Naval War College Museum announces new WWI exhibit

Naval War College Museum

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Thursday, December 14, 2017
10:00 a.m.
Naval War College Museum, 686 Cushing Road, Newport, RI 02841

Meghan Brown, Naval War College Museum

This event is free and open to the public.

NEWPORT, R.I. -- On Dec. 14, the U.S. Naval War College Museum will host a new exhibit titled, “To Win or Lose All: Williams S. Sims and the U.S. Navy in the First World War.” 

The exhibit occupies the museum’s gallery on the second floor and will explore the Navy's role in securing victory for the allies during World War I. 

Under Adm. Sims's leadership, American warships escorted convoys to France, laid mines in the North Sea, and hunted German submarines. On land, naval aviators flew scouting and bombing missions while Marines fought in the trenches east of Paris. 

While the sweeping naval campaigns of 1942-1945 may attract more scholarly attention, the foundation for their success was established 25 years earlier when the Navy operated for the first time as part of a coalition. Many officers who rose to prominence in World War II -- Ernest J. King, Chester W. Nimitz, and Harold R. Stark, to name a few -- gained valuable experience with combined operations during the first global conflict of the 20th century. 

“[I hope] that this exhibit will encourage visitors to understand Adm. Sims and the sailors who served under him as real people who worked under difficult circumstances to meet the enormous challenges of wartime service,” said Robert Doane, the exhibit curator. 

The exhibit is free and open to the public.

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