The Impact Of Mine Warfare Upon US Naval Operations During The Civil War

Download The Impact Of Mine Warfare Upon US Naval Operations During The Civil War PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Pickle Partners Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1782899421
Total Pages : 121 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (828 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Impact Of Mine Warfare Upon US Naval Operations During The Civil War by : LCDR Edwin D. Lindgren USN

Download or read book The Impact Of Mine Warfare Upon US Naval Operations During The Civil War written by LCDR Edwin D. Lindgren USN and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2015-11-06 with total page 121 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study investigates the impact of Confederate naval mine warfare against the operations of the U.S. Navy during the Civil War. Mine warfare was a cost effective method for the Confederacy to defend its long coastline and inland waterways. A wide variety of fixed, moored, and drifting mines were deployed and used with effect at locations along the Atlantic coast, the Gulf coast, and along rivers, including those in the Mississippi basin. Despite loss and damage to thirty five Union naval vessels, mine use had virtually no strategic impact upon the course of the war. At the operational level, effects were apparent. Federal naval operations at Charleston and on the Roanoke River were frustrated, in large part because of the mine threat. The impact of mines was great at the tactical level. These cost effective weapons caused delays in Union operations, resulted in involved countermine operations, and caused fear and apprehension in crews. The lessons from the mine warfare experience of the Civil War are still applicable in today’s warfare environment. Naval mines are a preferred weapon of minor naval powers and the U.S. Navy will be required to deal with this threat when operating along the World’s coastal regions.

The Impact of Mine Warfare Upon U.S. Naval Operations During the Civil War

Download The Impact of Mine Warfare Upon U.S. Naval Operations During the Civil War PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 109 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (329 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Impact of Mine Warfare Upon U.S. Naval Operations During the Civil War by : Edwin D. Lindgren

Download or read book The Impact of Mine Warfare Upon U.S. Naval Operations During the Civil War written by Edwin D. Lindgren and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 109 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Naval Mine Warfare

Download Naval Mine Warfare PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309170559
Total Pages : 218 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Naval Mine Warfare by : National Research Council

Download or read book Naval Mine Warfare written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2001-09-19 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sea mines have been important in naval warfare throughout history and continue to be so today. They have caused major damage to naval forces, slowed or stopped naval actions and commercial shipping, and forced the alteration of strategic and tactical plans. The threat posed by sea mines continues, and is increasing, in today's world of inexpensive advanced electronics, nanotechnology, and multiple potential enemies, some of which are difficult to identify. This report assesses the Department of the Navy's capabilities for conducting naval mining and countermining sea operations.

Oceanography and Mine Warfare

Download Oceanography and Mine Warfare PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309172225
Total Pages : 112 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Oceanography and Mine Warfare by : National Research Council

Download or read book Oceanography and Mine Warfare written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2000-03-07 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Environmental information is important for successful planning and execution of naval operations. A thorough understanding of environmental variability greatly increases the likelihood of mission success. To ensure that naval forces have the most up-to-date capabilities, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) has an extensive environmental research program. This research, to be of greatest use to the warfighter, needs to be directed towards assisting and solving battlefield problems. To increase research community understanding of the operational demands placed on naval operators and to facilitate discussion between these two groups, the National Research Council's (NRC) Ocean Studies Board (OSB), working with ONR and the Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy, convened five previous symposia on tactical oceanography. Oceanography and Mine Warfare examines the following issues: (1) how environmental data are used in current mine warfare doctrine, (2) current procedures for in situ collection of data, (3) the present capabilities of the Navy's oceanographic community to provide supporting information for mine warfare operations, and (4) the ability of oceanographic research and technology developments to enhance current mine warfare capabilities. This report primarily concentrates on the importance of oceanographic data for mine countermeasures.

