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WW1 Naval Warfare

WW1 naval warfare was characterized by the efforts of the Allied Powers to blockade the Central Powers by sea using the advantage of having larger fleets and better position. To break the blockade, the Central Powers utilized submarines and raiders.

324 Questions

What year was the Lusitania built?

The RMS Lusitania was built in the United Kingdom. The builder was John Brown and Co. Ltd., of Clydebank, Scotland. The ship was first launched on June 7, 1906.

How did the lusitania sunk?

Yes. The Lusitania was torpedoed by one of the World War 1 submarine before in the middle of the war. It did sink during World War 1 and also, this brings the USA into the war in the year 1917.

What tactic did Germany use to counteract the british blockade?

They didn't, they were literally starved into submission and had to sign the armistice soon after.

What were the results of the British blockade?

The blockade of British ports was part of the Continental System put in place by Napoleon in retaliation for the British naval blockade of the coastlines in France. The result of the blockade of British ports was not severe or long-lasting. It hurt Britain to a small degree, but not as much as Napoleon hoped.

Did the United States enter World War 2 in the thirties?

America remained isolated during World War 2 for about two and a half years. They began having a bad relationship with Japan. All of a sudden on a bright morning on December, 7, 1941, planes begin crashing into Pearl Harbor(Hawaii). These were kamikazes-Japanese suicide pilots, who carried the plans out. Then on December 8, 1941, Congress declared war on Japan. The U.S. has officially entered World War 2 dealing with the conflict in Europe and Asia.

What was the millionaire's name aboard the Lusitania?

The milionaire on the Lusitania was Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt. He was reportedly last seen fastening a life vest onto a woman holding a baby. Vanderbilt did not survive.

What are the arguments for blaming Germany after the sinking of the Lusitania?

One argument for blaming Germany after the sinking of the Lusitania was that it violated international law because it was a civilian vessel. Britain and the United States agreed that the attack was unprovoked.

However the Lusitania was carrying arms and ammunition to Great Britain.

What was American public opinion after the sinking of the Lusitania?

They were naturally not too happy about it. First of all, there were American citizens on board. In addition, this was a passenger ship, not a war ship. They considered it cowardly to attack innocent civilians.

Why Did The Germans Sink The RMS Lusitania?

In fact the Lusitania was torpedoed. The Germans had declare the seas around Britain as a war zone to keep out war supplies. They claimed that the Lusitania was carrying such supplies. It was a very unwise move as it turned public opinion in the US against Germany.

How many kids survived on the lusitania?

there were 1959 people onboard, 1198 died, and 761 survived in six lifeboats safely launched, overturned boats, chairs, Etc.

What was the naval blockade in world war 1?

Germany has only one outlet to the oceans of the world and that is the North Sea.

A glance at a map of the area shows the British Isles blocking the western exits of that sea.

In WW1 Britain installed minefields and steel nets to try to block the southern exit, the English Channel. The larger northern exit was patrolled by warships and a series of minefields were planned as far east as Norway which were almost finished by the end of the war.

What prompted the United States to enter World War 1?

A telegram intercepted by British Intelligence that had said that if Mexico were to attack American soil then Mexico would then gain, and more so, whatever land they had lost due to the annexation by the U.S. government. However, the United States had intended to remain neutral and did so until the sinking of 7 U.S. merchant ships and the public publication of the telegram.

Who blew up Lusitania?

The Lusitania was a victim of Germany's U-boats during their policy of unrestricted submarine warfare before WWI. The sinking of the Lusitania was a main reason why the United States entered into WWI.

What were the top five largest navies in 1914?

1914 marks the beginning of WW1. One of the issues leading to WW1 was Germany's increasing Navy size and strength. Britain's Royal Navy, was the best in and largest in the world, and Germany was attempting to even the playing field. So with that being said, Britain had the largest Navy in 1914, but Germany wasn't far behind.

What was the lusitania affair?

