The British Navy 1793-1802 Flashcards
Volunteers to the Royal Navy
• given his shilling and two months pay in advance (but pay meant to be used for a hammock and clothes)
• Debt prisoners allowed to join
Impressment/ press gangs into the Navy
• a King’s shilling placed into a man’s pocket by the gang after he got drunk, then involuntarily recruited into the Navy
• merchant navy often targeted
What were the Quota Acts?
• Passed in 1795
• every county was required to supply to the navy a quota of men in proportion to population and number of ports
• Prisoners allowed to join, but brought typhus into healthy ships
Advancements in British docks 1796-1801
• dry docks introduced
• steam engines drained ports
• this meant that turnaround time for ships in port was made quicker, and put an end to problem of excessive number of ships that needed repairing
Size of Navy 1792 compared to 1812
• 1792 - 125 ships in commission, 20,000 officers + seamen
• 1812 - 140,000 men, 1000 ships
Gunnery practice on boats
• from 1745 completed daily
• Cannons manned by 7 sailors, had to be moved back into position after every shot m
• British could carry out broadsides every one and a half minutes
• taught discipline
Who were naval officers?
• No purchase of commission
• Started as midshipmen, then learnt practical skills, maths, astronomy and navigation
• some fast tracked if they had right family connections
Poor wages of British navy
• 1793 - seamen paid 22s 6d a month (£2 a month)
• No wage increase since 1652
18th century developments in navy
• each gun had to be fired 30 times before it could be accepted by the Ordnance Board
• Broadsides made faster by new gunlocks - guns ignited and fired using a lanyard (rope)
Pensions
• introduced for those who had served 20 years and were physically incapable of serving in the army
• aged between 40+50
• very low and not guaranteed
What were carronades?
• Smaller, shorter, could swivel - developed before the French Wars
• used grape shot for ammunition, splintered on impact (deadly)
• French didn’t use carronades, put them at disadvantage
How were ships better protected from decay,
• hull of ship lined with copper
Facts about HMS Victory (ship of the line)
• Lord Nelson’s Flagship at Battle of Trafalgar 1805
• 104 guns
• Flagship (lead ship)
What were frigates and what were they used for?
• patrolling and scouting
• 28-36 guns
• smaller and faster
• conveying merchantmen
What were sloops and gunboats used for?
• convoys and blockades, small ships
How much of the navy was made up of quotas?
1/5 (15-55 year olds)
When did the capture of Toulon occur?
• 1793
• British Admiral Hood seized main French base in Toulon, capturing + destroying a large number of ships
• Significant as it was the gateway to the Med
When was the Battle of Glorious First of June and what happened?
• 1794
• Britain blockaded French ports on the Atlantic coast, led by Lord Howe
• French had 26 ships of the line, British had 25
• British sunk 7 French ships and killed/ captured 7000 French sailors
• 1200 British casualties
Developments in leadership French wars 1795 - 96
• Sir John Jervis took command of the Navy in the Mediterranean, good relationship with Nelson + disciplined the Navy
Was the British blockade of French ports successful (concerning Battle of the Glorious First of June)
• no - tried to stop grain ships from entering France but unsuccessful, blockade ended
Threat of French invasion
• 1796
• Netherlands and Spain join France, Britain outnumbered 2-1 in blockade of Brest
• 44 French ships and 14,000 sailors break out of Brest + try to land in Ireland but failed after a week of gales
When did the Battle of Cape st Vincent occur and what happened?
• 1797
• Jervis was outnumbered 2:1 at Cadiz, but managed to cut though the enemy line
• Jervis captured 4 ships, 5000 French dead, wounded or prisoner compared to 73 British Dead
• Jervis became Earl of St Vincent
Role of Nelson Battle of Cape St Vincent 1797
• Spanish fleet had been split up due to the wind and were attempting to join together
• Nelson spotted this and without order left the line of battle to prevent this manoeuvre - British ships then engaged the Spanish ships
When did the Battle of Camperdown occur and what happened?
•1797
• against Batavian fleet who were trying to find French fleet to invade Ireland
• Admiral Lord Duncan’s North Sea Fleet smashed the enemy line using two parallel lines like Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar
• captured 11 ships
• Boosted Britain’s morale, but things were bleak: threat of French invasion, Austria and Germany at peace with France - Britain had no major ally in Europe
When was the Spithead mutiny and what happened?
• 1797 off the coast of Portsmouth
• industrial dispute - April 1797 government agreed to increase pay and conditions through legislation
• May 1797 - fresh mutiny breaks out, Lord Howe visited ships to re-establish trust with mutineers and make sure conditions were met
When was the Nore mutiny and what happened?
• May 1797 - wanted power of veto, longer leave and pardons for deserting
• blocking the Thames supply line
• 28 ringleaders were hung
• as a result 1797 Incitement to Mutiny Act passed (disaffection in armed forces a capital offence)
What was the significance of the 1797 mutinies?
Illustrated a fundamental weakness in defence, poor conditions.
When did the Battle of the Nile take place and what happened?