America's Use of Sea Mines

Download America's Use of Sea Mines PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 194 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (31 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis America's Use of Sea Mines by : Robert Caruthers Duncan

Download or read book America's Use of Sea Mines written by Robert Caruthers Duncan and published by . This book was released on 1962 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume is devoted to the history and use by the United States of one of the Navy's least spectacular and most effective weapons. The effectiveness of the submarine mine has not decreased with the coming of the space age. So long as cargo ships cross the sea, this unspectacular weapon will remain a major factor in control of the approaches to harbors, and the shallow straits between seas. Robert Duncan has devoted most of his adult life to the generation and augmentation of competence in the application of growing science to the design, production, and use of mines for the U.S. Navy. He joined the staff of the Naval Ordnance Laboratory before it was known by that name, but in time to capitalize on the experience of the Navy with mines in World War I. He provided the technical leadership which was an important factor in keeping the art and science of mining alive in the Navy in the days of the depression. By so doing, he provided a basis for a hundredfold expansion of the Navy's effort previous to and during World War II. The hundreds of technical people who had the privilege of joining in this effort under Dr. Duncan's leadership will be happy to see this accurate and factual record of achievement. The experience recorded between these covers will serve as a guide to those still engaged in the development of this type of weapon, and the achievements made during World War II will be an inspiration to any who might be responsible for again expanding our national effort in mining, should the occasion arise. (Author).

A Short History of the Civil War at Sea

Download A Short History of the Civil War at Sea PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 9780842028684
Total Pages : 216 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (286 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis A Short History of the Civil War at Sea by : Spencer Tucker

Download or read book A Short History of the Civil War at Sea written by Spencer Tucker and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2002 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In A Short History of the Civil War at Sea, Spencer C. Tucker, eminent naval and military historian, provides a concise and lively overview of the blue water Civil War, or fighting on the seas and attacks directed from the sea. This volume covers the drama of significant naval battles, like the first clash of ironclads at Hampton Roads, the Union capture of New Orleans, fierce action in the Charleston Harbor, and the Battle of Mobile Bay. A Short History of the Civil War at Sea also discusses important themes, like the technological revolution in naval warfare; the Confederate use of torpedoes, submarines, and commerce raiders; and the Union's successful strategy of blockade. The struggle at sea might not have been as bloody as the fighting on land, but it was every bit as interesting and included a colorful cast of characters, like David G. Farragut, the North's highest ranking and most accomplished naval officer, and Confederate naval officer, commerce raider, and Rebel Seadog Raphael Semmes. And the advances of naval technology during the Civil War are fascinating - from the use of new Dahlgren guns to the design and redesign of the ironclads to the extensive use of mines an

Damn the Torpedoes

Download Damn the Torpedoes PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781520769905
Total Pages : 160 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (699 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Damn the Torpedoes by : Department of Defense

Download or read book Damn the Torpedoes written by Department of Defense and published by . This book was released on 2017-03-06 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is an authoritative and thorough history of U.S. Navy mine countermeasures. Mine warfare is by definition the strategic and tactical use of sea mines and their countermeasures, including all offensive and defensive mining and protection against mines. Mining and mine countermeasures (MCM) are, however, two distinctly different operations. The primary focus of modern mining operations is to effect sea control, with secondary missions that neutralize or destroy enemy ships by interdicting enemy sea lines of communication, submarine operating areas, and home ports. Offensively, mines attack enemy ships in transit or bottle them up in their own waters; defensively, mines guard national and international waters against enemy intrusion. Topics and subjects included in this excellent report: mine countermeasures, MINEWARFOR, paravanes, Avenger class, David Farragut, Civil War, Influence Mines, minecraft, Wonsan, AMCM, MCM, degaussing, deperming, minehunting, minesweeping, Cardinal class, David Bushnell, Robert Fulton, Crimean war, Spanish-American War, George Dewey, Manila Bay, Russo-Japanese War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, MacArthur, MINEPAC, MINELANT, Vietnam War, Admiral Zumwalt, Terrorism, Iran, Gulf War, Iraq War. 1. A Matter of Efficacy: Countering Contact Mines, 1777-1919 * 2. A New Menace: The Operational Use of Influence Mines, 1919-1945 * 3. The Wonsan Generation: Lessons Relearned, 1945-1965 * 4. New Lessons Learned: The Impact of Low-Intensity Mine Warfare, 1965-1991 Rear Admiral David Glasgow Farragut's dramatic entrance through the mine line into Mobile Bay in 1864 has become an enduring legend of naval history and an important lesson used in the training of naval officers. The incident is also an object lesson in the history of the Navy's attitude toward the subject of mine countermeasures. The image of Farragut created by the popular press, that of a daring man who risked an unknown mine threat to defeat the enemy and become the most honored officer in the Navy, influenced generations of naval officers. In terms of both Farragut and the mine threat, however, the Navy has remembered the wrong lessons. What actually happened is a lot more interesting than the legend. Between Mobile's Forts Morgan and Gaines, Confederates had narrowed the deep-water channel approach to the bay with underwater pilings and three staggered rows of approximately 180 moored mines about seventy-five feet apart, leaving a clear passage only under the guns of Fort Morgan. More than two-thirds of these mines were cone-shaped tin Fretwell-Singer mines. These mines, planted in May 1864 by Confederate Army torpedo expert Lieutenant Colonel Viktor von Scheliha, were fired by direct contact between a ship and the mine's cap and trigger device. A few other mines, mainly Brigadier General Gabriel J. Rains's keg-type wooden ones with ultrasensitive primers, had been planted since February. On the bay's floor lay several huge electrically-fired powder tanks that were controlled from shore. Farragut observed Confederate Admiral Franklin Buchanan's men remining the bay daily, noting that "we can see them distinctly when at work."

