The changing Nature Of The Royal Navy 1763-1914 Flashcards
What shows the effectiveness of the Navy by 1763?
Victories over the French at Lagos and Quiberon Bay
How were ships built around 1763 and to do what?
In order to be more potent at broadsides, the best ships had many canons and were very maneuverable with good crews
How did the Navy form itself in battle around 1763?
In long lines of ships
Why were lines of ships used around 1763 in terms of fire power?
The broadsides would be sustained in their effectiveness, and friendly fire would not occur
Why were lines of ships used around 1763 in terms of protection and communication?
The bows and sterns of the ships would not be exposed, and the admiral could easily communicate with the rest of the fleet
Which kind of ships were most important to the Navy around 1763?
Ships of the line
How were ships of the line built and why were they like that?
They were long to fill with canon, narrow for maneuverability, large sails for speed and deep hills to cut through the water
Which rating of ship of the line was most popular and why?
3rd rate ships, as those larger were less maneuverable, and those smaller were ineffective and phased out by the late 18th century
What percentage of ships of the line were 3rd rate in 1814?
80%
Which event pre-1805 shows the weakness of the navy and why was this the case?
American War of Independence, as the boats were difficult to turn so it was foolish to sail close to the shore - also necessity of concentration of ships in one place to be effective, and they struggled with small boats
Which ships were used for coast patrols, destroying enemy trade and protecting other ships?
Frigates
Which role did the ships of the line play when not in active battle?
Blockading of ports
How many French ships did Captain Cochrane capture or destroy in a 13 month period of 1800-1801?
53, loads of prize money
What shows the effectiveness of frigates against merchants post-1805?
French frigates sunk 619 British ships in 1810 in the Baltic, even though France was militarily beaten by them
How many ships of the line did Britain have in 1815 and 1835 and why?
214 down to 58 due to post-Napoleonic War contractions
Why did the navy develop itself much during the early 19th century?
It had the most ships and therefore was already more powerful than all other nations
When was the first steamship built and why were they not popular at first?
The Kent of 1794, but they were unreliable, slow and used much coal, as well as being useless for battle
What were battle steam ships first used for?
Sail-steamers were used to reach inland areas which were inaccessible using wind power alone, as well as towing
Which was the first use of a steam-sail ship in battle?
The Nemesis, 1840 against the Chinese
When did steam ships become useful in the ocean and why?
Britain launched it’s ship in 1843 using the screw propeller designed in the late 1830s
When did the naval arms race between France and Britain begin?
1850, with the launching of the Napoleon
How many new steam battleships were made by Britain and France during the 1860s?
10 by France versus 18 by Britain
Which advance was made in the navy in 1841?
Horizontally firing artillery was attached to steam ships
When was the first fully protected against artillery ship launched by France and Britain?
La Gloire ironclad in 1859, and Warrior in 1861
How did the development of ships change during the second half of the 19th century?
Ships became obsolete within 10 years as steam engines, armour plating and naval guns became more developed
What was launched by the navy in 1873 and what did it represent?
HMS Devastation which represents the turning point truly away from sail and to steam power
Where became greatly more important during the rise of steam in the navy?
Deep-water friendly ports for collecting coal at
Which previously important facet of the navy was less important during the age of steam?
Experienced and skilled crewmen were no longer necessary for success at sea
What was passed in 1889?
Naval Defense Act, which put in place the two power standard
When was John Fisher appointed first sea lord of the Admiralty?
1904
What did Fisher do while in power?
Scrapped 154 older warships and concentrated on creating few powerful ships such as Dreadnought in 1906
Why did British efforts to end the naval arms race always fail?
Because nations such as Germany and France would always recreate what they did
Why did the Navy originally protect trade?
Both to gain money for the Exchequer, and also to use the merchant ships hands for Navy ships, avoiding impressment
Why was the slave trade an issue for the Navy pre-1807?
The Navy had to protect the West Indies from French attack on a regular basis, losing many men in the process
