Navy - how did its role evolve 1763-1914? Flashcards
When was the Age of Sail?
period between 16th and mid-19th centuries when trade and naval warfare dominated by sailing vessels
What naval tactics were generally used in the Age of Sail?
broadside, ie simultaneous discharge of rows of cannons mounted on side of warship
What three features were found on victorious warships in Age of Sail?
- more, bigger, faster-firing, accurate guns (up to 60 each side of ship, up to 3 cannonballs per gun)
- more maneouvrable ships
- crews proficient in both sailing and gunnery
Give four reasons why fleets approached enemy in a long line.
- sustained bombardment, with each ship firing a broadside as it passed enemy
- avoided friendly ships firing at each other
- reduced exposure of vulnerable sterns and bows to enemy fire
- improved speed and effectiveness of signalling using flags
What tactic gave Britain a decisive victory at Trafalgar in 1805?
Nelson sailed his smaller fleet in two perpendicular lines towards enemy line (“crossing the T”) therefore having superior firepower at the point of intersection.
What were British and French losses (ships and men) at Battle of Trafalgar?
France: 22 ships, over 13,000 men
Britain: no ships, less than 2,000 men
What was a ship of the line?
ship deemed strong enough to be in the line of battle, so generally built long (so lots of cannons) and narrow (to maximise speed), with deep hulls to cut through water and huge sails on three masts
What were first or second rate ships of the line?
Three gun decks
80-120 cannon
What made a ship of the line fourth rate?
less than 64 cannon
What made a ship of the line third rate?
64-80 cannon
two gun decks
crew of about 500
What rating were most ships of the line around 1800?
third rate as good mix of firepower and maneouvrability
What rating were frigates?
fifth and sixth rated
What three things were frigates mainly used for?
patrolling
destroying enemy trade
escorting friendly shipping
Why were frigates faster and more maneouvrable than ships of the line?
single gun deck
How could fortunes be made on successful frigate?
Under Cruisers and Convoys Act 1708, captain and crew entitled to shares of value of captured ship and cargo, as prize money
What was the first experimental steamship and when was it launched?
The Kent in 1794
What was the first steam-powered warship and when was it launched?
American ship Demologos in 1816
When did Britain launch its first steam-powered frigates?
1843
Which country built the first ironclad warship and when?
France in 1859
What was the first Britsh ironclad warship and when was it built?
HMS Warrior in 1861
When did Britain abandon sail-powered warships in favour of steam power?
1873
Why was Britain rarely the first country to develop new types of ships in 19th century?
It had more wooden sailing ships and could easily build more so no incentive to change
Why were steam-powered ships deemed unsuitable for war for decades?
unreliable, slow engines that consumed lots of coal
paddle wheels unsuitable for heavy seas and took up space needed for guns
In what type of areas did steamships start to be useful?
When not enough room for sailing ships to navigate, eg on rivers
What innovation in 1830s meant steam-powered warships became more feasible?
invention of more powerful propeller screw propulsion
What was the two power standard?
idea that Royal Navy should be at least as strong as next two largest navies combined, which became official policy in Naval Defence Act 1889
What did Britain commit to in the Naval Defence Act 1889?
10 battleships, 42 cruisers and 18 torpedo gunships by 1893-94, at cost of £21.5m
What did John Fisher become in 1904?
first sea lord of the Admiralty
What was significant about HMS Dreadnought in 1906?
Easily the most powerful battleship (cost £1.8m, 160m long, top speed 21 knots, 5 huge guns that could fire 385kg shell over 22km)
What was John Fisher’s aim and did it work?
- to win the “arms race” by producing warships that were so technologically advanced that no other navy could challenge them
- but Germany, USA and Japan started building their own equivalents
What was impressment?
forcible recruitment of sailors into navy, eg by press gangs in ports offering gold, getting sailours drunk or kidnapping them, or at sea where navy had power to stop civilian ship and take some of the men onboard
How many French merchant ships did the Royal Navy capture in the Seven Years’ War?
