Appendix E: the Navies of the Second World War

Following the first world war one of the primary steps taken to prevent another devastating conflict was to implement arms controls. Just as armies were limited in numbers, navies were limited in vessels and tonnage. The first agreement outlining this was the First International Naval Conference held in Washington, DC beginning November 12 1921. The major signatories to the agreement included the United States, Great Britain, France, Japan, and Italy. The negotiations took more than three months but eventually all agreed to place a moratorium on construction of new battleships to last ten years.

All images and illustrations from “Ships; a History with over 1000 Illustrations”, Enzo Angelucci, Published by Arnoldo Mondadore Editore 1975, Original title “Le navi”, Translated by publisher