Military History Commons^™

Out Of The Air: The Role Of Communications Intelligence In The Strategic Bombing Campaign Against The German Oil Industry And Transportation System In World War Ii, Darrell Nolen

History Theses & Dissertations

During World War II communications intelligence (ULTRA) was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Allied strategic bombing campaign against the German oil industry and transportation system. In the case of the oil campaign communications intelligence provided confirmation of serious damage inflicted on the German war economy. This conformed nicely to the prewar American doctrine of precision daylight bombardment of critical nodes of an enemy industrial system. The intention of this policy was to cause the collapse of the enemy's military capability. The campaign against the German transportation system did not fit into this doctrinal framework as precisely; consequently, it …

Allied Communications Intelligence And The Monsoon Group, 1943-1945, Christopher G. Stuart

History Theses & Dissertations

The critical weakness of trade between Germany and Japan during the Second World War was exposed in 1943, when, after all other methods had failed, the Axis powers resorted to submarines as their main means of transportation. The Allied powers succeeded in disrupting the submarines, which the Germans called the Monsoon group. The Allies used communications intelligence to disrupt the Monsoon group in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Recently released United States Armed Forces LTRA decrypts, MAGIC messages and their summaries, and Selected Research Histories (SRH) provide the previously top secret details.

Naval Airborne Early Warning 1945-1985, Edwin Leigh Armistead

History Theses & Dissertations

Airborne Early Warning (AEW) is the act of carrying a search radar aloft that can actively detect and even control aircraft and ships where a radar mounted on a ship or on land cannot. The United States Navy began research during World War II to counter the low-flying aircraft threat. Development of the AEW aircraft, however, was not complete in time to be of use during this conflict. Initially the Navy used two different aircraft, one carrier-based and the other land-based, to detect such air threats. As technology improved, these different capabilities were combined into a single airframe that contained …

Ultra Underseas: Signal Intelligence And The Submarine War Against Japan, 1941-1945, Robert B. Watts

History Theses & Dissertations

During the Second World War the United States conducted a highly effective undersea war against Japan which relied on signal intelligence to direct the submarine force. Although submarines were naval assets, the sophisticated signal intelligence operation supporting them was composed of both army and navy organizations that considered a wide variety of factors in directing submarines against enemy economic and military power. While signal intelligence was used to direct submarines against targets of opportunity, the primary advantage of signal intelligence lay in the ability to provide a long-term strategic picture of the enemy. Through inter-service coordination, signal intelligence allowed for …

Attacks On U.S. Submarines By Friendly Forces In World War Ii, Britt C. Skogstad

History Theses & Dissertations

This study analyzes cases in which U.S. submarines were attacked by friendly forces during World War II and identifies the causes of those incidents. Each case is interpreted in the context of the warfare doctrine, tactics, training, and procedures current at the time of the incident. The study determined that friendly attacks were primarily caused by the physical limitations of visually identifying a submarine. Contributing to the problem were inadequate recognition signal systems, poor communications, the latitude given to on-scene commanders to disregard safety procedures, the general attitude that any submarine detected was a threat, a sense of urgency to …

U.S.S. New Ironsides: The Seagoing Ironclad In The Union Navy, William Howard Roberts

History Theses & Dissertations

Of the ironclads completed by the Union during the Civil War, only the U.S.S. New Ironsides was a seagoing, high-freeboard design. Her seagoing qualities and heavy battery made her uniquely valuable to the Union in combat. Although New Ironsides was highly successful and her high-freeboard design squarely in the European mainstream, she represented the last of her direct line in the U.S. Navy. The lessons learned from her construction and wartime service, which should have provided invaluable instruction for U.S. designers, were not followed up. By failing to develop the seagoing ironclad the United States forfeited the advantages it might …

Antisubmarine Warfare In The Fifth Naval District During World War Ii: The Defenses Of The Chesapeake Bay, James R. Powell

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis investigates how the United States Navy, with assistance from the Army and Coast Guard, utilized the various aspects of antisubmarine warfare to protect, the Chesapeake Bay and the maritime trade within the Fifth Naval District from the menace of Germany's U-boats during World War II. The details of how these efforts began and were carried out are described.

