DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
901 M STREET SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060
World War I 1917-1918
Recognizing the dependence of Great Britain on ocean communications,
Germany launched an intense submarine campaign to bring the British to terms,
and very nearly did so. Indiscriminate sinkings with accompanying loss of
life led the United States into war.
After American entry, the outcome hinged upon m a steady flow of troops
and supplies across the ocean to the battlefields of France. A vast convoy
system of merchant ships, destroyers, and cruisers, went into operation
and dramatically reduced ship losses. Naval aircraft, flying from European
bases, aided in the antisubmarine effort including the bombing of Zeebrugge
and Ostend. Large U. S. Navy minelayers laid some 60,000 mines in the great
North Sea mine barrier designed to deny German submarines access to the
open sea.
A variety of craft were mobilized in opposition to U-boats which had
deployed to the U. S. Atlantic coast. Escorted by destroyers, the Cruiser
Transportation Force and the Naval Overseas Transportation Service participated
in carrying over 2 million soldiers and 6.5 million tons of cargo to Europe.
Not one American soldier on his way to France was lost to submarine
action. A division of U. S. battleships joined the British Grand Fleet in
the North Sea to contain the German High Seas Fleet and thus prevent its
contesting the control of the sea. In the Mediterranean, U.S. subchasers
distinguished themselves in protecting allied ships from submarine attack.
And U. S. naval elements fought ashore in France when 14-inch guns, mounted
on railroad cars and served by seaman gunners, effectively bombarded enemy
concentrations at long range.
In the final analysis, control of the sea approaches to Europe made
victory possible.
1 Silver Star
1. Atlantic convoy operations
2. Western Atlantic operations
3. Operations in Northern European waters
4. Mediterranean operations
5. Operations on the European continent
