Innovating Victory: Naval Technology in Three Wars

by Vincent P. O'Hara, Leonard R. Heinz

"The authors set themselves a bold purpose, to examine six technologies (two weapons, two tools, and two platforms), chart their influence on naval warfare, and provide "new perspectives and insights" into how technological innovation develops and progresses. The authors recognize this is a 'vast subject, ' but they have done a very effective job at examining the six technologies and their use in war. I believe this is one of the great strengths of the book, the emphasis on actual use, because--as the authors correctly point out--theories about the potential of technology must regularly be revised once a new technology collides with the reality of its utility." --Trent Hone, author, Learning War: The Evolution of Fighting Doctrine in the U.S. Navy, 1898-1945 Innovating Victory: Naval Technology in Three Wars studies how the world's navies incorporated new technologies into their ships, their practices, and their doctrine. It does this by examining six core technologies fundamental to twentieth-century naval warfare including new platforms (submarines and aircraft), new weapons (torpedoes and mines), and new tools (radar and radio). Each chapter considers the state of a subject technology when it was first used in war and what navies expected of it. It then looks at the way navies discovered and developed the technology's best use, in many cases overcoming disappointed expectations. It considers how a new technology threatened its opponents, not to mention its users, and how those threats were managed. Innovating Victory shows that the use of technology is more than introducing and mastering a new weapon or system. Differences in national resources, force mixtures, priorities, perceptions, and missions forced nations to approach the problems presented by new technologies in different ways. Navies that specialized in specific technologies often held advantages over enemies in some areas but found themselves disadvantaged in others. Vincent P. O'Hara and Leonard Heinz present new perspectives and explore the process of technological introduction and innovation in a way that is relevant to today's navies, which face challenges and questions even greater than those of 1904, 1914, and 1939.

Genres: Military History, Military Fiction, History

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2022

About the author

Vincent P. O'Hara is a noted naval historian and the author, co-author, or editor of eight books and many articles that have appeared in publications like Naval War College Review, Warship, Seaforth Naval Review, and Military History Quarterly. O'Hara was a winner of the Shrout Short Contest awarded by the University of California, Berkeley. Ossa is his first published work of fiction.

Reviews

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book, providing historical case studies on the process and effects of naval technical innovations. The authors, naval historians Leonard Heinz and Vincent P. O’Hara, analyze various major innovations in naval warfare in an attempt to provide a framework for better understanding the necessary policies towards future naval development. They categorize their six case studies across three uses: weapons (mines and torpedoes), tools (radio and radar), and platforms (submarines and aircraft). The historical analysis is very structured, with each technology analyzed across three phases, its discovery, exploration, and exploitation. Not only are the technical hurdles and doctrinal changes discussed, but so are the operational challenges and the adversary’s response or adoption. O’Hara and Heinz provide a very even analysis, emphasizing that technical advancement, in and of itself, is not enough to implement innovation. They show that successful innovations also required a corresponding change in the navy’s operating doctrine. A good book for appreciating a broader theory of naval innovation than just technical progress. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to better understand the implementation of historic naval innovations.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rated for the type of book it is, which is an intellectual and historical exploration of warfare and technology. The authors do a wonderful job of breaking down technical concepts to digestible passages that focus where it matters - how that technology influenced combat and its evolution through service. The book provides a human element to the application of technology against war-fighting requirements.

Those looking for deep technical discussions should steer elsewhere, as this book doesn’t scratch that itch, but that’s why it shines in my opinion.