The Civil War at Sea

Download The Civil War at Sea PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN 13 : 0199931682
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (999 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Civil War at Sea by : Craig L. Symonds

Download or read book The Civil War at Sea written by Craig L. Symonds and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2012 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Continuing in the vein of the Lincoln-prize winning Lincoln and His Admirals, acclaimed naval historian Craig L. Symonds presents an operational history of the Civil War navies - both Union and Confederate - in this concise volume. Illuminating how various aspects of the naval engagement influenced the trajectory of the war as a whole, The Civil War at Sea adds to our understanding of America's great national conflict. Both the North and the South developed and deployed hundreds of warships between 1861 and 1865. Because the Civil War coincided with a revolution in naval techonology, the development and character of warfare at sea from 1861-1865 was dramatic and unprecedented. Rather than a simple chronology of the war at sea, Symonds addresses the story of the naval war topically, from the dramatic transformation wrought by changes in technology to the establishment, management, and impact of blockade. He also offers critical assessments of principal figures in the naval war, from the opposing secretaries of the navy to leading operational commanders such as David Glasgow Farragut and Raphael Semmes. Symonds brings his expertise and knowledge of military and technological history to bear in this essential exploration of American naval engagement throughout the Civil War.

War on the Waters

Download War on the Waters PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : UNC Press Books
ISBN 13 : 0807837326
Total Pages : 288 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (78 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis War on the Waters by : James M. McPherson

Download or read book War on the Waters written by James M. McPherson and published by UNC Press Books. This book was released on 2012-09-17 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although previously undervalued for their strategic impact because they represented only a small percentage of total forces, the Union and Confederate navies were crucial to the outcome of the Civil War. In War on the Waters, James M. McPherson has crafted an enlightening, at times harrowing, and ultimately thrilling account of the war's naval campaigns and their military leaders. McPherson recounts how the Union navy's blockade of the Confederate coast, leaky as a sieve in the war's early months, became increasingly effective as it choked off vital imports and exports. Meanwhile, the Confederate navy, dwarfed by its giant adversary, demonstrated daring and military innovation. Commerce raiders sank Union ships and drove the American merchant marine from the high seas. Southern ironclads sent several Union warships to the bottom, naval mines sank many more, and the Confederates deployed the world's first submarine to sink an enemy vessel. But in the end, it was the Union navy that won some of the war's most important strategic victories--as an essential partner to the army on the ground at Fort Donelson, Vicksburg, Port Hudson, Mobile Bay, and Fort Fisher, and all by itself at Port Royal, Fort Henry, New Orleans, and Memphis.

Proceedings of the Technology and the Mine Problem Symposium

Download Proceedings of the Technology and the Mine Problem Symposium PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 978 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (318 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Proceedings of the Technology and the Mine Problem Symposium by : Albert M. Bottoms

Download or read book Proceedings of the Technology and the Mine Problem Symposium written by Albert M. Bottoms and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 978 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

History of United States Naval Operations

Download History of United States Naval Operations PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : University Press of the Pacific
ISBN 13 : 9780898756753
Total Pages : 520 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (567 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis History of United States Naval Operations by : James A. Field, Jr.

