Transcript The Significance of Naval Warfare in World War II (WWII)

The Significance of Naval
Warfare in World War II
(WWII)
Mikel
Navy-significant Events Prior to
WWII
• Attacks on mercantile ships in WWI
• Treaty of Versailles’ restrictions
• British trade deficit
• 100:35 tonnage
Commerce
Why attack commerce?
• British reliance on trade
• Lack of natural resources
• Large sector of the workforce
• Historical precedent
Effect of the disruption of trade
on the British war effort
What were used?(Germans)
• Mines
• U-Boats
• Surface attacks
• Raiders disguised
as merchantmen
What were used? (British)
• Weaponry from WWI
• Rationing
• Armament of Merchantmen
• Convoys
Surface Attacks
• Admiral Scheer: 5 month operation
• 16 ships, 100,000 registered tonnes lost
Merchantmen’s Armament
• Used previously in WWI
• Swift attacks
• Could operate in various waters
• Ex. Atlantis
Convoys
Convoys, Importance
• Regulation of Gibraltar to UK
• Important North Atlantic Movements
• Battle of the Atlantic
• Supply of Malta
Battle of the Atlantic:
U-Boat Fears
“... The only thing that ever
really frightened me
during the war was the
U-boat peril”
- Winston Churchill
The Battle of the Atlantic’s
Significance
• The UK would serve as a “springboard”
• Inability to move resources
“Germany's best hope of defeating Britain lay
in winning what Churchill christened the
'Battle of the Atlantic'.”
- Dr. Gary Sheffild
Pacific
• Sinking of Japanese Merchant ships
• Slowing/countering Japanese expansion
• Regaining the Philippines and other
territories
• Swift movement/attacks: aircraft carrier
Amphibious Warfare
The Importance of Amphibious
Warfare
• Beach attacks
• Quick expansion across borders
How Amphibious Warfare was
Employed
Bibliography
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Ireland, Bernard. Jane's Naval History of World War II. New York: HarperCollinsPublishers, 1998. Print.
Keegan, John. The Battle for History: Re-fighting World War II. New York: Vintage, 1996. Print.
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<http://www.naval-history.net/xAH-MaltaSupply01b.htm>.
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