The Crisis of the Naval War

"The Crisis of the Naval War" by John Rushworth Jellicoe is a historical book about the Royal Navy's fight against German submarines during World War I. It discusses the serious danger the nation faced and how the British navy tried to overcome it. The book starts by explaining how Jellicoe wanted to keep a record of the naval plans and organizational changes made by the British Admiralty to address the growing threat of submarines. He stresses the seriousness of the wartime situation, highlighting the crucial parts of British naval operations that most people didn't know about. Jellicoe describes Germany's use of unrestricted submarine warfare, the resulting loss of merchant ships, and the immediate steps the Admiralty took to respond to the crisis by improving naval organization, introducing new combat methods, and working with the United States Navy. Overall, the first part of the book prepares readers for a detailed look at how the Royal Navy changed its strategies during the dramatic events of 1917, leading to big changes in sea warfare.