The Great Admirals

David Tschanz

Feb-Mar, 2009

Class

Starts on time Will change dates for next week Slides will be made available on line after

the lecture Breaks

Strategy

Military strategy is a collective name for planning the conduct of warfare.

Derived from the Greek strategos, strategy was seen as the "art of the general".

Strategy

The father of modern strategic study, Carl von Clausewitz, defined military strategy as "the employment of battles to gain the end of war.“

Liddell Hart's definition put less emphasis on battles, defining strategy as "the art of distributing and applying military means to fulfill the ends of policy“.

Strategy

Military strategy was one of a trivium of "arts" or "sciences" that govern the conduct of warfare; the others being: Tactics, the execution of plans and maneuvering of

forces in battle, Logistics, the maintenance of a force.

The border line between strategy and tactics is blurred and sometimes categorization of a decision is a matter of almost personal opinion.

Strategy

Strategy and tactics are closely related. Both deal with distance, time and force but strategy is large scale while tactics are small scale.

Originally strategy was understood to govern the prelude to a battle while tactics controlled its execution.

However, in the world wars of the 20th century, the distinction between maneuver and battle, strategy and tactics, became blurred.

Strategy

Combination of logistics and tactics to shape the conduct of operations

Three major subdivisions:Grand strategyStrategyGrand Tactics

Grand Strategy

Integrates political objectives with military means

Determines broad outline of the plan fr the conduct of the war

Example: Casablanca Conference

Strategy Proper

Concerned with concentration and movement of forces

Distinguished from above due to fact politics is not integrated

Example: plan for Desert Saber

Grand Tactics

Lowest branch of strategy Concerned with maneuver of forces,

usually the activities that create the conditions for battle

Operations

In current military parlance Operations are the combination ofStrategy ProperGrand Tactics

This course is primarily concerned with the conduct of naval operations

Strategy Types

Two primary subdivisionsOffensiveDefensive

These in turn are divided into:PersistingRaiding

Which in turn are divided into:CombatLogistic

Strategy Types

Offensive: acting against an enemy

Defensive: preventing an enemy from achieving his goals

Strategy

Persisting: Envisions a long term permanent occupation of the enemy’s territory. Armed conflict with the enemy is accepted as a possibility, even pursued as a matter of policy

Raiding: Avoid battle with the enemy’s strengths

Offensive Persisting

Combat: seeks to destroy a defending force by force of arms

Logistic: Territorial conquest that denies enemy access to revenue or resources

Offensive Raiding

Combat: Attack rear and isolated garrisons you can overcome

Logistic: AKA stealing – either take or destroy resources otherwise usable by an opponent without occupying the territory

Defensive Persisting

Persistent: goal is to deny enemy opportunity to occupy territory, usually by conflict

Logistic: permanently deny enemy the ruse of your resources or threaten his. This is defense by destroying the enemies ability to live off his newly gained resources.

Defensive Raiding

Combat: attack rear and isolated garrisons of the invader that you can destroy

Logistic: disrupt lines of communication and supply while avoiding engaging enemy’s main force. Sometimes used to force an otherwise reluctant opponent to fight on your terms

Key Questions

Is there an attempt to hold the territory for a long period of time?

Is combat with the enemy’s main force being sought?

Is the principal plan to seek battle or disrupt the supply lines of the opponent?

Let’s try some examples

Desert Storm (air phase)Raiding Logistic

Desert SaberPersisting Combat

Invasion of NormandyPersisting Combat

More examples

Scott’s Anaconda PlanOffensive Persisting Logistic

German actions in Normandy after D-DayDefensive Persisting Combat

Scorched Earth policyDefensive Persisting Logistic

Viking attack on Paris via SeineOffensive Raiding Logistic

Naval Strategy

Logistic Objective: Control of the sea lanes to:Secure commerce of the nationMove & provision ground forcesDeny access to enemy’s commerceDeny enemy ability to support his armies at a

distance

Naval Strategy

Command of the seas meant that the two enemy fleets had to eventually plan for combat

Two principal schoolsClimactic Battle DoctrineBlockade/keep enemy fleet in port

Command & Control of the Sea

1. Defend against sea-borne attack.

2. Isolate the enemy’s land forces.

3. Carry the attack across the sea to the enemy.

Principal Functions of Navies

1. Protect sea trade routes.2. Block or disrupt enemy’s sea trade routes.

The Age of the Galley

Learning Objectives The student will comprehend the importance of sea

power and navies to the peoples of the Mediterranean basin during antiquity. Special emphasis will be placed on Crete, the Phoenicians, Persia, Greece, Rome and the Italian city-states of the Middle Ages and early Renaissance

The student will understand the crucial role of the galley in naval warfare up to the Battle of Lepanto (October, 1571).

