Reformers - Navy Flashcards
How and why did the priorities of the navy change after the Napoleonic war?
No navy of significance left in the world - protection of Britain no longer a priority
New focus = policing trade routes and protecting British commerce + enforcing slave trading ban
How many battleships were on active duty in 1817 compared to before?
Only 13 compared to 100 during the wars
What is ‘gunboat diplomacy’?
The use of naval forces anchored strategically while negotiations are taking place to get their own way
Name two locations which were bombarded by the navy as retaliation for acts thought to be against British interest
Algiers (1816) and Acre (1840)
Using ‘gunboat diplomacy’, what did the British convince Portugal to do?
Where did they anchor their ships?
Accept Brazilian independence
Tagus
How did Britain use the navy during the Opium Wars with China?
Used the naval threat so that China would open up their ports for international trade
Why was the transition from sail to steam slow progress?
Which first lord of the Admiralty refused a request for a new steamer in 1828, saying that it was ‘calculated to strike a fatal blow to the empire’
Sea lord were conservative, thought that steam was unreliable compared to sail
Lord Melville
What was the weakness that steamships were considered to have? (2)
The steam-powered paddle was thought to be vulnerable to enemy fire + its position in the middle prevented the ship from firing a full broadside
When did the French start introducing steam engines to their ships?
When did the British follow, fearing the French had stolen a march?
What design was used instead of the steam-propelled paddle?
French = 1840s
British = 1850s
Screw propellors and quick-firing cannons from turrets situated on deck.
What was the name of the navy’s first steam-powered battleship?
When was it built?
HMS Agamemnon (built 1852)
Why did the introduction of steam-powered ships lead to the transition from wood to iron?
Steam engines and coal were heavy - wooden hulls could only carry their equivalent weight so limited the size of steam engine
What was the first way that iron was introduced into shipbuilding?
When did the French first start building this type of ship?
How did the British respond?
Ironclads - wooden hulls with iron sheets on the outside
1858
Built the first fully iron ship, HMS Warrior, which was launched in 1860
Why did the changing weapons lead to the transition to iron battleships? (2)
Armstrong’s cannon (designed in the 1850s) was much larger than earlier guns
The new high explosive shells could rip through wooden hulls
How did the increasing size of warships and guns change naval tactics?
Guns became so big that they needed to be mounted in on-deck turrets.
This brought an end to the full broadside
When were Graham’s reforms?
1832
What policy to do with ships did Graham reverse when he became the first lord of the Admiralty?
Reversed policy of downsizing on battleships - thought it had gone too far and that Britain’s position as a world power depended on Royal Navy
What did Graham order all crews should do to improve the art of gunnery, which had been neglected since Trafalgar?
All crews should perform an exercise related to gunnery
What ship did Graham commission to set up a permanent school of gunnery and who was in charge of it?
How did he improve gunnery practices? (2)
HMS Excellent - run by Sir Thomas Hastings
Made a more standardised system so that seamen could be transferred to any ship and be effective
Clear routines of loading and firing a single round were encouraged rather than double and triple shotting (reduced velocity of the shot)
Why was there a large number of officers and not enough ships for them to serve in after the Napoleonic Wars?
How many names did the Navy List have by 1830?
The reduction in the number of vessels
800 names
Why was there a problem with the promotion system in the Royal Navy before Graham’s reforms? (2)
It was possible for captains to move up to the rank of admiral and retire without ever having been to sea.
Captains who had been waiting for an available ship could find themselves superseded by a young captain with influence
How did Graham reduce the pressure on the ranks of the navy?
What limits did the reform have?
Introduced a regulation that before being considered for rank of commander, officers must have had two years experience at sea as a lieutenant
Didn’t solve the long Navy List or the unfairness of patronage
What reforms did Graham make to the supply and admin of the navy?
What 5 principal officers were created, to be overseen by the Board of the Admiralty?
Abolished the Naval Office and Victualing Board ad placed them under the control of the navy
Surveyor of the navy, accountant-general of the navy, store-keeper general of the navy, controller of the victualling, and medical director-general
What was the main advantage of the new admin system that Graham introduced?
All the principal officers worked at the Admiralty so communication was much quicker - personal conversations instead of written correspondence
What was the main advantage of the new system that Graham introduced in terms of servicing and resupplying ships?
Royal Navy gained control over dockyards and victualling yards - having naval officers of experience over yards led to greater efficiency
