technology and strategy 1865-1890 sea power & maritime affairs lesson 6
TRANSCRIPT
Last Class
American Civil War Causes Outbreak of war Union and Confederate strategies Navies' roles in war Lessons from war
8 Key Themes
1. Navy as an instrument of foreign policy2. Interaction between Congress and Navy3. Interservice relations4. Technology5. Leadership6. Strategy & Tactics7. Evolution of US Naval Doctrine8. Future missions of Navy and USMC
How strong is the US Navy?
700 Ships 5000 Guns 58,000 Sailors
52 Ship 500 Guns 6000 Sailors
End of Civil War 5 Years Later
Reason?
Post-war Domestic Issues– “Reconstruction”– economic depression– Federal debt– Political squabbling
Result– Internal focus– External Isolationism– Naval Defense loses importance
Impact on American Sea Power?
US sea power declines no longer major naval
power #1 (or #2) in world to #12
Navy underfunded• Ships • R&D• People (Officers/Enlisted)• Training
US Naval Sea Power Naval Force
“Dark Ages
Navy Stagnates for 15 years
Changes to Ships
Hull material (40 years) Wood-Iron Iron Iron-steel (1872) Steel (1886) Nickel-Steel
Other features Gun concentration in center Compartmentization Engine efficiency increases Oil replaces coal Rams
24” to 6” (20 years)
Turn of 20th Century: Armor ineffective
Ship Design Armor
New ShipsHMS Dreadnought
– All-Big-Gun Battleship– 1905– Turbine Engines / 21 KIAS– “Dreadnought” v. “Pre-Dreadnought”
** All battleships obsolete
Battle Cruisers As big as battleships Less armor Many guns and fast
Destroyers Attack torpedo boats Torpedo carrier Screen for capital ships Anti-submarine Scouting
Changes to Guns & Munitions
Breech-loading Wrought Iron Steel (1881) Recoil
Brown powder Smokeless powder Armor-piercing shells
Guns Munitions
Torpedoes
Led to need for submarine destroyers
Fish Torpedo (1871) First effective destroyer
Torpedoes Torpedo Boats (Destroyers)
Submarine John Phillip Holland
– Irish-American
1900 – USS Holland– Mechanically-powered– Attacking armored vessels and harbor protection– No counter-weapons
Emerging Technology Aircraft
1903 – Wright Brothers
Purpose – Torpedo plane– Scout
1910-1912– Eugene Ely– Glenn Curtis– LT T. G. Ellyson– Naval Flight School
Radio
**Invention of greatest immediate consequence– Instantly implemented– Enormous consequence in succeeding
wars
The “Big Picture”
Accelerating technological advancements– Fast obsolescence
Short life for cutting-edge ships– Competition to stay ahead of others– US Navy was a laggard
Was this good or bad?
ABCD Ships 1883 Reason: Diplomatic impotence USS Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dolphin First “All-Steel” ships Boon for steel industry
Congress begins authorizing consistent ship construction.
Why do we care?
How did tactics change?
Tactics more complex but not institutionalized– Battle of Lissa– Spanish-American War– Russo-Japanese War
Overall– Less formality (no line)– Distant engagements– Battle Group tactics
• Ships• Attacks• Munitions
Major Events?
US Conflicts– Small international conflicts• Pacific & Caribbean
– Spanish-American War (1898)
Uninvolved International Conflict– Russo-Japanese War (1905)
American foreign Policy? “Open Door Policy” (1899) Roosevelt Corollary (1904)– Venezuela, Dominican Republic & Cuba– “Speak softly and carry a big stick”
Overall foreign policy Spirit of Imperialism Awareness of Navy’s role– Economy– National Strength– Foreign Policy
Virginius Affair Cuban Civil War Virginius was American ship hired by
insurrectionists to supply revolution– American & British crew– Spanish capture it– (53) executed for piracy
Enormous international tension– US poised to declare war– Settlement: Reparations for affected families
Sparks Naval Renaissance: we realize there is no weight to our threats
1873-1875
Samoan Crisis Samoan Civil War– Germany interfering (colonial ambition)
US and Great Britain opposed Germany– Tense standoff – (3) American v. (3) German warships
Before hostilities, a cyclone wrecked all (6) ships.
Standoff ends Agreed to partition– American Samoa– German Samoa
1887-1889
True Blue Saloon Incident
Chilean Revolution USS Baltimore sent to protect American interests 2 killed, 18 wounded at bar in
Valparaiso US demands restitution Chile pays, but US realizes its Navy is
weaker than Chile’s Navy.
1891
What do these incidents teach US?
Reinforce “Social Darwinism” Navy is key to– International diplomacy– National prosperity