POST CIVIL WAR NAVY

David D. Porter (son of the captain of the Essex), who commanded the mortar flotilla in the capture of New Orleans POST CIVIL WAR NAVY Alfred T. Mahan (fig. 5-7) was one of the first instructors at the Naval War College, and he influenced naval strategy. In 1890, the first of his many books and articles on sea power was published. One of his books (The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660 - 1783) stressed that without control of the seas, a nation at war could not expect victory. He defined sea power; showed the importance of understanding naval needs; and advocated a large, powerful Navy capable of assembling an overwhelming force to defeat the enemy’s Navy. His books on sea power became the “bible” of many navies, and for many years, they influenced the thinking of naval strategists. Part of our Navy’s readiness for the war with Spain was a result of the influence of his works. Surface Ships Steam power was the major development in ship propulsion during the first half of the 19th century. Iron construction of ships was the outstanding development of the second half. The two developments went hand in hand—all the navies of the world recognized the advantages of steam power, and iron warships needed large steam engines to power them. The engines, in turn, called for bigger ships to accommodate them. Shipbuilders used iron first as framing and then as a material for the entire ship. Iron was first used as framing to reinforce ships so that they could be used to ram their opponents as well as fire on them. It was several years before an economical way to process iron strong enough for the entire construction could be found. (Wooden ships had the advantage of being cheaper to build than iron ships.) After the Civil War, the Navy began a drawdown period. A year and a half after the war, the total number of Navy ships was 236, with only 56 in active service. World conditions made our Country aware that the Navy was small. Therefore, in 1882 and 1883, Congress authorized the construction of the “protected cruisers” USS Atlanta, USS Boston, and USS Chicago and the dispatch boat USS Dolphin, which had both masts for sails and stacks for smoke. They were steel hulled and signaled the end of the ironclads introduced only 40 years earlier. These new cruisers were in the 13- to 14-knot class. They sported new guns, new types of turrets, and armor. Once more, the Navy began to rebuild its strength. Continued changes were made as the new steel Navy took on new shapes. Still clinging to the past, the USS Newark, a 4,098-ton protected cruiser, was the last of the Navy’s warships to be fitted with sails. It was launched in 1890 and commissioned the following year. Because of its many improvements, the USS Newark has been labeled as the first modern cruiser in the U.S. Fleet. With the development of the self-propelled torpedo, long-range torpedo boats made their debut. In 1890, one of the first torpedo boats joined the fleet—the 22.5-knot USS Cushing. The Navy acquired 16 fast torpedo boats and three 185-ton boats capable of speeds of 27 knots. The development of torpedo boats caused the shape of ships to change. An example was the USS Truxtun, which led to the design of our present-day destroyers. These ships were designed to combat torpedo boats. Later improvements resulted in destroyers themselves carrying torpedoes. Subsurface Ships Since surface ships were driven by steam, why not submarines? Steam requires air, fire, and heat, and those were in limited supply aboard a submarine. During the 19th century, the internal combustion engine was developed. Use of this engine on ships had drawbacks. 5-10 Student Notes: Figure 5-7.—A philosopher of naval strategy, Mahan researched military history and proved that the nation controlling the oceans is the nation that maintains its supremacy in war or peace.