REVIEW 3 QUESTIONS
Q1. List the naval developments during the last part
of the 19th century.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Q2. After the development of the ironclad, what was
the Confederate Navy’s next achievement?
Q3. During the Civil War, the U.S. Navy’s first
admiral gave the famous order, “Damn the
torpedoes! Full speed ahead.” List the admiral’s
name and battle where he gave the order.
Q4. Describe how Alfred T. Mahan influenced naval
strategy.
Q5. What
was
the
major
cause
of
the
Spanish-American War?
Q6. Who was instrumental in quickly ending the
Spanish-American War?
THE NAVY FROM 1900 THROUGH
WORLD WAR I
Learning Objective: When you finish this chapter, you
will be able to—
Recognize the roles and responsibilities of the
Navy during World War I.
The 20th century began with a world at uneasy
peace. Between the end of the 19th century and WWI,
the U.S. Navy developed some new weapons. For
example, in April 1900 the Navy accepted its first
operational submarine, USS Holland.
SUBMARINES
The Navy continued to experiment with the
development of submarines throughout the next decade.
One of the main problems continued to be the gasoline
engine—it heated up and gave off fumes that overcame
many of the crew.
The gasoline engine was replaced by the diesel
engine. The first diesel engines were installed in the
USS Skipjack (SS 24) and the USS Sturgeon (SS 25).
These new engines required no complicated ignition or
sparking systems, produced fewer fumes, and were
cheaper to operate. The diesel engine and electric
battery remained as the main propulsion systems for
submarines until nuclear power emerged in the 1950s.
DESTROYERS
Destroyers had been used primarily to deliver
torpedo attacks. With the development of the submarine,
they became submarine hunters. Construction of our first
destroyer, which displaced 420 tons, began in 1899.
Destroyers proved so successful that building these ships
began on a large scale. From 1892 to 1914, the start of
World War I, over 50 destroyers were built; and 273 were
ordered during the war.
CRUISERS AND BATTLESHIPS
The battleship resulted from the major changes in
ship design that took place during the 19th century.
Battleships carried heavy guns and corresponding
armor protection. The United States had begun building
its battlewagons in the late 1880s; each succeeding class
had more firepower than the one before.
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Student Notes:
