Forging the U.S. Navy’s Cold War Alliances

Even in times of “peace” great power navies are always deployed, yet their operations rarely get much notice from historians. This matter is addressed by Prof. Williamson (Air War College) in this look at the activities of the U.S. Navy from the end of the Second World War through the Korean War. He begins with a look at the remarkably close relationship the U.S.N, and the Commonwealth and other navies forged during W. W. II, because – unlike the experience of the previous war – these were preserved and extended during the postwar period, through the early years of the Cold War.

Williamson then looks at how the several navies cooperated in planning, building ties among senior personnel, and in working together to standardize equipment, training, organization, and procedures, while they engaged in numerous combined exercises testing and strengthening interoperability. While primarily intended to cope with a potential Soviet threat, these ties paid off handsomely in the Korean War, when during the initial phases of the conflict Anglo-American naval air power was decisive in securing air superiority and impeding the initial North Korean offensive, after which the allied navies helped support and maintain U.N. forces through the conflict.

A volume in the Kansas series “Modern War Studies”, The U.S. Navy and Its Cold War Alliances is an excellent book for anyone interested in how navies prepare for war and also those interested in how “engagement” works.

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Note: The U.S. Navy and Its Cold War Alliances is also available in several e-editions.

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