A British ship carrying hundreds of American passengers and weapons that was torpedoed by a German U-Boat. This helped America enter the war as the population began to view Germany as an enemy.


    Lusitania is a ship that was sunk in World War One by one German U-boat. It was an English ship manufactured by the Cunard line and is considered by many as a major reason the USA entered WW1. It was a passenger vessel and therefore should not have been a military target, although it is suspected that it was used my England to illegally smuggle explosives into the country from America. This is based on reports of two huge explosives that caused the ships sinking. One from the torpedo from the U-boat and one from the explosives in the hold blowing up as a result of the U-boats attack. This theory of arms smuggling has never been fully proven though the English or Irish Navy were responsible for depth charging the remains of the wreck in the 1950's - as underwater recovery and diving technology improved meaning further exploration of the disaster would be possible. This is seen by many as an attempt to cover up evidence. Thousands of people died the night the ship sank many of them Americans and that is one of the reasons the US went to war in Europe.

    On further review the Lusitania was carrying war weapons to Great Britain.

    How did the sinking of the Lusitania affect the US?

    100+ American lives that could have made a change whether big or small wont.

    When did the Germans first use gas?

    The 2 main ones were mustard and chlorine gas. mustard would make you blind and chlorine was worse it would burn your lungs.

    What is the exact date the Lusitania sank?

    She was torpedoed on May 7 1915 and sank within eighteen minutes.

    Who was the youngest british soldier killed in world war 1?

    The youngest soldier that served in the great war (WWI) was only 13. about the same age as a yr 8 or 9 pupil in England.

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    The question is not specific about which World War, nor about which country. So I am going to give some thoughts about the use of boy soldiers in the German Army in 1945, which suggest that the youngest might have been EIGHT years old.

    REMPEL, Gerhard; Hitler's Children - The Hitler Youth and the SS; University of North Carolina Press, US; 1989 has a photograph of four boy soldiers captured by the US Army. They are in uniform and they are reported to be between eight and fourteen years old.

    GEHLEN, Wilhelm and GREGORY, Don; Jungvolk - The Story of a Boy Defending Hitler's Third Reich; Casemate Books, UK; 2008 has the following comment from Gehlen's own experiences: "In 1943, I was 10-years-old," writes Wilhelm Gehlen, "and at the age of 10, we Jungvolk knew how to change the barrel on a 20mm gun. We loaded magazines and ran messages, often under fighter-bomber fire, between gun emplacements or the headquarters when telephone communications had been shot to ribbons."

    Gehlen's comments, therefore, suggest that ten year old boys were serving as soldiers.

    Gehlen & Gregory also have the famous picture of Hitler shaking hands with Alfred Czech at a parade on Hitler's 56th birthday in 1945 (about a week before Hitler committed suicide). Czech was twelve at the time and was receiving his Iron Cross for his service in the German Army.

    Lastly, there are numerous reports of boys as young as ten fighting and dying in a futile attempt to prevent the capture of the Pichelsdorf Bridge in Berlin by the Red Army in April 1945.

    Hope that this helps.

    In the First world war the youngest to serve in the british,American or french armies war only 12.In other armies it was probably less in the Russian army it was probably 11 nobody knows for sure.The austro-hungarians also had some soldiers as young as 12.All in all the kind of situation now seen in the Congo.

    What was the consequences of the battle of the somme?

    The Somme had good and bad results/effects.

    Good:

    Tired out the German Army

    Was the start of the decline of the German Army

    More German casualties than British ones

    Made British and allied soldiers better the hard way - was the training ground of the British Army

    WITHOUT IT THE ALLIES WOULD NOT HAVE WON THE WAR IN 1918

    Bad:

    Lots of British casualties - the Somme has become a metaphor for slaughter and has been called a 'self sacrifice

    Why was freedom of the seas important in World War 1?