Download or read book History of United States Naval Operations written by James A. Field, Jr. and published by University Press of the Pacific. This book was released on 2001-12-01 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Americans think of the Korean War as death and hardship in the bitter hills of Korea. It was certainly this, and for those who fought this is what they generally saw. Yet every foot of the struggles forward, every step of the retreats, the overwhelming victories, the withdrawals and last ditch stands had their seagoing support and overtones. The spectacular ones depended wholly on amphibious power -- the capability of the twentieth century scientific Navy to overwhelm land-bound forces at the point of contact. Yet the all pervading influence of the sea was present even when no major landing or retirement or reinforcement highlighted its effect. When navies clash in gigantic battle or hurl troops ashore under irresistible concentration of ship-borne guns and planes, nations understand that sea power is working. It is not so easy to understand that this tremendous force may effect its will silently, steadily, irresistibly even though no battles occur. No clearer example exists of this truth in wars dark record than in Korea. Communist-controlled North Korea had slight power at sea except for Soviet mines. So beyond this strong underwater phase the United States Navy and allies had little opposition on the water. It is, therefore, easy to fail to recognize the decisive role navies played in this war fought without large naval battles.

The Navy in the Civil War

Download The Navy in the Civil War PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1108026222
Total Pages : 300 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (8 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Navy in the Civil War by : Alfred Thayer Mahan

Download or read book The Navy in the Civil War written by Alfred Thayer Mahan and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2011-02-03 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A study of the role of the navy in the American Civil War, by an influential naval historian and strategist.

Civil War Ironclads

Download Civil War Ironclads PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : JHU Press
ISBN 13 : 9780801887512
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (875 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Civil War Ironclads by : William H. Roberts

Download or read book Civil War Ironclads written by William H. Roberts and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2007-08-30 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Honorable Mention, Science and Technology category, John Lyman Book Awards, North American Society for Oceanic History Civil War Ironclads supplies the first comprehensive study of one of the most ambitious programs in the history of naval shipbuilding. In constructing its new fleet of ironclads, William H. Roberts explains, the U.S. Navy faced the enormous engineering challenges of a largely experimental technology. In addition, it had to manage a ship acquisition program of unprecedented size and complexity. To meet these challenges, the Navy established a "project office" that was virtually independent of the existing administrative system. The office spearheaded efforts to broaden the naval industrial base and develop a marine fleet of ironclads by granting shipbuilding contracts to inland firms. Under the intense pressure of a wartime economy, it learned to support its high-technology vessels while incorporating the lessons of combat. But neither the broadened industrial base nor the advanced management system survived the return of peace. Cost overruns, delays, and technical blunders discredited the embryonic project office, while capital starvation and never-ending design changes crippled or ruined almost every major builder of ironclads. When Navy contracts evaporated, so did the shipyards. Contrary to widespread belief, Roberts concludes, the ironclad program set Navy shipbuilding back a generation.

The Spanish Civil War at Sea

Download The Spanish Civil War at Sea PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Pen and Sword Maritime
ISBN 13 : 1526764377
Total Pages : 350 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (267 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Spanish Civil War at Sea by : Michael Alpert

Download or read book The Spanish Civil War at Sea written by Michael Alpert and published by Pen and Sword Maritime. This book was released on 2021-09-15 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939 underlined the importance of the sea as the supply route to both General Franco's insurgents and the Spanish Republic. There were attempted blockades by Franco as well as attacks by his Italian and German allies against legitimate neutral, largely British, merchant shipping bound for Spanish Republican ports and challenges to the Royal Navy, which was obliged to maintain a heavy presence in the area. The conflict provoked splits in British public opinion. Events at sea both created and reflected the international tensions of the latter 1930s, when the policy of appeasement of Germany and Italy dissuaded Britain from taking action against those countries’ activities in Spain, except to participate in a largely ineffective naval patrol to try to prevent the supply of war material to both sides. The book is based on original documentary sources in both Britain and Spain and is intended for the general reader as well as students and academics interested in the history of the 1930s, in naval matters and in the Spanish Civil War.

Naval Strategy During The American Civil War

Download Naval Strategy During The American Civil War PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Pickle Partners Publishing
ISBN 13 : 178625381X
Total Pages : 72 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (862 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Naval Strategy During The American Civil War by : Col. David J. Murphy USAF

Download or read book Naval Strategy During The American Civil War written by Col. David J. Murphy USAF and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2015-11-06 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The objective of the research project is to examine how the Union and Confederate naval strategies and new naval technologies affected the conduct of the American Civil War. With regard to the Union Navy’s strategy, the effectiveness of the blockade, Western River Campaign, and amphibious operations were examined. Discussions on the Union blockade also touch on the effectiveness on Confederate blockade runners. The Confederate strategies of using privateers and commerce raiders are examined. Confederate coastal and river defenses are examined within the context of new technology, specifically with respect to ironclad ships and the use of mines, torpedoes, and submarines. The paper shows how naval strategy did play a major role in the outcome of the Civil War. Although it cannot be said that naval strategies were singularly decisive, they certainly were vitally important and often overlooked in history books.