This thesis complements the other histories of antisubmarine warfare during World War II, which have not emphasized the defenses established for the Chesapeake Bay and the Fifth Naval District. The strenuous, and successful efforts by America's armed forces and the …

Signal Intelligence And Macarthur's Use Of Military Intelligence (G-2) During The Second World War, James Walter Zobel

History Theses & Dissertations

Though signal intelligence significantly benefited MacArthur 's conduct of military operations during the Second World War, each of his campaigns from July 1942 to August 1945 was marred by his reliance on inaccurate intelligence provided by his G-2 organization. An examination of the production and use of intelligence during MacArthur's campaigns displays these mixed aspects of his use of intelligence. Historical analysis shows MacArthur made effective use of signal intelligence, and despite instances of his reliance on inaccurate estimates the result was never disastrous. A detailed view of MacArthur's use of intelligence can be found in the records of his …

United States Tactical Doctrine, 1855 To 1861: The Mismeasure Of Technology, Marion Vincent Armstrong Jr.

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis illuminates the state of United States Army tactical doctrine at the beginning of the Civil War. In 1855, the weapons available to the United States Army left much to be desired in terms of firepower. Their limited range and lack of accuracy meant that they could not be relied upon to render the final decision in battle. The tactical system of 1855, however, blended this firepower with the shock action effect of bayonets and sabres, permitting the capabilities of the weaponry to be maximized on the battlefield while at the same time minimizing the deficiencies.

This harmony between …

The 93rd Division: A Victim Of Domestic Politics, 1938-1945, Robert F. Jefferson

History Theses & Dissertations

The 93rd Division was an all-Negro unit that served in World War II. The formation and deployment of the unit was not planned but was the result of the Roosevelt Administration's susceptibility to domestic pressure during World War II. The War Department's lack of a comprehensive policy concerning Negro troops led to the Company K debacle of 1944 which reduced the unit to a combat support role for the remainder of the Pacific war effort. Furthermore, the outfit's failures forced the Army to reassess its racial policies in the postwar era.

This study examines the War Department's manpower policies and …

Three American Resistance Leaders In The Philippine Islands During World War Ii, Brian W. Mclean

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis compares the effectiveness of three Americans who led major guerrilla groups against the Japanese in the Philippine Islands during World War II. It is limited to Wendell Fertig on Mindanao, James Cushing on Cebu, and Russell Volckmann on Luzon. Previous works addressed only individual leaders; this thesis compares different leaders.

The thesis concludes that although differences did exist in how each individual officer rose to command, all three were effective in leading resistance efforts against the Japanese. The greatest differences among them were the amount of support they received from MacArthur's General Headquarters Southwest Pacific Area (GHQ SWPA) …

The U.S. Army And The Development Of The Rok Army: 1945-1950, Charles M. Ayers

History Theses & Dissertations

When the Korean War began in June 1950, the South Korean Army was unprepared and was unable to cope with the forces from the North. This study seeks to determine whether the decisions made by the US Army as to the building of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Army during the period from 1945 to 1950 were appropriate in regard to the political and strategic situation in the Korean peninsula. The study approaches the problem by examining us documents and other archival material concerning the Army's policies toward Korea, how these policies were developed and executed, and what effect they …

Signals Intelligence In World War Ii Ultra And The Air War In Europe, Demetrio J. Perez

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

(First paragraph) In recent years the study of military intelligence, particularly when viewed from a historical context, has acquired new significance. As military historians attempt to find a correlation between wartime events and the intelligence activities supporting those events, many serious works in this field have emerged. Some accounts of World War II military intelligence deal with the subject in terms of its benefits to the field commander. Others take a more extreme view and argue that major wartime successes resulted more from good intelligence than from good leadership.

British Foreign Policy And The Crimean War A Study In Uncoordinated Diplomacy, Ronald W. Kennedy

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis is an examination of British Crimean War diplomacy. Under analysis is the pre-war era (1844-1853) and the war years (1854-1856). Intense diplomatic negotiations were in progress during most of the period immediately preceding and during the Crimean War. The diplomatic efforts to avoid war as well as negotiations to resolve the conflict were protracted and extremely complex.

