Navy Battles Flashcards
(92 cards)
1
Q
what are the primary roles of the Royal Navy
A
- protect Britain from invasion
- economic blockade of enemy seaborne trade
- engage the enemy wherever and whenever
2
Q
what are the secondary roles of the Royal Navy
A
- command colonial waters and capture enemy colonies (keep empire in check/stop rebellion)
- protect Britain’s Merchant fleet
- expand the navy through the prize system
- transportation of troops, communications and supplies
- sail to new territories and claim them in the name of the crown to expand the British Empire
- escort ships with trade like opium from China
3
Q
why was the prize system beneficial
A
- ships are expensive to build and maintain, it was a waste to blow the, up - better to surrender and take ship - board enemy ship - trap it and tow it back to Britain
4
Q
what did ships have to be a hybrid of
A
living and war
5
Q
what type of a fleet did Britain like
A
a varied fleet of all sized ships - only really need first rate ships in a major battle
mix of power and speed
2nd and 3rd rate still devastating wasn’t a lot of need for loads of 1st rate
larger ships more expensive to build and maintain and longer to build
6
Q
how many guns are on each rate ship
A
1st rate - 100+ guns 2nd rate - 80/100 guns 3rd rate - 60/80 4th rate - 50/60 5th rate - 30/44 6th rate - 20/30 below 6th rate are sloops, brigs and cutters whose role was speed with 10-20 guns - transport goods and support bigger ships
7
Q
what did a career in the Navy entail
A
- work was physically hard and discipline was harsh
- sailors were away from home and families for lengthy periods sometimes even years
- not exclusively a ‘man’s world’ - wives often accompanied their husbands (helped recruitment)
- diet important - fresh meat/veg until supplies ran out then salted meat and bread - can’t win in a battle with malnourished men
8
Q
why was it so important to get on with everybody on board
A
- such a small space
- you’re only as good as you’re weakest member
- if someone ill the whole ship could get ill if not sorted efficiently
9
Q
discuss the problem of recruitment
A
- not everyone wants life at sea
- recruit unmarried/history of naval families/fisherman/can’t work in other industries
- wasn’t open to everybody because it was so important to Britain
- only really took those with naval skill - don’t want to waste time training and it helped with professionalism
- wasn’t many other career opportunities at this time especially if you weren’t wealthy
- people were inspired by the opportunity of prize money, fame and glory
- some people forced to join by press gangs who visited costal towns looking for fisherman etc.. - bargaining or kidnap - drastic measures
10
Q
discuss compartmenting
A
- key tactic
- if a ship hits a section it stops the whole deck from flooding and ship sinking
11
Q
discuss canon placement
A
- broadside
- both lost and destroyed
- if you fire right down length of ship you can rip through compartmenting - easy win
12
Q
discuss canons
A
- huge - required teams of men to wheel them into place/aim them
- front loading - have to pull it back to re-load
- clean, fill, wedge before firing - time consuming
- slow - 2 canon balls a minute
- quicker you can fire the better but still have to be accurate
- on deck flying wood more likely to kill you than a canon ball - innacurate
- dangerous re call
13
Q
what gun lock did Britain develop for their canons
A
- rope mechanism
- pull to fire
- safer and easier
- more reliable than the hot poker iron the French were using
14
Q
what were officers of the navy like
A
- usually middle class or lower aristocracy
- did not purchase commissions like army
- recruited through patronage - who you know not what you know
- if you had enough money and prestige you could buy a rank but there were safeguards in place to make sure naval officers did have some experience
- command too important in the navy
- had to be educated to be in command - know maps, charts and maths - skills which generally come with a wealthier background
15
Q
what was class hierarchy like in the wooden world
A
- classes better at associating with each other in the navy than the army - they’re on the same ship working together and so have to tolerate each other but you wouldn’t get anyone from the lower classes in command
16
Q
what were the ordinary seamen like
A
- ‘Jack Tar’
- joined the navy to escape the harshness of poverty or prison
- naval life offered three meals a day/discipline
- most ordinary men were pressed into service
- criminals - what good are you in prison if you are a skilled sailor
- many young boys of 8+ served on board as cabin boys and for hard to fit places
17
Q
what are the marines
A
- a hybrid force
- part of army and navy
- for going onto foreign land to capture it - fight on land
- not as skilled at firing canons etc…
- on deck in battle trying to snipe the enemy
18
Q
what were the three main roles of the marines
A
- as police in the wooden society
- for close combat on upper decks in battle
- as an amphibious landing force as and when required
19
Q
what was the role of admiral
A
- first of proper chain of command in the navy
- make all the key decisions
20
Q
what was the victualling board
A
supplies
21
Q
what was the board of ordinance
A
control of ship building anf supplies
22
Q
why was a large chain of command so important
A
because the navy is such a crucial part of how the empire functions
23
Q
what is a ship of the line
A
- battleship
- need 60-70+ guns
- anything below 5th rate not a ship of the line as not powerful
24
Q
what is impressment
A
recruitment - press gangs
25
cat o nine tails
The cat o' nine tails, commonly shortened to the cat, is a type of multi-tailed flail that originated as an implement for severe physical punishment, notably in the Royal Navy and British Army, and also as a judicial punishment in Britain and some other countries.