1,165
Who showed that of 5000 men leaving Britian on slaving voyages in 1785, only 2,329 returned?
abolitionist Thomas Clarkson
How many slaves were shipped across the Atlantic in 1800 and 1830?
- 1800: 80,000 slaves
- 1830: 135,000 slaves
(despite abolition of slave trade in 1807)
Why was Royal Navy unsuccessful in reducing slave trade?
- During Napoleonic Wars, not enough resources could be spared.
- After Wars, Royal Navy couldn’t board all foreign ships so slave ships would fly flag of other nations
- (eventually, treaties signed that did allow them to if they were carrying slaves)
What technology enabled Royal Navy to increase anti-slave trade operations in West Africa in 1840s?
use of paddle steamers to follow slaving ships upriver, and then use of clippers (small ships with large sails) captured from slavers
In what ocean was French piracy a particular issue during Napoleonic Wars?
Indian Ocean
Which renowned French pirateer captured over 40 boats including 16 in a single expedition in 1807-08?
Robert Surcouf
How and when did Britain reduce the threat of piracy in Indian Ocean?
Capture of Isle de France in 1810
What was Isle de France renamed and what did it become after 1810?
Mauritius and became a naval base
Which two people did Britain sign treaties with in 1802 to protect British shipping in Red Sea?
- Imam of Mocha
- Sultan of Aden
When was the Anglo-Dutch Treaty signed?
March 1824
What did the Anglo-Dutch Treaty do?
resolved territorial disputes in East Indies, formalising responsibility for suppressing piracy and introducing naval patrols
Where are the straits of Malacca, a notorious piracy hotspot in 1800s?
narrow channel between China and India
When was the attack on Algiers?
1816
Name three ports that formed the Barbary States.
Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli
What were the rulers of the Barbary States known as?
Beys
How much did American government pay in ranson to Barbary States in 1795?
$1m
What was the impetus for Admiral Pellow to be sent to North Africa in 1816?
criticism that Britain more interested in suppressing African slave trade than Europe
Who did Admiral Pellow secure treaties with in 1816?
Beys of Tunis, Tripoli and Algiers
Who were massacred on Algerian island of Bona soon after 1816 treaties signed?
200 captured Corsicans, Sardinians and Sicilians
What did the 1816 massacre on Bona lead to?
Attack on Algiers by large fleet led by Admiral Pellow
How many vessels were sunk in the attack on Algiers?
over 40
How many cannonballs were fired in the attack on Algiers?
over 50,000 (almost all that British fleet had with them)
How did Bey of Algiers respond to 1816 attack?
paid over £80k in ransom money and freed 3,000 slaves
Did the attack on Algiers stop piracy?
Not completely - only stopped when France conquered Algiers in 1830
Why was attach on Algiers significant?
It showed that Britain was willing to use Royal Navy to protect foreigners under British protection, and Royal Navy became the “world’s police force”.
What happened in the Scilly naval disaster of 1707?
navigation error led to wrecking of 4 ships and loss of 1550 men
How many Royal Navy ships were lost 1803-1815 and how many of those were due to running aground or sinking at sea?
317 lost
223 ran aground or sank at sea
For which two reasons was navigation a particular problem with long-distance conflicts?
- less likely to know the details of the area from past experience
- ships needed to have deep keels and long sides to travel long-distance
Was it longitude or latitude that was a navigation problem at sea?
longitude (east-west), as latitude (north-south) could be measured from altitue of sun and stars
What was the Longitude Act of 1714?
It offered a reward to anyone who could come with a way to measure longitude at sea.
What did John Harrison produce in 1759 that could enable measurement of longitude at sea?
A watch that could keep time at sea
When was Captain James Cook’s circumnavigation of the globe?
1768-71
Why was Cook’s circumnavigation important?
- Showed that possible to stay at sea for three years without losing lots of men to disease if maintained cleanliness and fresh food access
- proved effectiveness of new navigation technology for making accurate charts
- established British claim to new lands in Australia, NZ and Pacific, the basis of future colonial expansion
