The Last Century of Sea Power, Volume 2: From Washington to Tokyo, 1922–1945

705 Pages·2010·7.422 MB·English

by  H. P. Willmott

$39.95
WAR & MIlItARy
Willmott the

Last Century
the
H. P. WIllMott has written extensively on
Last Century
Sea Power
warfare in general and on World War II in par- of
ticular. Among his books are The Last Century “H.P. Willmott is the finest naval Volume 2
of Sea Power, Volume 1: From Port Arthur to historian and among the finest historians o t Sea Power From Washington to Tokyo,
of
Chanak, 1894–1922 (Indiana University Press, h 1922–1945
of any discipline writing today. His latest f
2009) and The Battle of Leyte Gulf: The Last Fleet H. P. Willmott
e
work further strengthens that richly S
Action (Indiana University Press, 2005), a Volume 2
Society of Military History prize winner; deserved accolade.” e L In this second volume of his history of naval
Empires in the Balance; The Barrier and the —Bernard D. Cole, a a power in the twentieth century, H. P. Willmott
Javelin; The Great Crusade: A History of World author of The Great Wall at Sea s follows the fortunes of the established seafaring
From Washington to Tokyo, 1922–1945
P
War II; Grave of a Dozen Schemes: British Naval t nations of Europe along with two upstarts—
o
Planning and the War against Japan, 1943–1945; the United States and Japan. Emerging from

C
and When Men Lost Faith in Reason: Reflections w World War I in command of the seas, Great
Also available: H. P. Willmott,
on Warfare in the Twentieth Century. Britain saw its supremacy weakened through
e
The Last Century of Sea Power, Volume 1: e neglect and in the face of more committed ri-
n
From Port Arthur to Chanak, 1894–1922 r vals. Britain’s grand Coronation Review of 1937
t
Indiana University Press, 2009 marked the apotheosis of a sea power slipping
u into decline. Meanwhile, Britain’s rivals and
ISBN 978-0-253-35214-9
soon-to-be enemies were embarking on sig-
r
nificant naval building programs that would
y
change the nature of war at sea in ways that

neither they nor their rivals anticipated. By the
Jacket illustration: Sinking of HMS Hood by J. C. Schmitz-
Westerholt. Courtesy Naval Historical Foundation. end of a new world war, the United States had
taken command of two oceans, having placed
its industrial might behind technologies that
2 further defined the arena of naval power above
INDIANA
and below the waves, where stealth and the abil-
University Press ity to strike at great distance would rewrite the
Bloomington & Indianapolis rules of war and of peace. This splendid volume
www.iupress.indiana.edu further enhances Willmott’s stature as the dean
1-800-842-6796
of naval historians.
INDIANA H. P. Willmott
The Last Century of Sea Power

The Last
Century
of Sea
Power
Volume Two: From Washington
to Tokyo, 1922–1945
H. P. Willmott
Indiana University Press
Bloomington and Indianapolis
This book is a publication of
Indiana University Press
601 North Morton Street
Bloomington, IN 47404-3797 USA
www.iupress.indiana.edu
Telephone orders 800-842-6796
Fax orders 812-855-7931
Orders by e-mail [email protected]
© 2010 by H. P. Willmott
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any
information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publisher. The Association of American University Presses’ Resolution on
Permissions constitutes the only exception to this prohibition.
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the
American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for
Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992.
Manufactured in the United States of America
The Library of Congress has catalogued the first volume in this series as follows:
Willmott, H. P.
The last century of sea power : from Port Arthur to Chanak, 1894–1922 /
H.P. Willmott.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-253-35214-9 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Naval history, Modern—19th
century. 2. Naval history, Modern—20th century. I. Title.
D362.W68 2008
359’.0309041—dc22
2008015018
1 2 3 4 5 15 14 13 12 11 10
Dedicated to FY1645
and in praise of
Dissent, Uncertainty, and Tolerance

O lente lente currite equis nocti
and
to the memory of Everton, Sherry, Kondor,
Jamie, Suki, Lancaster, and Junior

Contents
List of Chapter Appendixes xi
List of Maps and a Diagram xiii
List of Tables xv
Acknowledgements xix
Part 1. Naval Races and Wars
one Introduction: Washington, London, and
Two Very Separate Wars, 1921–1941 3
two Washington and London 7
three Ethiopia and Spain 42
four Japan and Its “Special Undeclared War” 62
Part 2. Introduction to the Second World War
five Navies, Sea Power, and Two or More Wars 83
Part 3. The Second World War:
The European Theater
six Britain and the Defeat of the U-boat
Guerre de Course 119
seven With Friends like These 223
eight Italy and the War in the Mediterranean
Theater of Operations 261