Early Navies Agricultural development, establishment of central

governments, social stratification, and organized militaries established in fertile river valleys:

Mesopotamia - Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

India - Indus River

China - Yellow and Yangtze Rivers

Egypt - Nile River

Civilizations use waterways for travel and trade.

Early Navies Water transportation was cheaper than

overland routes, and especially in the Mediterranean basin.

The Mediterranean Sea was the natural locale for much of the war fighting that resulted from commercial and national or ethnic rivalry that characterized antiquity

Commercial or trading vessels were lumbering sailing ships

First Navies

Minoans develop first warship Ancient warships all similar in design Merchant ships are stout and sail driven Warships narrow, long and oar driven Flat bottomed Early ships undecked Single mast and sail (never used in battle)

First Navies Crete

First maritime-oriented civilization - use of the sea. World’s first Navy established (Circa 2,000 BC). Mahan-geographical position Natural resources- copper ore

Phoenicians Seafaring peoples in eastern Mediterranean Sea. Colonies in southern and western Mediterranean Sea.

Galley Warfare

Need for defense of merchant shipping gives rise to a new type of ship, the galley.

Primary SecondaryPropulsion Oars SailsWeapons Infantry Rams/ProjectilesFormation Line-Abreast Not Applicable

Pentekontor

Single mast Undecked Single bank of oars Fragile/unstable Subject to projectile weapons

Ram invented about 800 BCE

Deck covered to protect oarsmen

Bireme

Added a new layer of oarsman New ship called a bireme

Biremes

Top rank had harder job Length to width ratio 8-10:1 Fragile Not good in storms Generally unstable Could turn in own length Top speed 7 knots in a short burst

Trireme

The trireme had 3 levels of oarsmen on each side of the ship. This allowed tripling the number of rowers Increased speed Made ship top heavy Couldn’t increase length without increasing fragility Added outriggers for stability Allowed ship to be built to 8:1 ratio Dominant type by 600 BC Made of wood with metal spikes to hold the wood together. Most common wood used was fir, cedar, and pine. Additional small mast and sail removed for combat

Naval Crews

Not slaves, but skilled freemen Athenian trireme 170 oarsmen

62 upper54 gunwale54 lower

14 marines 25 officers

Galley Tactics

Galley Navy

Two problemsGeneral fragilityLogistic support

Coastal movement only Navigation

No compass, no dead reckoningLatitude could be determinedLongitude could not

Galley Navy

Supply by coastal foraging Shallow draft meant ships could move inland or

be beached at night Problems with living off land:

Only half the circumference could be searched No pack animals to haul the food No storage space

Base dependent

Training/Discipline

Maneuver depended on trained oarsman conditioned to obedience

No drums Ship master’s rose from ranks as opposed

to captains Ship master had absolute powers, a

tradition that continues today

Naval Tactics

BlockadeBottle up enemy ship inside a waterwayProblem was a blockade could not be

maintained long

Naval Tactics

Pre-ram era Line up Pull alongside Grapple enemy ship Engage in melee comabt

Line Abreast Formations

Line Abreast Formations

Line Abreast Formations

Naval infantry used to board and capture enemy galleys.

Naval Tactics

Post- Ram Tactics:

Concetrate on a single pointFlanking attacksReserves

Oars maintained spacing between ships First step run alongside and snap off oars

Use of the Ram

Naval Tactics

Next turn and ram Ramming required precise timing Too fast – stuck in enemy hull Too slow – could be evaded

Use of the Ram

Use of the Ram

Rams used to sink or immobilize enemy galleys.

Naval Tactics - Assault

Maneuvering to attack from rear Dicelpus:

Prearranged signalDashed forward cutting thru enemy lineTurned to attack stern

PeriplusFast run around enemy’s flank to ram the rear

Naval Tactics - Defense

Circle the boats Anchor one or both ends of the line on

land Rears pointing toward center Rams pointing outward