U.S. Battleship Operations in World War I

This is a good book. The prose is readable, but not gripping. The book, true to its title, details U.S. Battleship operations in the First World War. If you only read one book abut the US Navy in WW1, read this one. Surprise; there were U.S. battleship operations in WW1 and they were not insignificant. The American coal burners were there in April 1918 with the Grand fleet and at times were in the van when the High Seas fleet was chased from the seas for the last time. They were there when the High Seas Fleet surrendered. Jones also brings home the fact that navies are staffed by people and decision makers are human beings with egos and ambitions and points of view. Jones details the human interactions between Sims, Rodman, and Beatty and tells how they made it work. Without a doubt the U.S. Navy benefited enormously from this apprenticeship under the British masters.

Chapters:

1.The Exorcism of Mahan's Ghost
2. Learning the Ropes (joint ops with the British in the first half of 1918)
3. Earning Respect (subsequent joint ops).
4. Lessons Learned (gunnery and training methods)
5. Defending the Transatlantic Convoys (careers of the oil burners)
6. Sentinels (oil burners at Berehaven)
7. The twilight of the Great White Fleet (activities of the U.S. pre-Dreadnoughts)
Conclusion (an even handed summing up that is not excessive in either phrase or criticism).

My only criticism is that the book reads somewhat like an academic production (which it is). It is a little weak on entertainment value.


A "B" grade for this type of work. BB lovers will like it.   October 29, 2003
William A. Hensler (Holt, Michigan United States)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful

I love the old steel navy. This is the period for 1880 - 1920. This is the era of the battleship.

When you read between the lines in Battleship WWI operations the US Navy was nearly a flat out failure. Why? The reason for a battleship is gunnery and the US ships had a flat out problem.

Germany and Britian were close in gunnery. However, the US squadron was 4th rate, if that good. The writer gives lots of reasons for the US being flat out bad at gunnery. It's an aggregate effect of poor plotting, poor mechanical calculators, unrealistic peace time training, and problems with the gun mounts. Note, it's a really good thing the US served with Britian during the Great War. The experence made the US Navy good for WWII.

I loved how the British Navy got tired of the US Government, under President Wilson, constantly pestering the British Navy to close up the German sea ports. Finally, the Brits said "give us 12 old battleships and 8 old cruisers" and they were going to sink them to block the channels. That was great. One government said to our government to put up or shut up. Not another word was heard from the US government about closing up German sea ports.

Actually, this book is what history should be: fun. The US ships are shown to have problems. There are lots of squables in the US Navy. The pre-dreadnoughts performed valuable duty as near destroyers and a guard against raiding German battlecruisers.

What will strike all readers is the American & Brits do really start to like one another. Spoiler warning: a Brit Labor MP spits on the rug of an American Admiral on the USS New York when talking of Germany. The British staff is mortified over the behavior. A few weeks later an American labor leader, Samuel Gompers, is given a state dinner on the battlecruiser Queen Elizabeth and is personally given an after dinner cigar by Admiral Beatty. Gompers takes the cigar, prounces it unfit to smoke, and tosses it away. The American command staff are horrified by the actions of Gompers. Both the American & British Admirals enjoy these two events and have a good chuckle. This is what history should be!!!

Readers will enjoy this book.