Telling the story of how the Royal Navy, the largest in the world in 1914, adapted to the demands of war, this book chronicles the leaders and the events from 1914 to 1918. It describes how many ships that could no longer fight were thrown out, created the world's most modern battleship, and recognized the importance of submarines and aviation. From how the initiative allowed to warship commanders had been lost in a service more concerned with fleet maneuvers and evolutions to the climactic Battle of Jutland, the largest naval battle of World War I, this history also documents how the Royal Navy was given responsibility for the air defense of the United Kingdom.