This page will link you  to  various historical background topics such as fleets, ship types, campaigns and battles, ship technology, naval strategy, politics etc. There are several very fine sites that provide excellent information on the background to the Dreadnought era.

For an encyclopaedic look at the maritime war circa 1914-18 this site is hard to beat.

The high alter for understanding the technology of the era can be be found at Tony Lovell's site here.

Another excellent project , this time for WW1 Uboats, which promises to be a grognards dream  can be found here.  Forum is here

The "spotter's guides " to  warships of WW1 are particularly well served on the web . Try here