Mine Warfare History and Technology

Download Mine Warfare History and Technology PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781521390795
Total Pages : 91 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (97 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Mine Warfare History and Technology by : U. S. Military

Download or read book Mine Warfare History and Technology written by U. S. Military and published by . This book was released on 2017-05-28 with total page 91 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique book provides a comprehensive survey of the history of mine warfare from the earliest designs through World War I, II, and the Vietnam War, and modern technologies. The study of mine warfare is a relatively unknown subject outside the mine community. It has an interesting history and technology which tend to reinforce each other as time goes on and from which one can clearly see in hindsight how technology, and a very simple technology at that, has influenced tactics. All the U. S. mine development and technology for the last half century have been centered in the Naval Ordnance Laboratory at White Oak, Maryland, which has consistently devoted up to 20 percent of its effort to projects oriented toward mine warfare. There are a few publications on mine warfare in the open literature which have been consulted and in some cases heavily drawn upon in the preparation of this paper. These are listed in the bibliography in chronological order. INTRODUCTION * Importance of Mine Warfare * Deterrence and War * History of Mine Warfare Not Widely Known * Comment on Admiral Mahan's Views * Accomplishments of U.S. and Allied Mine Warfare in World I and World War II * EARLY MINES * What is a Mine? * Bushnell's Kegs, 1777 * Fulton's Ideas and Experiments, 1797 to 1815 * Colt's New Electric Hot Wire Initiator and The Moored Control Mine, 1842 to 1844 * The Civil War * Mobile Bay and Admiral Farragut, 1864 * The Hague Convention and The Ethical Use of Mines, 1907 * The Evolution of Explosives * Foreign Improvements In Mine Technology Up To World War I * THE EARLY 20TH-CENTURY MINE * The Mine Evolves Toward World War I * Russo-Japanese War, 1904 * Mining The Dardanelles, 1915 * The Dover Straits * The North Sea Barrage * Tactics and Technology * The K-Device * Logistics * Estimation of Minefields Threat * Sweeping Problems * Mines' Effect in WWI * MINES COME OF AGE * The Birth of the Naval Ordnance Laboratory and Its Early Struggles * The Magnetic Influence Ground Mine * The Birth of the Naval Ordnance Laboratory and Its Early Struggles * The Magnetic Influence Ground Mine * Degaussing, Leads To Induction Mines * The Total Field Mechanism * Mine Sweeping, "Cognizance," and Policy * United States Mine Development * Role of U. S. Submarine-Laid Mines in the Early Pacific War * The Plan For Long-Range Aerial Mining of Japan * Results of Operation Starvation * Summary of Mine Effectiveness in Two World Wars * Post WWII Errors - The Korean Surprise * The Mining of Haiphong Harbor Stops * New Mine Technology * Now What? * FOOTNOTES

The Development of Mine Warfare

Download The Development of Mine Warfare PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 : 0313027498
Total Pages : 277 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (13 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Development of Mine Warfare by : Norman E. Youngblood

Download or read book The Development of Mine Warfare written by Norman E. Youngblood and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2006-06-30 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1997, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) coordinated the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction. As of mid-2005, 145 states had signed the agreement. The ICBL's efforts were in large part a response to the careless use of landmines in the previous fifty years. The history of mine use in warfare, however, goes back much further than the World Wars of the 20th century and includes both land and sea use. This first comprehensive study traces the technical, tactical, and ethical developments of mine warfare, from ancient times to the present. Beginning with mine warfare's roots in ancient Assyria and China, Youngblood takes the reader through the centuries of debate about how these hidden weapons should be used. A look at 19th-century developments explores the intertwined development of land and sea mines and the inventors behind them, including Robert Fulton, Samuel Colt, and Immanuel Nobel, father of Alfred Nobel. Subsequent chapters examine the use of mines in the American Civil War, the Russo-Japanese War, both World Wars, and the battlefields of the Cold War, and chart key battles and technical innovations, such as the development of air-delivered munitions. Finally, the author addresses the ethical concerns raised by the careless mining, namely the impact on civilians and the difficulties of de-mining, and the treaties that regulate landmine use.