First Second Year Exam

Question 1

what were the primary roles of the navy

Answer 1

• protect Britain from invasion - island
• economic blockade of enemy seaborne trade - placing boats on enemy trade routes to limit countries trade with each other due to the potential of being attacked
• Engage the enemy wherever and whenever to keep a strong economic profile, protect yourself, and have the best trade routes/ best security

Question 2

what were the strengths of France and Spain

Answer 2

• allegiance created long defence border down West Coast
• Spain had the Santismia Trinidad
• French had strong trade deal with the USA

Question 3

what were the secondary roles of the navy

Answer 3

• command colonial waters and capture enemy colonies (keep their empire in check and sail to new territories claiming them in the name of the crown)
• protect Britain’s merchant fleet
• expand the navy through capturing prizes
• transportation of troops, supplies and communications

Question 4

describe what life at sea was like

Answer 4

• commanders cabins boasted comfort and luxury
• ordinary seamen cramped
• healthy diet - abundance and quality of food ensured as malnourished and ill-health men mean odds not in favour during a battle
• microcosm of society
• work physically hard
• harsh discipline - whipping
• away for long periods
• wives often on board for cooking and cleaning etc which helped recruitment
• teamwork, comradery, only as strong as weakest member

Question 5

what type of people were recruited into the navy and how were they recruited

Answer 5

• unmarried or no family
• want to escape the harshness of poverty or prison - navy offered three meals a day and discipline
• those with history of naval families or sea faring skills like fisherman
• those inspired by the opportunity of prize money and fame
• recruitment was challenging - not everyone wants life at sea
• press gangs go to costal towns, look for merchant traders/fisherman, force to join through kidnapping, bargaining - aristocratic measures
• they wasn’t many other career opportunities at this time unless from wealthy background
• navy wasn’t open to all as too important to Britain
• don’t want to waste time training so prior skill helps save time/ more professional and strong

Question 6

why was a class hierarchy maintained in the navy

Answer 6

• vital as everyone had to pull together and tolerate each other to survive in such a small space
• less strict than in the army - different classes would associate with each other - but lower classes and peasants would never get a commanding rank
• officers usually middle class/lower aristocracy as those in command needed strong education and leadership qualities, had to use charts/maps/maths, lower classes largely uneducated to do so
• unlike army, navy officer couldn’t buy their rank, recruited through patronage as command too important in the navy
• integrity more important in navy - safeguards in place to check genuine experience.

Question 7

what were some technological features of ships

Answer 7

• compartmenting - stops whole deck from flooding if hit
• sail powered - weather important - calm day don’t want to be caught as can’t escape
• broadside cannons
• carronades
• coppering

Question 8

how many guns did each ship have

Answer 8

1st rate = 100+ guns 
2nd rate = 80-100
3rd rate = 60-80
4th rate = 50-60
5th rate = 30-44
6th rate = 20-30 

below 6th rate are sloops, brigs and cutters - role of speed - 10-20 guns - transport goods and support bigger ships

Question 9

why did the navy have a mix of ships

Answer 9

• need speed and power
• only really need bigger ships in battle
• first rate expensive/time consuming to build
• smaller ships more manoeuvrable in tight ports and travel faster and further - better when beating enemies to new land
• 2nd and 3rd rate still devastating when commanded with skill
• it isn’t effective having a fleet of 1st rate as if they all get damaged nothing to rely on and expensive/time consuming to regain the strength of the fleet