This study is designed to examine British policy by focusing on what often characterized British efforts prior to, and during, the Crimean War: uncoordinated diplomacy. Although the British clearly wanted to avoid this war and to hasten its conclusion once fighting …

Mine Warfare In The Russian And Soviet Navies, Jeffrey K. Bray

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the development of technology, tactics, strategy, and organization of mine warfare in the Russian and Soviet navies from 1807 to the present. The author reviews the trials and tribulations of the development of naval mines and their employment within these two navies. This development has been primarily driven by the needs of war and advances of technology. In spite of occasional setbacks, the Russian and Soviet mine warfare forces continued to provide support to the overall naval and central policies of their respective governments. This support has often been during times of high tension and limited resources. …

The Evolving Tactics Of The 4th Virginia Cavalry: A Study Of The Adaptability Of Stuart's Cavalry, 1861-1865, Kenneth L. Stiles

History Theses & Dissertations

Very little has been written about the doctrine and tactics employed by Major General J. E. B. Stuart's Cavalry Corps, Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War. This study will examine how Stuart employed his cavalry in large-scale raids against his adversaries and as dismounted infantry in the battleline. These tactics contradicted the accepted European doctrine of the times, the doctrine that was taught by the U.S. military community in the mid-1800s. This study of the Confederate cavalry's evolution of tactics and .its employment in battle will center around the Fourth Regiment Virginia Cavalry, Stuart's Cavalry Corps, ANV. The …

The Construction Of The U.S.S. Monitor, Stephen C. Thompson

History Theses & Dissertations

In the centuries preceding the American Civil War, the large wooden sailing ship was the mainstay of the world's navies. Then, in the spring of 1861, Stephen Mallory, Secretary of the Navy of the Confederate States of America, issued a challenge to the United States Navy: the South was going to fight the numerically superior wooden Navy of the U.S. in ironclad ships. The Union responded to the challenge with its own ironclad, the Monitor, but the South had the advantage of an earlier start.

The Merrimac was designed and built to fight wooden ships; the Monitor was created to …

Symbol Of American Discontent: The Selective Service During The Vietnam War, Jean B. Todd

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis presents an intensive study of the nature and scope of the Selective Service System in an effort to analyze the system that became the focal point of growing discontent with the Vietnam War. The primary objective is to determine whether the Selective Service System equitably executed its congressionally mandated objective of raising military manpower. In order to ascertain whether the System operated with balance and fairness, its structure and procedures are examined. The study of the Selective Service System's structure 'necessitated an analysis of the characteristics and backgrounds of both administrators and those who met the System's quotas …

General John Henry Winder's Administration Of Martial Law In Richmond, 1862-1864, John Michael Cobb

History Theses & Dissertations

General John Henry Winder enforced martial law in the Confederate capital in Richmond from the winter of 1862 .to the spring of 1864. Winder's Richmond was plagued with lawlessness, disloyalty, and espionage. He was an experienced and capable commander who enforced his summary orders diligently. But Winder's regime only succeeded in managing the city for brief periods. The complex problems he confronted probably were insurmountable; by the end of his administration Richmond remained in turmoil. Several factors were responsible for this: numerous people were willing to risk prison to participate in the lucrative liquor trade, the basis for much of …

Confederate Leather Supply: Industrial Improvisation In The Confederacy, James E. Parker Iii

History Theses & Dissertations

This is a study of the Confederacy's attempt to supply all types of leather products necessary to equip and maintain adequately its armies during the Civil War. This study includes all phases of leather supply efforts made at home and abroad by civilians, the Army, state and political leaders, and slaves. This research gives insight on the importance of a very basic item of supply that is often overlooked by historians as a significant factor in the Civil War. Leather deficiencies were serious in the Confederacy throughout the war. Despite the revolutionary efforts on the part. of the government and …

The Remarkable John Bigelow, Jr.: An Examination Of Professionalism In The United States Army, 1877-91, Howard K. Hansen Jr.

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis describes the military career of John Bigelow, Jr. , with emphasis on the professional development of United States Army officers. It questions the role Bigelow played in the formation of army professionalism, a sense of corporate responsibility to exercise military expertise correctly. A focus on Bigelow to delineate professionalism in the army provides a fresh perspective of a pivotal period in American military history in the aftermath of the Civil War and before the United States started to build a colonial empire. Bigelow articulated a comprehensive concept of total^ar as he perceived its development in the United States. …

The Fleet Landing Exercises And The Development Of Modern American Amphibious Doctrine, W. Howard Meissel Jr.

History Theses & Dissertations

The Fleet Landing Exercises conducted by the United States Marine Corps in conjunction with the Navy and Army were some of the most significant military exercises conducted in American history. This thesis analyzes the seven exercises conducted between 1935 and 1941 to see how field testing affected amphibious doctrine, organization, and equipment development. This study summarizes the successes and failures of each exercise in regard to the evolution of a strong tactical doctrine, the training of a cadre of officers and men, and the development of the equipment vital to perform the amphibious mission. Primary information is largely drawn from …

The American-British Alliance Of World War Ii And The Debate Over European Strategy, Emory Allen Burton

History Theses & Dissertations

The American-British Alliance of World Mar II did not evolve by chance but was the result of deliberate steps wh1ch can be traced back to 1938 when naval coordination talks were conducted in London. These talks emerged from an American evaluation of defense commitments in the Pacific and recognition that British cooperation would be valued in a future war.

