Room 40: German Naval Warfare 1914 - 1918 Volume II

EDITOR’S PREFACE
Volume II, The Fleet in Being, is the second volume of Room 40’s
Intelligence analysis of the German Fleet in World War I (National Archives,
Kew: HW 7/3, The Fleet in Being). It has been written in the years 1919 - 1920
by the staff of Room 40, namely Frank Birch and William F. Clarke. Details
about the creation of Room 40 as W/T deciphering unit of the British
Admiralty end of 1914 by Winston Churchill and Admiral Fisher and its further
development in World War I and after were already given in the Editor’s
Preface of Volume I.
Volume I, The Fleet in Action, treats the activity, the tactics, and the strategy
of the German Fleet in World War I. The here presented Volume II, The Fleet
in Being, describes the structure of the German Fleet, the formations and ships
of the then second largest Navy in the world.
Short descriptions are given for 125 battleships and cruisers, 600 destroyers,
torpedoboats, and minevessels, 1,200 auxiliaries, and 65 Zeppelins. For about
400 German submarines details are given about construction and training,
commanding officers, cruises, and fate.
Indexes
Volume II had no index - unlike Volume I. The editor therefore created 2
indexes for Volume II: one for ships and airships and another one for persons.
Feedback
Feedbacks to the editor please send to: mail@germannavalwarfare.info.
Original documents, maps, and photos can be viewed in full size and colour at :
http://germannavalwarfare.info.
Thanks
My grateful thanks to the National Archives in Kew, Great Britain, which
granted me generously the copyright to publish this source. The kindness of the
team there is overwhelming, and the organisation of the archives is perfect. It is
really great to work there.
Hans Joachim Koerver, May 2009
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