Bayly’s War – The Battle for the Western Approaches in WW1
Author: Steve R Dunn

In his introduction, the author states that the book is neither a “day to day history” nor is it a biography of Vice Admiral Bayly. The book has 3 distinct parts covering the Queenstown based Command, the joint RN and USN anti-submarine operations and Bayly’s legacy. In 1915, the Admiralty was becoming increasingly concerned at losses to U-boats. Bayly was sent to Queenstown to take command of the Western Approaches. With new build sloops replacing old trawlers and yachts and by adopting Q-ships tactics, the fightback started. Although Q ship operations were successful - not until 1917 was a U-boat sunk by a regular warship - merchant ship losses continued to rise through 1916. Meanwhile Bayly had to deal with simmering Irish discontent leading to the Easter uprising in which his ships played a vital role in stopping the landing of German arms and providing gunfire support and logistics. 1917 saw a major strategic shift with Germany declaring unrestricted submarine warfare in February and America entering the war in April. The Americans rapidly appreciated the seriousness of the U-boat war and USN destroyers arrived in May to serve under Bayly’s command; they also argued successfully for escorted convoys. The mix of ocean convoys and Bayly’s aggressive patrolling of the inshore waters worked well. At the end of the war Bayly had some 8000 USN personnel under his command, literally hundreds of RN ships, seaplanes and airships – and he had to deal with a hostile local population.
The success of the Western Approaches Command is an extraordinary record for a man who was Naval Attache in Washington before the war. He described the job as a “very unpleasant position” and he was recalled at the request of the US Secretary of State. Yet he led an operationally cohesive RN/USN Command, and the Americans “appreciated him more than his masters”. Bayly’s Command played a vital role is keeping the Atlantic sea routes open, and showed that a joint Command could prove decisive. The author is to be congratulated on his book which recounts the wartime success of a man who arguably deserves greater recognition. Highly recommended.