HM 27: Major Naval Operations in European Waters, 1939–1945

This work is the second and last sequel to Major Naval Operations, published by the Naval War College Press in 2008 as Newport Paper 32. The first sequel, Major Fleet-versus-Fleet Operations in the Pacific War, 1941–1945, was published (as Historical Monograph 22) by the Naval War College Press / Government Printing Office in 2014; a second edition came out in 2016. The focus of that volume was on the description and analysis of three major fleet-versus-fleet operations. In contrast, this work, Major Naval Operations in European Waters, 1939–1945 (twenty-seventh in the Naval War College Press’s Historical Monograph series), looks at three different types of major naval/joint operations: an attack on enemy maritime trade, the defense and protection of friendly maritime trade, and a major amphibious/anti-amphibious operation. The principal purpose is to impress on commanders and their staffs the critical importance of studying the theory and practice of major naval/joint operations. Another purpose is to present a method for analyzing a historical case study from an operational instead of a tactical perspective, and then drawing appropriate conclusions and identifying operational lessons.https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/usnwc-historical-monographs/1026/thumbnail.jp

The Destruction of Convoy PQ17: 27 June–10 July 1942

The most critical problem for the Western Allies in the northern European theater in 1941–42 was the urgent need to secure the war matériel being sent to the Soviet Union. Initially, the Germans did not react strongly against the Allied convoys sailing to northern Russia. However, that began to change quickly after February 1942, when the Germans redeployed almost all their heavy surface forces and a large number of U-boats from home waters to northern Norway

The U.S. Navy’s Transition to Jets

In this centennial year of naval aviation, it is interesting to observe that it has been jet powered for over half of its history. The transition was long and brutally expensive in terms of life and aircraft. However, it was, by any measure, a success

The Third Battle

Since the beginning of the twentieth century, submarines have been the weapon of choice for weaker naval powers that wish to contest a dominant power\u27s control of the seas or its ability to project power ashore from the sea. This is because submarines have been and are likely to remain the weapon system with the highest leverage in a battle for control of the ocean surface. Hence, antisubmarine warfare (ASW) will always re-main the most important element of the U.S. Navy\u27s core mission-sea control.https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/usnwc-newport-papers/1017/thumbnail.jp

Considering a war with Iran

The paper is a strategic studies analyis of the war-fronts, weapon systems and political-military tactics of a U.S.-Iranian war, including the U.S. use of nuclear weapons

Talking about Sea Control

For two decades the U.S. Navy has enjoyed total command of the sea, so much so that it has stopped talking about sea control, even to the extent of forgetting how to. The time has come to rediscover the discipline, yet again

Missions and Vehicle Concepts for Modern, Propelled, Lighter-Than-Air Vehicles

The results of studies conducted over the last 15 years to assess missions and vehicle concepts for modern, propelled, lighter-than-air vehicles (airships) were surveyed. Rigid and non-rigid airship concepts are considered. The use of airships for ocean patrol and surveillance is discussed along with vertical heavy lift airships. Military and civilian needs for high altitude platforms are addressed. Around 1970 a resurgence of interest about lighter-than-air vehicles (airships) occurred in both the public at large and in certain isolated elements of the aerospace industry. Such renewals of airship enthusiasm are not new and have, in fact, occurred regularly since the days of the Hindenburg and other large rigid airships. However, the interest that developed in the early 1970's has been particularly strong and self-sustaining for a number of good reasons. The first is the rapid increase in fuel prices over the last decade and the common belief (usually true) that airships are the most fuel efficient means of air transportation. Second, a number of new mission needs have arisen, particularly in surveillance and patrol and in vertical heavy-lift, which would seem to be well-suited to airship capabilities. The third reason is the recent proposal of many new and innovative airship concepts. Finally, there is the prospect of adapting to airships the tremendous amount of new aeronautical technology which has been developed in the past few decades thereby obtaining dramatic new airship capabilities. The primary purpose of this volume is to survey the results of studies, conducted over the last 15 years, to assess missions and vehicle concepts for modern propelled lighter-than-air vehicles