Although the Great War might be regarded as the heyday of the big-gun at sea it also saw the maturing of underwater weapons
- the mine & torpedo
- as well as the first signs of the future potency of air power. Between 1914 & 1918 weapons development was both rapid & complex so this book has two functions: on the one hand it details all the guns torpedoes mines aerial bombs & anti-submarine systems employed during that period; but it also seeks to explain the background to their evolution
- how the weapons were perceived at the time & how they were actually used. This involves a discussion of tactics & emphasises the key enabling technology of fire control & gun mountings. In this respect the book treats the war as a transition from naval weapons which were essentially experimental at its outbreak to a state where they pointed directly to what would be used in World War Two. Based largely on original research this sophisticated book is more than a catalogue of the weapons offering insight into some of the most important technical & operational factors influencing the war at sea. In this respect it is more broadly significant than its title might suggest.