• 1798
• Nelson defeated the French fleet, as a result regaining control of the Mediterranean
• Attacked the French fleet at nightfall - unconventional, risky but paid off as the French were unprepared
• Attacked French ships from the rear + both sides
• 11/13 French ships destroyed, flagship L’Orient destroyed
Tactical success of Nelson at 1798 Battle of the Nile
• Used only 9 signals during battle - band of brothers, trusts his crew, good discipline, good communicator
• Risk taker- attacked at night which paid off
• Continued to lead despite suffering an eye injury
Importance of victory at 1798 Battle of the Nile
• Napoleon wanted to invade Egypt and travel overland to India (direct threat to British Empire)
•French presence in Egypt was therefore dismantled
• Nelson becomes a national hero
What happened at the Battle of Copenhagen and when was it?
• 1801
• British attacked to break the League of Armed Neutrality in Copenhagen that challenged British dominance of the seas - blockade affecting Baltics
• Each ship took in turns to advance through a narrow ship of shallow water to target a ship or floating battery (gun)
• Resulted in a truce
Strength of Nelson during 1801 Battle of Copenhagen
• Danes didn’t give in during British advance, Nelson ordered to stop but pretended not to see signal by holding telescope to blind eye
• illustrates his good judgement, yet also disobedience
• Nelson sent a letter to crown prince saying if the Danes continued to resist he would destroy batteries with people on them
• ruthless, good at negotiating, results in a truce
What happened between 1802 and 1803
Europe at peace
What happened 1804?
• Britain declare war against France again with third coalition, Britain allied with Austria and Russia
Threat of French invasion 1804
• Spain + France allied and chase was on
• Napoleon tricked Nelson into making the British Med fleet follow the French fleet to the Caribbean out of threat of colonies being invaded
• This left Britain vulnerable
Threat of French invasion averted 1804
• when Nelson found out about being tricked to go to the Caribbean, he sent a fast frigate back to warn of the danger
• French fleet intercepted and two ships captured, threat of invasion averted for now
Who won the Battle of Copenhagen 1801 and what did it achieve?
• British won as Danish- Norwegian fleet backed down
• meant that the Denmark- Norway allegiance with France was weakened
Was Nelson in charge of the 1801 Battle of Copenhagen?
No - second in command to Admiral Parker
How did the Battle of Trafalgar occur?
• Nelson took charge of fleet at Cadiz, wanted to lure Villenueve out of port
• Nelson focused on boosting morale and confidence among his officers
• Villeneuve ordered to sail to Italy by Napoleon, Nelson gave chase
Villenueve outnumbering Nelson’s fleet 1805 Battle of Trafalgar
• Villeneuve: 33 battleships and 30,000 men
• Nelson: 27 battleships and 27,000 men
Tactics used by British during 1805 Battle of Trafalgar
• Nelson used two columns when approaching Villenueve, which broke the enemy line( disordered by the wind)
• Victory’s Carronades were deadly - destroyed French flagship Bucentaure and killed 400 Frenchmen
Outcome of Battle of Trafalgar for the British
• No ships lost
• 450 died
• 1200 injured
Outcome of Battle of Trafalgar for French
• 18 ships captured, 3 scuttled (sunk)
• only 5/33 left seaworthy
• 2000 French died, 1000 injured
• 8000 Prisoners including Spanish
What did Napoleon implement after the Battle of Trafalgar?
• Implemented the continental system 1806/7
• however Britain fought back by blockading Europe from any imports, impacted French more
Nelson’s decisiveness and boldness:
• Battle of the Nile 1798 - took a calculated risk in attacking the French fleet at night in Aboukir Bay despite being outnumbered
• Battle of Copenhagen 1801 - Ignored orders, claiming he couldn’t see the signal to retreat - trusts his own judgement
(Disregard for authority)
Nelson’s inspiring leadership at Trafalgar
Famous line: ‘England expects that every man will do his duty’ - rallying cry, created unity amongst his forces
• personal charisma - inspired sailors to fight until the end despite overwhelming odds
Nelson’s innovation and tactical genius:
• Battle of the Nile 1798 - broke from convention line of battle tactic to attack French from both front and rear
• Trafalgar 1805 - Nelson attacked in two columns and attacked the French and Spanish perpendicularly
Nelson’s risk taking and courage at Trafalgar
• Commanded the front line and led from the front - placing himself in the thick of battle
• Respected by soldiers for active involvement in battle
Nelson’s adaptability and resilience:
• Battle of Copenhagen 1801 - Nelson changed his tactics effectively when discovering the strength of the Danes
• weakness - underestimates enemy
What was the East India Company known as
‘The Jewel in the Crown’
How was Collingwood also essential in aiding Nelson’s success as a naval commander
• Collingwood led the parallel fleet to Nelson on the Royal Sovereign 1805 Battle of Trafalgar
How were Nelson’s qualities as a commander not the only reason for his success?
• Sheer size and professionalism of the British Navy gave it a huge advantage - had been dominant throughout the war
How was Nelson successful in relating information?
• used frigates outside Cadiz during Trafalgar to gain accurate information about enemy
• Similarly did this to avert French invasion in 1804 when Napoleon tricked Nelson to go to the Caribbean
