2.3.1
The War at Sea
The War at Sea
The War at Sea
The European powers had prepared their navies for years before the war. Maritime warfare (warfare at sea) was incredibly important in WW1.
Maritime warfare
Maritime warfare
- Britain had always had a very strong navy because of its 'two-power standard' (having a stronger navy than the next two powers combined).
- Britain may have had a stronger and larger navy, but Germany had new technology, such as u-boats (submarines).
- Both sides were aware that if they lost their navy, the whole war could be lost. There were few serious naval battles between the sides in WW1.
- Britain was able to intercept the German naval code and decode its messages.
Supply chains
Supply chains
- The main objective of maritime (sea) warfare was to stop supplies reaching the enemy.
How did the German navy threaten Britain?
How did the German navy threaten Britain?
- By attacking supply ships carrying raw materials.
- By attacking ships Britain was sending to its allies.
- By stopping communication between Britain and its empire.
How did the British navy threaten Germany?
How did the British navy threaten Germany?
- By blockading their ports and stopping supplies reaching the German home front.
- By stopping communication between Germany and its empire.
The War at Sea 2
The War at Sea 2
Throughout the war, the British and German navies engaged each other at sea.
Early battles
Early battles
- Between November and December 1914, Germany attacked coastal towns such as Hartlepool, Whitby and Scarborough.
- Despite this technically being a German victory, it provoked British public opinion and triggered a wave of recruits for the British army.
- In January 1915, the British decoded German messages and prevented a German attack on Dogger Bank.
U-boats
U-boats
- The Germans turned to u-boat (submarine) warfare.
- Using unrestricted u-boat warfare, the Germans targeted merchant (trade) ships to and from Britain.
- In May 1915, the Germans sunk a liner called Lusitania.
- This caused 1,200 casualties. 128 of these were American.
- This seriously damaged relations between the US and Germany and meant that Germany stopped attacking American ships.
More attacks
More attacks
- Between 1915 and 1918, the number of German u-boats grew from 21 to almost 200.
- By 1917, one in four merchant ships failed to reach their final destination because of German attacks.
- This showed that German u-boat warfare seriously threatened Britain's survival in the war.
- Britain was blockading the German home front. In May 1916, Germany tried to stop the British blockade in the Battle of Jutland.
Convoy system
Convoy system
- In response, the British established the ‘convoy system’. This meant that merchant ships sailed in a convoy surrounded by naval ships.
- Q ships (or Q-boats) were decoy ships. The Allies disguised armed ships as merchant ships to lure U-boats in. They would then shoot at the U-boats, aiming to sink them.
Blockades
Blockades
- Convoys significantly reduced the success of the Germans.
- In the end, British blockades were very successful and starvation on the German home front seriously weakened the German war effort.
1The Causes of the First World War
1.1The Alliance System
1.2Crisis in Morocco and the Balkans
1.3Anglo-German Rivalry
2The First World War: Stalemate
2.1The Schlieffen Plan
2.2The Western Front
3Ending the War
3.1Changes in the Allied Forces
3.2Military Developments in 1918
Jump to other topics
1The Causes of the First World War
1.1The Alliance System
1.2Crisis in Morocco and the Balkans
1.3Anglo-German Rivalry
2The First World War: Stalemate
2.1The Schlieffen Plan
2.2The Western Front
3Ending the War
3.1Changes in the Allied Forces
3.2Military Developments in 1918
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