"Where can I learn about tactics?" Topic

I've just started looking at WWI naval as another potential era, but I know NOTHING about tactics of the period. Can anyone recommend a book/website/other that will introduce me to how ship-to-ship actions were fought and how fleet actions were handled?
I'd prefer something interesting to read and not a period tactics manual from the naval war college, if possible.

Thanks!

Though hardly comprehensive, this article from the Flag Institute shows the deployment at Jutland (p.190-191) and explains a little of the basics with some clear diagrams:

PDF link

It doesn't explain the use of light forces but it's a 'starter for ten' (sorry – English idiom). The line and 'crossing the T' are pretty much standard tactics and everything revolved around that.

The main thing to remember is that tactics had to be simple – signalling was by flags and these ships made a lot of smoke, especially at speed. This may sound like its too simple to be interesting but it's not: the complexity lay in getting a huge fleet in the right place at the right time when components of that fleet might be 5-10 miles apart.

Get it wrong and the enemy will be able to concentrate fire on one part of your fleet while the rest is out of visual range. Get it right and you'll have the satisfaction of seeing ships go boom.

Nick

"Fighting the Great War at Sea; Strategy, Tactics, and Technology", by Norman Friedman.

Mark H.

Most naval wargame rules do not necessarily represent the various factors the a real life commander would have deemed to be tactically important. That (IMO) being the case, the basic rule to follow is to maneuver your force in a formation and manner such that the enemy remains situated within the broadside gun arcs of the greatest possible number of your ships.

If you are interested to explore further, you can start by going to archive.org and searching under keyword JUTLAND. Then seek out the following texts –

> US Navy ONI (Office of Naval Intelligence) staff appreciation of the Battle of Jutland

> The Battle of Jutland, by Holloway H Frost.

> Official Despatches of the Battle of Jutland, by His Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO).

- and study them. You will also develop a feel for how and why the light forces (CLs and TBD/DDs) were historically handled.

B

this web site provides a number of topics to help you understand the weapons, men and issues involved with the various national fleets.

gwpda.org/naval/n0000000.htm

Excellent suggestion, BuckeyeBob. That is a terrific website.

B