Accession Number:

AD1039565

Title:

Changes to United States Navy Submarine Design and Construction during World War I, as Determined by the General Board.

Descriptive Note:

Technical Report,08 Aug 2016,09 Jun 2017

Corporate Author:

ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLLEGE FORT LEAVENWORTH KS FORT LEAVENWORTH United States

Personal Author(s):

• Yocum,David R.

Report Date:

2017-06-09

Pagination or Media Count:

83.0

Abstract:

Prior to World War I, the United States envisioned employing submarines in a defensive role for coastal and harbor defense. Submarines defensive role was based on the current state of U.S. submarine technology making long range open ocean operations difficult. Germanys introduction of unrestricted submarine warfare forced the U.S. Navy to reevaluate the design of its submarines to develop an offensive deep ocean blue water capability. The work for redesigning submarines, while carried out by contractors, was initiated by the actions of the General Board of the Navy, the primary military advisory committee to the Secretary of the Navy for all matters concerning naval operations, war plans, and responsibility for determining requirements for naval ships. As the primary driver for change, the Board evaluated current designs against evolving requirements to determine the best course for future design development. The Boards official transcripts provide detailed information regarding the considerations affecting changes to designs made during the war to understand the changes implemented. Much academic work has been devoted to the development of submarines during the interwar period, however, very little is available regarding changes initiated during the war. This study addresses the question of what changes came about during the war and the final state of submarine construction and design at the end of the war with the goal of providing historical context regarding development of naval technology and influence of operational doctrine that led to significant innovation during the interwar period.

Descriptors:

• diesel engines
• antisubmarine warfare
• submarine design
• inorganic carbon compounds
• submarine warfare
• propulsion systems
• naval operations
• naval warfare
• SONAR

Subject Categories:

• Submarine Engineering
• Military Operations, Strategy and Tactics

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE