Chapter Summaries

The German Navy's Carrier-based Aircraft Unit sank five American Capital Ships and crippled two more, leaving the American fleet in disarray. With the aircraft unable to launch again in worsening weather, the German Atlantic Fleet closed in to finish off the weakened Americans.

• The Battleship Colorado was struck by five torpedoes and sank, killing most of its crew, including General Henry Mayo's remaining command aboard the ship.
• The German Navy's Carrier-based Aircraft Unit sank the Battleship New Mexico and left the American fleet with five Capital Ships sunk and two heavily damaged.
• Admiral Holtzendorff canceled the planned third aircraft wave because the weather threatened the aircraft's safe recovery.
• After waking aboard a Light Cruiser, General Henry Mayo ordered the American fleet to withdraw, but Vice Admiral Henry Wilson warned that the German fleet had caught up.
• Vice Admiral Burdick ordered the German Atlantic Fleet to advance at full speed and attack the weakened American warships.

The German Atlantic Fleet overwhelmed the battered American fleet, sinking Battleship Idaho and forcing the remaining American ships to flee. General Henry Mayo ordered a retreat, and fewer than thirty percent of the American forces escaped back to the United States.

• Vice Admiral Burdick ordered the German fleet to target the Americans’ four intact Capital Ships while leaving the damaged Washington and Pennsylvania for later.
• General Henry Mayo told Lieutenant General Henry Wilson to order the remaining American Battleships to form a battle line.
• The German fleet outnumbered and outgunned the Americans, hitting Battleships Mississippi, Idaho, and West Virginia as the battle turned decisively against them.
• Battleship Idaho took six hits, caught fire, flooded, and sank after its crew abandoned it.
• The remaining American Battleships broke formation and fled, but the Germans caught up and encircled them.
• General Henry Mayo ordered the American fleet to retreat, and the German Atlantic Fleet and Home Fleet destroyed most of its remaining forces.

President Woodrow Wilson and his officials awaited news of General Henry Mayo’s naval battle with Germany, hoping for an American victory. They learned the fleet had been trapped by German carrier aircraft and devastated, leaving Wilson to accept that defeat had been unavoidable.

• Minister Daniels and other officials voiced confidence that the American fleet could defeat Germany’s navy.
• An officer reported that the United States had lost the battle.
• The officer explained that German carrier aircraft ambushed General Henry Mayo’s fleet, sinking half its capital ships and disabling the rest before the German Atlantic Fleet attacked.
• Minister Garrison blamed the defeat on Germany’s aircraft carriers, while Daniels offered to resign.
• President Woodrow Wilson refused Daniels’s resignation and said Germany’s overwhelming strength had made defeat inevitable.

After the United States lost its fleet to Germany, President Woodrow Wilson agreed to seek terms to rescue the Marines stranded on the Azores, calling the clash a misunderstanding. Britain’s leaders expected Germany to demand a heavy price, while German Emperor Oscar was determined to punish the Americans.

• Minister Daniels urged President Woodrow Wilson to increase funding for aircraft carriers after Germany’s carrier fleet defeated the American Navy.
• Minister Garrison warned that the more than forty thousand Marines on the Azores could not withstand German naval guns, and Bryan advised negotiating with Germany to withdraw them.
• Wilson ordered Bryan to tell Germany the conflict was a misunderstanding and to seek the safe withdrawal of the troops, accepting reasonable terms if necessary.
• Churchill and Sir Edward Grey discussed the American defeat and predicted that Germany would make the aftermath difficult.
• German Emperor Oscar remained dissatisfied with the American actions and resolved to punish the United States.

American Ambassador Davidson met German Foreign Minister Wachth to seek peace after the American Navy’s defeat and the seizure of the Azores. Wachth presented harsh terms, leaving Davidson to consult the US government while German military operations continued.

• Davidson arrived at the German Foreign Ministry as German officials celebrated their navy’s victory over the United States.
• Wachth told Davidson that Germany viewed the Azores seizure as a premeditated invasion, not a misunderstanding.
• Davidson offered to withdraw American troops from the Azores and compensate Germany to secure a peaceful settlement.
• Wachth demanded a public American apology and two billion Imperial Marks in compensation.
• Wachth told Davidson to consult his government, while Germany continued its military operations.

After Germany demanded an American apology and compensation, President Woodrow Wilson and his officials weighed the costs against the tens of thousands of US troops trapped in the Azores. Unable to afford the terms or persuade Germany to lower them, Wilson chose to leave the troops to decide whether to resist or surrender.

• Ambassador Davidson reported Germany’s demands to Washington after leaving the German Foreign Ministry.
• Secretary of State Bryan told President Woodrow Wilson that the demands were unacceptable, but the troops in the Azores made refusal dangerous.
• Garrison supported apologizing, while Daniels and McAdoo warned that the compensation would strain the government and threaten funding for the Navy.
• Wilson asked whether Germany could be persuaded to reduce its demands, and Bryan said negotiations were unlikely to succeed.
• Wilson ordered a Telegram telling the troops they were the pride of the Republic of America and leaving them to choose whether to hold their positions or surrender when Germany attacked.

After destroying the American fleet near the Azores, Germany prepared to eliminate the stranded American and British Marines on the islands. German naval bombardment shattered the defenders’ morale, and the German Marine Corps began landing operations on February 22.

• Vice Admiral Burdick and Vice Admiral Schmidt briefed Lieutenant General Alexander Linsingen on the American and British Marine deployments across the Azores.
• The German Atlantic Fleet and Home Fleet bombarded the islands while carrier aircraft attacked the Marines’ positions and defenses.
• American Marines lost confidence after learning their fleet had been destroyed, and an officer could not reassure them that negotiations would bring them home.
• The German Marine Corps 2nd Marine Division arrived in the Azores on February 22, beginning the assault alongside the 1st Marine Division.
• With naval gunfire support, the German divisions landed with minor casualties and began clearing the islands of American Marines.

German forces quickly overwhelmed the US Marines on São Miguel Island and swept through the Azores. After home ordered them to keep fighting, Major General Moore led a mutiny, arrested Major General Cameron, and ordered the division to surrender.

• German destroyers and carrier aircraft battered US Marine positions as German Marines landed, broke through the defenses, and secured a beachhead.
• The German Marine Corps' two divisions advanced through the Azores, while many US soldiers surrendered.
• Major General Moore urged Major General Cameron to surrender, but Cameron said he would seek permission from home to do so.
• US leaders rejected Cameron's request and ordered the troops to keep holding the Azores, promising help that Moore and the officers did not believe would come.
• Major General Moore secretly gathered officers and proposed a mutiny to save the troops from further losses.
• Two hours later, officers and soldiers arrested Major General Cameron, and Moore ordered the division to stop fighting and surrender to the Germans.

After Germany took the Azores and captured the remaining American and British forces, the United States faced domestic backlash and turned public opinion against Germany. On March 4, Qin Tian heard Admiral Reinhard Scheer’s plan to attack the American mainland and cripple its ports and shipyards, leaving the decision to launch the assault ahead.

• The remaining American Marines surrendered, and the British 7th Marine Brigade surrendered as German warships gathered near Pico Island, ending the Battle of the Azores in Germany’s favor.
• The United States suffered heavy military losses and faced public criticism, but its propaganda blamed Germany and fueled hostility toward Germans and German Americans.
• Qin Tian rejected the idea that retaking the Azores was enough and visited the Naval Ministry on March 4 to hear a plan for punishing the United States.
• Admiral Reinhard Scheer proposed combining the Home Fleet and Atlantic Fleet to attack American coastal cities, focusing on ports and shipyards, while the Carrier Fleet bombed coastal targets.
• Qin Tian saw an attack on American shipbuilding as a chance to extend German naval supremacy, though it could make reconciliation impossible and trigger war.

Oscar discussed the risks and preparations for attacking American cities, then confirmed his plan to cripple the United States’ East Coast shipbuilding capacity. The Imperial Navy accepted the mission to destroy more than half of that capacity while minimizing its own losses.

• Oscar warned Admiral Scheer that American warships and submarines could threaten the German fleet during attacks on U.S. cities.
• Admiral Scheer said the fleet would withdraw at night and use destroyers, light cruisers, and new Sonar to defend against torpedo and submarine attacks.
• Oscar noted that German Sonar was ready for combat and that Radar research was still underway.
• Chancellor Bülow asked whether attacks on the United States would trigger a full-scale war, and Oscar said Germany should strike while it held the advantage.
• Oscar ordered the Imperial Navy to destroy important East Coast shipbuilding bases and more than half of America's shipbuilding capacity at the smallest possible cost.
• The Imperial Navy's generals agreed to carry out Oscar's mission.

