Page 263 - 1992 - XVIII Congresso Internazionale di Storia Militare

THE UNITE D STA TES ANTJSUBMARINE STRA TEGY
DURlNG WORJ.D W AR I

KENNETH J. HAGAN

O n 3 June 1916 official Washington learned of rh e Barde of]ucland, che only
colossal barclefleer engagement of World War l. The consequence of an Anglo·
German search for che decisive bactle ar sea, Jucland demonscrared che awesome
firepower of dreadnoughrs and che piciful vulnerabillcy of any thinly armored war·
ship caughr in che line of ftre of 12·inch guns. Bue che barde left che naval balance
in rhe North Sea uncbanged: che Royal Navy conrinued ro blockade far offshore
and che German High Seas Fleer sat nesded cornfonably in prorecced harbors. ln
the United Srares, Judand's immediate impact was tO energize che Congress inro
passing che largesr peacecime naval expansion bill in history. The naval Act of 1916
called far che immediate construcrjon of four barrleships and four battle cruisers
- eighr capi tal ships i.n ali - and che creacion of an American bactlefleer of 60
capirai ships by 1925. This was w be "a navy second co none" Cll,
The 1916 acr "bad lictle or no relation ro possible American iovolvemenr in
che currem srruggle". As che disringuished hisrorian W iJJiarn R. Braisced has wrir·
cen, "Jt was primar:ily designed co prepare the oation far a larer conresr in which
che Unired Srates mighr fa ce a coalicion arracking in boch · oceans" C2l. As su eh, i t
was direcced wich fine impartiality cowa.rd Gumany,Japan and Great Britain. When
informed char Brirain disapproved of bis bid for equalicy in capitai ships, Presi-
deoc Woodrow WiJson curdy rerorred, "Ler us build a navy bigger cha.n hers and
do whar we please" m.
Wilson was a srodenr of the hisroric American policy of maintaining neutrali-
ry duringmajor wars in Europe. The American goal always was ro max.imize rrade
with aJJ belligerenrs. In 1914-1917, as io rhe Aoglo-Frencb wars a cenrury before,
belligerem Br ira in soughr to resrricr concinenral European impom of ma.rerials usefuJ
ro her enemìes' war effor:t. By Septembc:r,1914, the Bcitisb list of contraband in-
duded unwroughc copper, iron ore, ru.bber and percoleum. The Royal Navy was
prepared co interdi.ct Amer:ican rransporrs carrying such goods co Europe, and tbe
Wilsoo adminisrracion bega n co file prorests as ha.d Presidems Thomas Jefferson
and James Madison in 1801-1811. This historical perspeccive explains Wilson's
arrogane dismissaJ ofBrirain·s anripachy roward che American capiral-ship consrruc·
cion program of 1916·1917.