26
forecastles
A raised part of the upper deck at the front of a ship. (nautical) Crew's quarters located at the forward part of a ship.
27
when was the Glorious First of June
1794
28
why was the Glorious First of June entitled that
- Britain hadn't won anything for a long time after losing the American Revolutionary Wars and decades of no success on land
- first (+) military news for best part of 50+ years so they hyped it up
- fades in comparison to Nelson's victories tho
29
how many ships did each side have at the Glorious First of June
- Britain had 25 ships of the line, the French had 26
30
why did the Glorious First of June take place
- Admiral Lord Howe's fleet engaged a French fleet that was escorting merchant ships carrying grain from the USA to revolutionary France
- At this point the monarchy in France had been overthrown
- Britain a monarchy itself wanted to protect France's monarchic system and stop the revolution by stopping food getting to France because if the food doesn't get there maybe the revolution will run out of steam or a famine happens and ends it
31
what was the outcome of the Glorious First of June
- Howe's fleet lost 1200 men but captured six prizes and sank one ship
- tactical victory but a strategic loss as the merchant grain ships still reached Brest so averting famine in France
32
give a brief Nelson fact file
- he was super short with absurdly youthful looks
- he had poor health - he has sea sickness but was good at portraying a beam of strength
- inspirational
- charismatic, leader of men, excellent commander
- extraordinary and infectious enthusiasm towards his duty
- appearance of always been fearless
- Nelson Touch
- influence on his men
- he only naval link was his uncle yet he managed to be in command by late 30s by working his way up the ranks
- tenacity skill, freakish tactics
- lost right eye at Battle of Calvi 1794
33
how did the Battle of Cape St Vincent come about
- British were blockading the Spanish fleet off the coast of St Vincent
- Nelson and the fleet had order not to engage
- Nelson at the back of the line commanding the HMS Captain got bored, gave an inspiring speech leading to two other ships following him, and they broke rank and engaged the Spanish fleet
34
what was Nelson risking at the Battle of Cape St Vincent
- he dies
- he gets captured
- the safety of his crew
- getting court marshalled by the British for breaking orders
35
how does the Battle of Cape St Vincent sit on Nelson's career arch
- at this point he is a maverick and uncontrollable but it is actions like that that transform him into an immense tactician and someone who is meticulously organised and one of the greatest commanders to ever live
- if he can pull this off in a 3rd ship with no real planning it begs the question of what he can do in the future
- you need risk taking to be a good leader
- John Jervis was Admiral at this point
36
when was the Battle of Cape St Vincent
14th February 1797
37
what was the strengths and weaknesses of the Battle of Cape St Vincent
Britain - 15 ships of the line but Nelson only on a third rate ship
Spanish - 24 ships of the line including Santisma Trinidad
Britain lost 300 men
Spanish lost 800 then 3000 captured
38
what was the outcome of the Battle of Cape St Vincent and
- Nelson and the other ships damaged the Santisima Trinidad to the point where it had to sail away
- the flagship being beaten up by a small British ship causes anarchy in the Spanish fleet
- huge blow to the Spanish that show how good Britain is even when outnumbered and Spanish have the best ship in the world
- Beaten up by a third rate ship commanded by someone they had never heard of
- propel Britain in terms of Naval prowess
39
when was the Battle of Tenerife
22-25th July 1797
40
why did the Battle of Tenerife take place
despite defeating the Spanish at Cape St Vincent the British had failed to strike a solid blow and were frustrated at the escape of the Santisima Trinidad
Britain attempted to blockade Cadiz but Spanish resistance repelled them
Jervis thus turned his gaze to Tenerife after hearing that Spanish treasure convoys from America regularly arrived there
two reconnoitring frigates sent and caught two French and Spanish vessels in a night time raid
then Jervis sent recently promoted Nelson with the aim to seize Tenerife by means of an amphibious attack
nelson also felt invincible after Cape St Vincent
41
what was the strength and loss of the battle of Tenerife
Britain had three ships of the line
Spanish had 91 guns
Britain lost 250 dead, 128 wounded and 300 men captured and 1 cutter sank
Spanish lost just 30 men and 40 wounded
42
what happened at the Battle of Tenerife
- nelson moors his ships and goes on land
- huge loss for Britain
- nelson realises he isn't invincible and he loses his arm
- reality check - the events ground him and make him a more rounded individual
- he had to have this experience and suffer some issues tho to become the commander he is down the line
43
when was the battle of the Nile
1st - 2nd August 1798
44
why did the Battle of the Nile take place
- Napoleon not emperor of France yet but he was in charge of French forces and France were expanding control in Northern Africa capturing Egypt etc...
