without warning, giving the crews of the merchant ships little hope of survival. The U-boat threat lessened in 1917, when merchant ships entered convoys escorted by destroyers.

With the last few men who served in World War I now dying out, and the 90th anniversary of the Armistice coming in November 2008, there is no better time to reevaluate this controversial war and shed fresh light on the conflict. With the aid of numerous black and white and color photographs, many previously unpublished, the World War I series recreates the battles and campaigns that raged across the surface of the globe, on land, at sea and in the air. The text is complemented by full-color maps that guide the reader through specific actions and campaigns.

Genres: World War I, History

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Tim Benbow studied at Oxford as an undergraduate (at Brasenose College) and as a graduate (at St Antony's College). He also spent a year at Harvard University as a Kennedy Scholar and a year at King's College London.

After being awarded his doctorate he remained at Oxford, conducting a post-doctoral research project and teaching International Relations and Strategic Studies at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including one year as a Tutor in Politics at University College.

Tim spent two years teaching at Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, before joining the Defence Studies Department at King's College London in 2004. He was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2008, and to Reader in Strategic Studies in 2016.

Reviews

[Peter Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

it deals broadly with the naval warfare during ww1, there are more indepth works out there but it does have some nice details

[Edwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read.

[Ron Baumer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well done novel that does an excellent job of telling about the WW1 naval warfare and the politics behind the decisions. The first hand accounts add to the realism of the story. This is a really well done book and a great read for the naval or history fan.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.