The theme of this study is the development of the alliance and how that process was influenced by the debate over the strategy for the war in Europe. The most important decision in this process was the Europe first policy. Roosevelt …

Controlling The Big Stick: The United States Navy And The Cuban Intervention Of September 1906, Christopher A. Abel

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

A case study method is used to examine the role played by the United States Navy in bringing about the Second Cuban Intervention of 1906-1909. The 1906 American navy had a distinct lack of centralized direction during the September crisis in Cuba. As a consequence, initiative in the crisis passed to the several naval officers representing the United States in Cuba at the time. These officers acted in consonance with the navy's own institutional agendas and contrary to the objectives of the Theodore Roosevelt administration. In so doing these officers were supported and even rewarded for their actions by the …

Curtain Of Silence Japanese In Soviet Custody, 1945-1956, William F. Nimmo

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

The Soviet Union attacked- and defeated Japanese forces in Northeast Asia in the final days of the Second World War, and 2,100,000 Japanese soldiers and civilians suddenly fell into the hands of the Red Army. This thesis examines the experiences of Japanese in Soviet custody, efforts to obtain their release, and their eventual return to Japan. Repatriation of civilians from Soviet-controlled areas was slow, and military personnel were taken to the USSR for use as forced labor for several years. The Soviets conducted an intensive Marxist-Leninist indoctrination program for prisoners of war, and a professed acceptance of communism was a …

The Ellet Family And Riverine Warfare In The West--1861-1865, Jesse L. Chapman

History Theses & Dissertations

During the American Civil War the centuries-old concept of the naval ram as a military weapon was revived. The most active theater of battle for naval rams was the Western rivers. The Mississippi River in the vicinity of Vicksburg saw the first modern instance of ram fleet meeting ram fleet. To combat Confederate attacks on union vessels operating on the rivers, the Mississippi Marine Brigade was added to the Ram Fleet in 1863. This brigade was a combined force of infantry, cavalry, and artillery with naval transports which would land and attack at the first sign of Confederate activity. This …

Kuropatkin In Manchuria, Merlin Van Statzer

History Theses & Dissertations

General Aleksei Nikolaevich Kuropatkin's leadership of the Russian Army in Manchuria in 1904-5 is examined. Fran the rear guard battles at the Yalu and Te-li-ssu through the engagement at Tieh-ling Kuropatkin's direction of the war reflected his belief that the Russian armies were of inferior strength. Whenever a serious threat appeared he retreated to the north to gain tine so that more reinforcement would be available to swell the size of his army. He believed that eventually this strategy would provide the preponderant force and eventual victory. But that proclivity to retreat, to be oriented to the defense rather than …

Forgotten Campaign: The Siege Of Suffolk, April 11 - May 4, 1863, Steven A. Cormier

History Theses & Dissertations

In April 1863, the Federal garrison at Suffolk, Virginia, commanded by Major General John J. Peck, was attacked by 20,000 Confederates under Lieutenant General James Longstreet. For 22 days, Longstreet's rebels kept Peck's Federals bottled up inside Suffolk while Confederate commissary troops emptied the surrounding countryside of precious food. and forage. Peck's 25,000 Federals, most of whom had seen little previous action, and the U. S. Navy gunboats sent to protect their river flank, managed to embarrass Longstreet's veterans and prevent the garrison from being captured. Nevertheless, the Siege of Suffolk was a Confederate success. Thousands of Yankee soldiers were …

The Evening Parade A History Of The Marine Corps' Most Famous Ceremony, John H. Admire

History Theses & Dissertations

Abstract unavailable.

The Evolution Of The Fleet Submarine In The United States Navy, Robert P. Kendall

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the evolution of the United States Navy fleet submarine from the T-class of 1916 through the Tench-class of 1943. The fleet submarine played a major role in the defeat of Japan in World War II by attacking enemy lines of communication and supply, vital to an island empire. The author reviews the trials and errors of submarine construction in the United States Navy. Each succeeding class of submarines is discussed in order to show the progress made, leading to the excellent weapon provided for submarine officers and men with which they destroyed Japanese merchantmen and warships. Japanese- …