- Britain wanted to prevent this and so had been looking for the French fleet for a number of months (difficult with sail powered ships and no radio) and eventually caught them with their sails unfurled at anchor in the River Nile
45
what was the impact of the battle of the Nile
Short term
- Britain cripple the French fleet and left Napoleon stranded in Egypt
- the British had bought themselves some time by slowing Nap down
Long term
- increase in the prestige of Nelson and Britain and strengthened their fleet as every ship captured meant one more for Britain and one less for France - unanimous victory for Britain
- France thus had to spend valuable money and time regaining the strength of their fleet
- huge turning point at a contested time in the French wars
46
what was the strength and weaknesses of the Battle of the Nile
Britain had 14 ships of the line
French has 13 ships of the line
- Britain captured or destroyed every French ship
- destroyed 2, sunk 2 and captured 9
- 218 killed and 600 wounded
- French lost 2-5000 killed or wounded
- 3-4000 captured
47
why was the Battle of the Nile so controversial
- he disregards the traditional conventions of naval warfare
- it was gentlemanly at this point and Nelson was not
- attacked the French at night and while they were at anchor
- but he seized the opportunity and did what needs to be done
- Nelson split his fleet either side of the French and blew them up
48
when was the Battle of Copenhagen
2nd April 1801
49
what was the reason for the Battle of Copenhagen
- British get news that the French were looking to get the impressive Danish fleet on side, if this happened, Britain would have stood no chance against the French, Spanish and the Danish all together
- British thus launched a pre-emptive attack to take away the Danish fleet so it can't join the French
- the Danish fleet were seen as threat - they had a good reputation and strong ships
50
what did Nelson do again at the Battle of Copenhagen
- Again Nelson disregarded orders - this time refusing to withdraw - and engaged the Danish fleet at anchor in the Port of Copenhagen
51
why was the Battle of Copenhagen so controversial
- because the Danish were neutral and again Nelson disregarded orders
- it was also just a generally tight bay to fit in
- Nelson apparently held a telescope to his blind eye and claimed he didn't see any orders of lights or flags and said he was given the all clear - testament to his character
52
what was the outcome of the Battle of Copenhagen
- Danish fleet badly damaged and unfit to be subsumed into the French fleet
- Nelson awarded with peerage
- he becomes Lord Nelson because of this
- if he hadn't done this the French fleet could have got bigger and being a bigger problem at Trafalgar
53
what was the strengths and weaknesses of the Battle of Copenhagen
- British has 12 ships of the line
- Danish had 9 and a number of smaller ships
- Britain sank 2 ships of the line and captured 12 others but didn't have enough men to sail them all back to Britain so ended up destroying them
- Britain lost 1200 men
- Danish navy destroyed and 1600 men lost
54
what happened from 1801-1805 between the Battle of Copenhagen and the Battle of Trafalgar
- 1802 - peace treaty signed
- 1803-05 - posturing and gesturing between British and French
- 1803 Britain blockade of Toulon to limit French trade
- French do continental system later in 1806
55
what was Napoleon's plan before instead of Trafalgar
- he knew he couldn't invade if Nelson in channel
- so for Villeneuve to lose Nelson in a Caribbean chase and return to the North Atlantic so that he could then engage and destroy British Home Seas Fleet allowing Nap's invasion force to cross the channel
- but nelson chased Villeneuve half way around the world and back to Spanish waters where their engagement happened at Trafalgar
- Britain understood it was a trap tho and there was a genuine threat of invasion - so while they let Nelson go off to deal with Villeneuve they were bolstering the channel with their best ships of the line
56
why did Villeneuve's fleet end up diverting South on the chase
- short battle at Cape Finisterre where Villeneuve's fleet had to divert
- he wasn't able to return back to Britain to help Napoleon invade
- it was a huge deal for Calder's fleet to have achieved this blow on July 22nd 1905
- without it Trafalgar wouldn't have happened
57
which are the two stick out battles other than Trafalgar and why
- Nile and Copenhagen
- the enemy fleet was caught in the open sea and defeated through superior tactic, gunner and ship handling
- the British attacked while the French and Danes respectively where at anchor and confident of their apparently unassailable position
- superior British training, discipline and firepower proved more than a match for their adversaries
58
give some reasons for British success at Sea
- effective close range gunnery using muzzle-loading canons firing solid iron balls, chain and heated shots
- carronades killed enemy men on deck/destroyed masts
- Hulls of British ships had coppering which made them faster and more manoeuvrable
- highly-trained men
- superb morale - success breeds success
- outstanding confidence in ability
- great leadership from Nelson and his captains
