Publication:RAN Reading List March 2006/Maritime and Naval Warfare
Fleet Tactics and Coastal Combat
by Wayne P. Hughes, Jr. published by US Naval Institute, Annapolis, 2nd edn. 1999
There are only a few books on naval tactics and even fewer that are unclassified. Fleet Tactics examines the development and current state of naval tactics. This revision of the 1986 landmark study updates the technology. It is probably the best exposition of naval tactics available in unclassified literature. The basic thesis of the book is not new. Early last century Admiral Sir Jackie Fisher said that the aim in naval warfare was to 'hit first, hit hard and keep on hitting'. Hughes, with fewer colours but more precision, states that the essence of successful naval tactics is to 'attack effectively first': a phrase, which has much implicit meaning. Hughes examines naval tactics through theoretical modelling guided by an appreciation of history. He makes the point that although there are very few decisive battles, so favoured by standard histories, there are many indecisive battles which can be just as instructive in tactical terms. The only area in which this book suffers, mainly due to its age, is in its explicit consideration of information warfare; however, this should not stop the reader from attempting to integrate the potential of information warfare with the principles which Hughes propounds.
by Giuseppe Fioravanzo published by Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 1979 (translated from Italian edn. 1973)
An authoritative analysis of how naval tactics have evolved in the modern world, now partially superseded by Hughes' Fleet Tactics. Fioravanzo discusses fundamental changes in naval tactics from the simple tactics of ancient times, through the line tactics of the sailing era, and the two dimensional tactics characteristic of the battleship era, to the three dimensional tactics of the 'modern' naval aviation and submarine era. This book is an essential stepping stone for those who wish to participate in the development of the next era of naval tactics.
edited by David Wilson published by RAN Sea Power Centre, Canberra, 2001
This book publishes the papers from the Maritime War 21 conference that examined the key problems which medium and smaller navies face as they enter the 21st century. It discusses the future maritime warfighting environment and includes specific chapters on 'using the air from the sea', C4I, 'surface warfare and surface combatants', and 'undersea warfare'.
