Ships Illustrated #2 - The War at Sea 1914-18
Ships Illustrated
The War at Sea 1914-1918
The War at Sea 1914-1918
Published by Ships Monthly
The most iconic images of World War I came from the trenches, where the soldiers on the Western Front battled not just each other but the horrendous conditions under foot. Although the war was largely fought and won on land, it could not have taken place without ships, which facilitated the movement of soldiers and men around the world. The war at sea was a crucial aspect of the conflict and this illustrated book offers a glimpse into some of the maritime scenes of that era, with a look at the ships that were involved and the actions in which they were involved.
During the war thousands of ships were lost along with thousands of men. But command of the seas enabled the Allies to bring the vital resources and manpower that were required to prevail on the Western Front and elsewhere. The Germans did inflict damage on the British, notably at the Battle of Jutland in 1916, the largest clash of big-gun battleships of all time, but which actually failed to resolve anything.
On 21 November 1918, under the terms of the Armistice agreement, the German High Sea Fleet surrendered to Admiral Beatty, off the Firth of Forth. This was the result of Allied victory on land, but that victory had only been possible because of Allied command of the seas, and the images in this book provide a flavour of the events of 1914-1919, some of the people involved, and is a fitting memento of the Great War.
Nicholas Leach • Editor, Ships Monthly