"The Squadron Under Your Command:" Change and the Construction of Identity in the U.S. Navy's North Atlantic Squadron, 1874-1897
Abstract Title of Dissertation: "THE SQUADRON UNDER YOUR COMMAND": CHANGE AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF IDENTITY IN THE U.S. NAVY'S NORTH ATLANTIC SQUADRON, 1874-1897 James C. Rentfrow Dissertation Directed by: Professor Jon T. Sumida Department of History This dissertation examines the tra...
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ftunivmaryland:oai:drum.lib.umd.edu:1903/12855 2023-05-15T17:27:53+02:00 "The Squadron Under Your Command:" Change and the Construction of Identity in the U.S. Navy's North Atlantic Squadron, 1874-1897 Rentfrow, James Christopher Sumida, Jon T. Digital Repository at the University of Maryland University of Maryland (College Park, Md.) History 2012 application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/1903/12855 unknown http://hdl.handle.net/1903/12855 History Military history 19th Century Exercises Organizational Change Tactics U.S. Navy Warships Dissertation 2012 ftunivmaryland 2022-11-11T11:14:53Z Abstract Title of Dissertation: "THE SQUADRON UNDER YOUR COMMAND": CHANGE AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF IDENTITY IN THE U.S. NAVY'S NORTH ATLANTIC SQUADRON, 1874-1897 James C. Rentfrow Dissertation Directed by: Professor Jon T. Sumida Department of History This dissertation examines the transformation of the United States Navy as a fighting organization that took place on the North Atlantic Station between 1874 and 1897. At the beginning of this period, the warships assigned to this station were collectively administered by a rear-admiral, but were operationally deployed as individual units, each of whose actions were directed by their captains. By 1897 the North Atlantic, or "Home" Squadron as it was known, was a group of warships constituting a protean battle fleet - that is, an organized body moving and fighting in close-order, which meant that the actions of the captains were directed by a commanding admiral. The development of an American battle fleet resulted in the construction of a new organizational identity for the North Atlantic Squadron. This process was as critical as the eventual outcome. It was not linear, but one in which progress in critical areas was modulated by conflicting demands that caused distraction. From 1874-1888, exercises in fleet tactics under steam were carried out sporadically utilizing existing wooden cruising vessels. From 1889-1894, the last wooden cruisers were decommissioned and the Squadron consisted entirely of new steel warships. Ad-hoc concentrations of vessels for purposes besides exercise and training retarded the continued development of doctrine and tactics necessary for a multi-ship fighting capability during this time. However, much work was done to develop a concept of multi-ship operations. From 1895-1897, the identity of the North Atlantic Squadron as a combat unit solidified. Tactical exercises were held that had specific offensive and defensive wartime applications. These exercises were necessary to develop a combat capability. The results of this study demonstrate ... Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis North Atlantic University of Maryland: Digital Repository (DRUM) |
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University of Maryland: Digital Repository (DRUM) |
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ftunivmaryland |
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History Military history 19th Century Exercises Organizational Change Tactics U.S. Navy Warships |
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History Military history 19th Century Exercises Organizational Change Tactics U.S. Navy Warships Rentfrow, James Christopher "The Squadron Under Your Command:" Change and the Construction of Identity in the U.S. Navy's North Atlantic Squadron, 1874-1897 |
topic_facet |
History Military history 19th Century Exercises Organizational Change Tactics U.S. Navy Warships |
description |
Abstract Title of Dissertation: "THE SQUADRON UNDER YOUR COMMAND": CHANGE AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF IDENTITY IN THE U.S. NAVY'S NORTH ATLANTIC SQUADRON, 1874-1897 James C. Rentfrow Dissertation Directed by: Professor Jon T. Sumida Department of History This dissertation examines the transformation of the United States Navy as a fighting organization that took place on the North Atlantic Station between 1874 and 1897. At the beginning of this period, the warships assigned to this station were collectively administered by a rear-admiral, but were operationally deployed as individual units, each of whose actions were directed by their captains. By 1897 the North Atlantic, or "Home" Squadron as it was known, was a group of warships constituting a protean battle fleet - that is, an organized body moving and fighting in close-order, which meant that the actions of the captains were directed by a commanding admiral. The development of an American battle fleet resulted in the construction of a new organizational identity for the North Atlantic Squadron. This process was as critical as the eventual outcome. It was not linear, but one in which progress in critical areas was modulated by conflicting demands that caused distraction. From 1874-1888, exercises in fleet tactics under steam were carried out sporadically utilizing existing wooden cruising vessels. From 1889-1894, the last wooden cruisers were decommissioned and the Squadron consisted entirely of new steel warships. Ad-hoc concentrations of vessels for purposes besides exercise and training retarded the continued development of doctrine and tactics necessary for a multi-ship fighting capability during this time. However, much work was done to develop a concept of multi-ship operations. From 1895-1897, the identity of the North Atlantic Squadron as a combat unit solidified. Tactical exercises were held that had specific offensive and defensive wartime applications. These exercises were necessary to develop a combat capability. The results of this study demonstrate ... |
author2 |
Sumida, Jon T. Digital Repository at the University of Maryland University of Maryland (College Park, Md.) History |
format |
Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis |
author |
Rentfrow, James Christopher |
author_facet |
Rentfrow, James Christopher |
author_sort |
Rentfrow, James Christopher |
title |
"The Squadron Under Your Command:" Change and the Construction of Identity in the U.S. Navy's North Atlantic Squadron, 1874-1897 |
title_short |
"The Squadron Under Your Command:" Change and the Construction of Identity in the U.S. Navy's North Atlantic Squadron, 1874-1897 |
title_full |
"The Squadron Under Your Command:" Change and the Construction of Identity in the U.S. Navy's North Atlantic Squadron, 1874-1897 |
title_fullStr |
"The Squadron Under Your Command:" Change and the Construction of Identity in the U.S. Navy's North Atlantic Squadron, 1874-1897 |
title_full_unstemmed |
"The Squadron Under Your Command:" Change and the Construction of Identity in the U.S. Navy's North Atlantic Squadron, 1874-1897 |
title_sort |
"the squadron under your command:" change and the construction of identity in the u.s. navy's north atlantic squadron, 1874-1897 |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/1903/12855 |
genre |
North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic |
op_relation |
http://hdl.handle.net/1903/12855 |
_version_ |
1766120231054344192 |