    The principle of 'Freedom of the seas' was important in World War 1 because the Germans had declared unrestricted warfare in the seas, severely disrupting trade and shipping. American president Woodrow Wilson included 'freedom of the seas' in his Fourteen Points.

    What was the first seaplane carrier sunk in World War 1?

    The most successful warships in terms of sinking the most "enemy" vessels in both World War One and Two were German submarines sinking unarmed or lightly armed and mostly privately-owned, non-military civilian-manned merchant ships and tankers, often at night without warning. Early in both wars anti-submarine threats were weak and many German subs acted chivalrously and allowed crews time to escape in their lifeboats, though successful rescue was far from certain. U-35 was most successful by far, and by a wide margin compared to the second most successful sub of either world war; near 200 ships sunk for a little over a half a million gross tons, in WWI, over a 3 year period, most under a single captain. The sub and captain survived the war. Almost all were merchant ships, and some were quite small, even sail powered, and many were sunk with the sub's 88mm deck gun or scuttling explosives. These were usually one-sided engagements where the ships had little chance once sighted by the sub. Only in rare instances did any single sub or warship in either WWI or WWII sank any significant number of enemy warships; or any surface warship sink a number of any warships. Some "armed merchant raiders" - disguised merchant ships with hidden guns and torpedo tubes - managed A few USN subs earned well-deserved reputations as deliberate Japanese Navy Destroyer killers, sometimes scoring with ill-advised if gustsy close-range "down the throat" shots at oncoming destroyers that likely would have pulverized the sub if one of the 4-6 or more torpedoes had not hit. But in general subs only sank anti-submarine warships in lucky encounters where the sub and its torpedoes were entirely undetected or only spotted at the very last moment, and rarely in desperate self-dense shots that were easily avoided by the alert warship.

    The most successful surface warship of either war and almost certainly WWII, in terms of number of enemy "ships" sunk, if not tonnage, was the USS England. She was an American destroyer escort launched after the midpoint of the the war that, with little previous combat experience, sank an astonishing 6 of the relatively rare Japanese submarines late in World War II in the mid-Pacific with assistance from 2 other ships- in only a 2 week period. It should be noted that by this point, all subs were clearly obsolete, Japanese subs being particularly vulnerable, and once detected by a group of up-to date Allied warships, stood little chance of escaping or attacking against the sophisticated detection and anti-submarine weapons in use with the latest Allied anti-submarine warships. At the war's end, the Germans tried to regain some measure of effectiveness with the radically advanced German "XXI" subs that abandoned the surface-performance focus of subs with greatly increased underwater battery endurance and speed. The Japanese built roughly similar prototypes. These were introduced at the very end of WWII and were much more capable against surface ships including naval escorts, and reduced the effectiveness of the most deadly sub killers (aircraft with radar and homing torpedoes). These would have restored much the subs' effectiveness, had their design flaws been corrected and large numbers been available earlier. This type of sub set the standard for all "conventional" powered subs going forward to the present day.

