World War at Sea 1914-1945 -- Series 3 of the History of Modern Naval Warfare in the World.

Author: (British) Bernard Ireland, translated by Li Wen, Liu Huijuan
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-12-01
Features: The interwar period was considered a revolutionary era in naval warfare. In 1914, battleships were the standard for measuring the strength of imperial navies. However, the mighty battleships gradually became obsolete. Submarines and aircraft dominated the seas. The warring parties did not necessarily engage in combat within each other's sight. Operations to liberate Europe from German occupation and to capture Japanese-occupied islands in the Pacific War made amphibious operations particularly important. Technological advancements changed the course of the Pacific War. New weapons made old tactics more effective. The combination of aircraft and submarines for blockading supply lines, as well as escort and attack operations, became the fundamental principles of applying naval power. This process of change was not smooth. International treaties and disarmament efforts forced new weapons and development systems to prioritize reliable methods during wartime. Many opposed the military revolution, and the development of potentially valuable new technologies lacked sufficient funding and enthusiasm, slowing down the process. This situation only improved with the outbreak of war. Bernard Ireland's work begins with the era of battleships and battlecruisers in 1914, encompassing the entire period of naval power transformation. The author narrates the naval warfare and battles from the outbreak of World War I to Japan's surrender in World War II in vivid language and analyzes the transformation of global naval power. Bernard Ireland's passion for the British Royal Navy and history stems from his days in Malta during the Abyssinian War. Later, he joined the Portsmouth Shipyard and proudly became a four-year student at the British Royal Naval College of Advanced Shipbuilding. After graduating from university, he joined the technical department of the British Royal Navy and spent decades participating in the design and research of warships. He has a keen interest in shipbuilding technology and maritime history. At the same time, he has written many books on maritime themes. This is his twenty-fifth monograph. This book is part of the multi-volume series "Warfare in History" published by Cassell, which covers wars from ancient times to the modern era. The series is written by historians from various fields, and the series editor is John Keegan, one of the most distinguished military historians of our time. The maps in the book were drawn by Marcus Swindon and his team, who developed a series of unique and highly innovative mapping techniques, providing a brilliant complement to the text.