The German Combined Fleet planned attacks on the American East Coast, selecting major ports and shipbuilding centers while requesting approval to strike Washington. Oscar rejected the Washington attack, and Boston became the fleet’s first target as it approached the city on March 12.

• Admiral Hipper and the other commanders selected Boston and New York for attacks, while assigning Baltimore to the Carrier Fleet and ruling out Philadelphia.
• The commanders debated attacking Washington and agreed to seek approval from home before deciding.
• Admiral Hipper argued that Naval Base Norfolk had to be attacked, and the commanders agreed to include it in the plan.
• Oscar refused permission to attack Washington, so the fleet abandoned that target.
• The Combined Fleet approached Boston on March 12, with the Americans unaware of its arrival.

The German Navy Combined Fleet arrived off Boston and launched a devastating bombardment on the harbor and shipyards. Boston’s harbor was left in ruins, and the American warships under construction were destroyed.

• American dockworkers and sailors initially mistook the approaching fleet for their own, then realized it was German when they saw the Iron Cross flags.
• Admiral Hipper ordered the German fleet to prepare to fire as its capital ships aimed at Boston’s harbor.
• Admiral Hipper ordered the fleet to destroy Boston’s harbor and shipyards.
• The German Navy Combined Fleet’s bombardment reduced the harbor to ruins and destroyed American warships under construction.

President Wilson and his officials responded to news that the German fleet was shelling Boston Harbor. They concluded that declaring war could expose the United States to blockade and further attacks, leaving the country in no position to fight Germany.

• A duty officer woke President Wilson and reported that German ships were attacking Boston Harbor.
• President Wilson summoned senior military and political officials to an emergency meeting at the White House.
• Minister Daniels apologized for the Navy’s failure to detect the German fleet, but President Wilson set aside the question of blame.
• Secretary of War Garrison argued that the United States could still defend itself, while Secretary of State Bryan questioned why Germany had attacked.
• General Benson warned that war could bring a German naval blockade and attacks on coastal cities, and McAdoo urged the government not to fight.
• President Wilson agreed that the United States was too weak to go to war with Germany and risk further decline.

President Woodrow Wilson and senior US officials concluded that the United States could not risk an all-out war with Germany and would have to endure the attacks while seeking negotiations. Wilson publicly condemned Germany but did not declare war, leaving the country to swallow the humiliation and hope to grow strong enough to retaliate later.

• President Woodrow Wilson and his officials discussed whether Germany's attacks were retaliation or the start of an all-out war, and General Peyton March and General William Benson judged that Germany meant to weaken the United States rather than invade it.
• Secretary of the Navy Daniels reported that German forces had destroyed Boston's harbor and shipyards, including nearly all the warships under construction there.
• President Woodrow Wilson instructed Bryan to summon the German Ambassador, protest the attacks, and offer to accept Germany's previous ceasefire terms if Germany stopped attacking the United States.
• President Woodrow Wilson told officials to remember the humiliation and vowed that the United States would repay Germany's blood debt when it became stronger.
• President Woodrow Wilson delivered a speech condemning Germany's attack and demanding that it stop, but he did not mention declaring war.

After German naval attacks devastated Boston, New York, and Baltimore, Americans lost faith in President Wilson’s assurances and began fleeing the East Coast. The mass exodus threatened to cripple the country’s economy and create widespread social problems.

• President Wilson assured reporters and citizens that the US government would negotiate with Germany, but angry Americans condemned his response to the Boston bombardment.
• As panic spread along the East Coast, the US government tried to persuade residents to stay, while many people began fleeing inland.
• The German Navy attacked New York’s harbor and shipyards, deepening public fears that negotiations had failed.
• German carrier-based aircraft destroyed Baltimore’s harbor and shipyards, showing Americans that moving a short distance inland would not keep them safe.
• Vast numbers of Americans fled at least two hundred kilometers from the coast, leaving the US government worried about economic collapse and social unrest.