    Like German soldiers and aircraft and tanks and anti-tank guns - German subs had a lot more to shoot at, and their weapons, training, leadership and tactics were generally first class until late in both wars, while that of many of their adversaries varied early in both wars then steadily improved. There were some spectacular success against large warships but overall submarines proved to be ineffective and more at risk than vice versa. The exception was the record of American subs against the Japanese Navy. American subs were aided by code-breaking to be able to place subs in intercept positions. In addition, Japanese aircraft and ships had no effective radar until too late in the war, while American subs had very effective radar. The big killer in Word War II of ships and subs alike were aircraft, especially later in the war when radar equipment became widely used, especially in numerous Allied aircraft. Subs had far less success against aircraft, especially speedy small aircraft carrier aircraft or the speedy B-24 bombers converted for maritime patrol. German U-48, early in the WWII before effective anti-submarine technologies and numerous aircraft and ships employing them were deployed, sank about 300,000 tons of Allied merchant ships and a destroyer or two (50? ships total), mostly British, between 1939 and 1941, before the US or Russia were even in the war. U-48 had at least 3 different captains. See Uboat.net for exact info. A couple of dozen other German submarines also sank large numbers of ships, mostly during this time. Later in the war (until April 1943) German subs continued to sink large numbers of ships (rarely warships, mostly merchant ships), but it took far more submarines and many were lost, often having never sank anything. In the Pacific, the Japanese had poor anti-submarine technologies, and American submarines were very successful, though Japanese ships were fewer and smaller, and individual submarine scores were far lower than the top German subs, about 100,000 tons max (USS Tang). This was about the same as the top British subs (like HMS Upholder), which made their scores against poorly defended Italian merchant ships in the Mediterranean. The top Italian subs attacked independent Allied merchant ships in primarily the South Atlantic, and had little success against heavily defended Allied ships in the Mediterranean . Other than the various subs, the ever changing aircraft and pilots of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise probably sank the most ships, including the Japanese carriers Akagi, Kaga, and Hiryu at Midway, and contributing to many others including the battleships Hiei and Musashi, and many smaller ships. Lt. Best of the Enterprise is crediting with hitting both the Japanese carriers Akagi (morning of June 4) and in second mission of the same day the Hiryu, each with a 1,000 pound bomb with his navy dive-bomber, then taking medical sick leave shortly after for the rest of the war with a bad lung condition. Few if any pilots can match his record, in absolute terms, or in strategic importance. His initiative in making a last-moment decision to break away from his squadron's diving attack on the carrier Kaga and instead dive on - and hit - the Akagi likely prevented the Akagi from launching a devastating attack on the US Fleet. like the ones that led to the sinking of US carriers Lexington, Yorktown, and Hornet during the first year of the war. And more so than the ships or even their crews, you should consider the captains, as esp. on small vessels like submarines the captain is the dominant determining factor in success in all the cases above. Even successful subs usually stopped being successful if the captain left and was replaced by one less capable, as often occurred. On the other hand, successful captains who went to an existing but previously unsuccessful sub almost always continued their success and turned a loser sub into a winner.

    Above is for WWII mostly. For WWI, the far and away most successful warship was one particular German submarine (U-35) and its longest serving of multiple captains, CaptainLothar von Arnauld de la Periere ("U-boat" or undersea boat as the Germans and the Allies called German subs). This sub served mostly in the Med Sea and sank about 3 times as many times the ships and over 1.5 times the tonnage than any ship in any war. Many of these were dispatched by deck gun or scuttling charges and many were sail powered and not deemed worth the expense of a torpedo when a few 88mm/3.5" deck gun shells were sufficient. In contrast, the world's 100+ expensive battleships that were built just prior or during the WWi sank relatively little, not even a single opposing battleship. Battleships sailed often and were greatly feared, but rarely engaged in combat with any other ships. They were simply too valuable to risk. The one chance the British Royal Navy had to close and crush the already damaged German battle line at the climax of the Battle of Jutland was thwarted when the British Admiral rightly judged that he must turn away in the face of a German torpedo boat attack launched to cover the German fleet's withdrawal. Although heavily criticized, the British High Command had previously considered this exact scenario and agreed exactly this caution was to be taken. Had the British admiral not turned away, his largely undamaged 28 modern battleships likely would have crippled numerous if not all of the German's 16 battleships, many already significantly damaged, with minor losses to his battle line from the German battleships. Crippled battleships are difficult to finish off with even battleship gunfire, but once crippled are easy prey for torpedo boats. The big unknown is how many British battleships would have been lost in that closing torpedo attack had the British admiral not turned away. WWI battleships were found to be be able to sustain a single torpedo hit and continue on, but two or three would be fatal, and a large portion of the crew could be expected to be lost in the rapid sinking. It is likely that the British would have suffered numerous losses, perhaps even heavy losses. Politically, that was not a acceptable price.