The British Navy And The French Wars 1793-1815

Question 1

What were navy ships like in the 18th century?

Answer 1

• built of wood and dependent on sails for movement
• usually carrying 70+ guns and crew of hundreds of men
• also relied on frigates

Question 2

what are frigates?

Answer 2

smaller but faster ships carrying 28-36 guns
were in continual action, patrolling, scouting or conveying merchantman (trading ships)

Question 3

what are sloops and gunboats?

Answer 3

even smaller ships used on bloackade duty

Question 4

what happened to captured ships?

Answer 4

repaired, renamed and put back into use

Question 5

The navy tried to stop enemy ships from leaving port using what 2 methods?

Answer 5

A closed blockade
an open blockade

Question 6

what is an open blockade?

Answer 6

main fleet in home port or miles at sea and frigates patrolling enemy port (coast off) and inform main fleet if enemy fleet put at sea

Question 7

what is a closed blockade?

Answer 7

main fleet sailed near enemy port

Question 8

gunnery in naval warfare in late 18th century?

Answer 8

• gun captain in charge for aiming and firing
• each gun manned by team of 7 sailors
• since 1745, every RN ship obliged to perform daily gunnery practice
• carried 32 pound gun (could fire cannon ball)

Question 9

naval officers in late 18th century?

Answer 9

• came from professional middle class
• after 1793, navy strength= 120,000men, 140,000 by 1812

Question 10

recruitment in late 18th century?

Answer 10

• voluntary men didn’t provide enough men so relied on impressment
• press gangs sent out to round up suitable men, targeted poor men
• by 1805, 1/2 men in RN were pressed men

Question 11

what was the impressment service?

Answer 11

had power to force seafearers aged 15-55 to join RN (esp in pubs)

Question 12

what was the quota system in term of the recruiting RN?

Answer 12

those in prison given chance to join RN rather then prison sentence. Seen as ‘encouragement’, in reality was conscription

Question 13

conditions in RN in late18th century?

Answer 13

• harsh
  -scurvy (disease caused by lack of vitamin C)
• no wage increase since 1652
• sailors slept in hammocks
  -14inch width space between each man
• could be at sea for years (psychologically hard)
• physically hard and harsh discipline (cat-o’-nine-tails)
• some officers receive obedience through threat and punishment and others through respect and love of officers

Question 14

what was the naval reform like from 1783-93?

Answer 14

• dockyards more closely supervised
• massive stocks of timber and rope built up
• new docks constructed at plymouth and portsmouth
• the ordanance board insisted every gun fired 30 times before being accepted

Question 15

Order of beginning of naval wars, 1793-97

Answer 15

1- admiral hood seizes toulon
2- glorious first of june
3- sir john jervis takes control of med fleet
4- holland and spain changes sides
5- battle of cape st vincent
6- the spithead and nore mutinies
7- the battle of camperdown

Question 16

who was admiral hood?

Answer 16

commanded british med fleet

Question 17

what was in toulon?

Answer 17

most important naval base in med for france

Question 18

why was admiral hood seizing toulon unsuccessful?

Answer 18

arrival of french forced him to abandon port in december
however, did destroy/ capture large no. of ships

Question 19

who was lord Howe?

Answer 19

commanded blockaded fleet

Question 20

what happened on the glorious 1st of june?

Answer 20

• RN blockaded french ports on atlantic coasts, particularly brest
• lord H heard grain convoy returning from USA- France, escorted by large fleet
• howe sailed west to give battle
• 26 french ships vs 25 british ships
• howe captured/ sunk 7 enemy ships (7000 sailer killed/ taken to prison)
• however, 1,200 british casualties
• grain ships also made it to france successfully