The German Navy Combined Fleet advanced toward Naval Base Norfolk, intending to bombard the base with its Capital Ships while carrier-based aircraft supported the attack. After an American seaplane spotted the fleet, Admiral Hipper ordered preparations for torpedo attacks as the Germans pressed on.

• Major General Pratt inspected Naval Base Norfolk's new anti-aircraft defenses, which had been reinforced after German attacks on other American cities.
• Admiral Hipper reviewed the plan to enter Chesapeake Bay and attack Norfolk, while General Fiers defended the risks and described their preparations.
• Admiral Hipper learned the fleet would reach Chesapeake Bay in two hours and that the Carrier Fleet was fifty nautical miles behind.
• An American Navy seaplane spotted the German Combined Fleet about forty nautical miles from Norfolk.
• Admiral Hipper ordered the fleet to prepare against American torpedoes and urged the anti-submarine destroyers not to fail.

The American Navy prepared to ambush the German fleet at Chesapeake Bay with destroyers, Light Cruisers, and submarines. Admiral Hipper sent anti-submarine forces ahead, and the battle began with a German destroyer sinking an American submarine.

• General Mayo told Daniels and the American commanders that forty destroyers, twenty Light Cruisers, and more than twenty submarines were ready to defend Norfolk and Chesapeake Bay.
• Daniels ordered the American forces to meet the German fleet, and Naval Base Norfolk went on combat alert.
• Admiral Hipper learned that American warships were waiting inside Chesapeake Bay and ordered five Light Cruisers to escort ten anti-submarine destroyers in a search for submarines.
• At ten in the morning, German destroyers used sonar to locate an American submarine outside the bay.
• A German destroyer dropped depth charges and sank the American submarine.

The German Navy destroyed nearly all American submarines outside Chesapeake Bay before Admiral Hipper led the fleet into the bay. American cruisers and destroyers then charged the German Capital Ships under heavy fire, and the battle continued with the American attackers suffering severe losses.

• German anti-submarine forces sank nearly all the American submarines outside Chesapeake Bay, reporting twenty-four confirmed results to Lieutenant General Richter Fiers.
• Admiral Hipper ordered the anti-submarine forces to stay alert and sent the German fleet into Chesapeake Bay, with destroyers and Light Cruisers leading.
• American Light Cruisers and destroyers charged the German Capital Ships to launch torpedoes, but German ships intercepted them while the Capital Ships fired their heavy guns.
• German shellfire destroyed an American destroyer's bow and set an American Light Cruiser's superstructure ablaze.
• An American destroyer captain ordered his crew to force-draft the boilers and charge a German Capital Ship, but dense German fire sank the vessel.

The German fleet routed the American forces in Chesapeake Bay and destroyed Naval Base Norfolk. Admiral Hipper then sailed the fleet out across the Atlantic after completing its mission.

• American destroyers and cruisers launched torpedoes from long range and fled as German defenses sank most of the attacking fleet.
• The battle ended in under an hour, with only five of twenty American light cruisers and fewer than ten of forty destroyers escaping, while the German fleet lost several destroyers.
• Admiral Hipper ordered the German fleet to attack Naval Base Norfolk and assigned smaller warships to guard against American ships and submarines.
• Sixteen German capital ships bombarded and destroyed the base’s coastal fortifications, while American personnel evacuated.
• After two hours of bombardment by naval guns and carrier-based aircraft, the German fleet left Chesapeake Bay and sailed across the Atlantic.

After the American Navy failed again to stop the German fleet in Chesapeake Bay, President Wilson ordered it to cease attacking and decided the United States must seek a diplomatic end to the conflict. The chapter left Wilson prepared to accept even severe German demands rather than suffer further losses.

• Minister Daniels reported that the failed Chesapeake Bay counterattack had cost the United States more than twenty submarines, over ten light cruisers, and more than thirty destroyers.
• President Wilson ordered the Navy to stop attacking the German fleet and said he wanted to preserve its surviving officers and sailors.
• General Benson warned that the United States must not challenge the German Navy again without thorough preparations.
• President Wilson summoned Secretary of State Bryan and concluded that Germany would not negotiate until it had destroyed East Coast shipbuilding capacity.
• Wilson told Bryan that the United States had to end the conflict, even if Germany's demands were high.