59
what two things does the 'Nelson Touch' refer to
- his battle tactic
| - his aura
60
what does Trafalgar show in an overall sense
- just how far Nelson has come - not just an individual champion of the seas but an incredible leader and an immense tactician
61
how many ships did each side have at Trafalgar
- British - 27 battleships
- Franco-Spanish 33 including Santisima Trinidad
- outnumbered by 6 which is quite a lot when consider how long they take to build/how powerful they are
62
what are the drawbacks of fighting broadside
- you obliterate each other
- mass loss of life
- tend have no clear winner
- expensive and time consuming to build ships destroyed
63
what was Nelson's first genius tactic at the battle of Trafalgar
- split British fleet into two columns
- Nelson led North weather column on HMS Victory
- Vice Admiral Collingwood led the Southern column on the Royal Sovereign
- Franco-Spanish were in a traditional broadside line and expected British to do the same
- been done before but rare and not seen as something that would work so it catches the Franco-Spanish off guard
64
what was Nelson's second genius tactic at the battle of Trafalgar
- sail and crash right between the enemy ships
- they can't fire back at the British as only have canons on broadside not on stern or bow
- he can take out 2 ships at once without been touched
- can rake (fire down) length of ship and rip through compartmenting to sink ship and wipe out men - devastating
65
discuss when Britain were vulnerable at the Battle of Trafalgar but why this didn't matter
- vulnerable when sailing towards the enemy and being fired at
- But Franco-Spanish sailors weren't particularly accurate so the British didn't suffer than much
- had they been more accurate they could have completely incapacitated the HMS victory before it reach them as they hit it a lot but not enough
66
discuss Nelson's death
- at the Battle of Trafalgar
- could have been avoided
- but you have to look at his lifestyle
- he stood proudly on the deck wearing the fanciest hat - definitely a target and he'd put himself in a position where he was literally touching Franco-Spanish ships so not difficult to shoot at him
- but it was an epitome of his legacy and reputation
- he was swiftly took below deck because he was so loved so if crew saw him morale would take a hit
- planned so well he didn't even need to be there physically commanding it
67
what did Nelson do at the Battle of Trafalgar to ensure his position and that the enemy didn't move
- he did a 'faint'
- he sailed up, pretended to line up broadside, them does a rapid turn around and sails back to smash straight between Santisma Trinidad and Boucanture (enemy flagships)
- show his men he is fearless/knows what he is doing
- incapacitated the Trinidad in a number of minutes
- the Redoubtable comes to help but a French rifleman shoots Nelson
68
why was Nelson able to pull off the 'faint' at the Battle of Trafalgar
- calm day so there wasn't much manoeuvrability for the Franco-Spanish fleet but Nelson has momentum to pull it off
- coppering on the hulls of the British ships also allowed for greater manoeuvrability
69
give a random fact that shows how much of a victory Nelson was able to pull off at Trafalgar
- some Franco-Spanish ships at the end of the line sailed away before the Battle was even over as they knew it was a lost cause and British victory would ensue
70
what is raking
- firing down the length of a ship
71
what was the impact of the Battle of Trafalgar
- Britain became a key maritime power and had naval hegemony for the next century
- Nelson dies but the enemy is knocked out so don't need him anymore
- If Britain had lost at the Battle of Trafalgar we would have had no way of getting Welly and his army to Portugal to fight in Pen wars as French could have stopped ships getting there - might not have had a fleet - might have been invaded
- would have been no Waterloo
- massive for army and Navy
- prevented French from ever again seriously challenging British naval supremacy
- mortal blow to Spanish maritime power which was declining since their loss at the Spanish Armada by Drake in 1588
72
how many ships did Britain capture or destroy at Trafalgar
18/33
73
give some words to describe Nelson's leadership
- awe-inspiring
- nelson touch
- confidence
- opportunist
- right action - clever
- no hesitation
- meticulous planner later in his career
- maverick early on
74
give some potential themes for Navy questions
- leadership of Nelson
- government funding
- comparisons to the enemy
- technology
- success as gave lots of funding to Navy and empire to lean on
- dockyards around the world where they can re-supply
75
give some reasons for British success at sea
- effective close-range gunnery - muzzle loading canons firing solid iron balls and the different shots
- carronades killed men on deck/destroyed masts
- coppering - rot slower/faster/more manoeuvrable
- highly trained men
- superb morale - success breeds success
- confidence in ability
- great leadership from Nelson and his captains
- Nelson's tactics and he made the most of what he had at his disposal - requested the best food etc...
76
discuss recruitment and training of men in the navy
- highly trained
- recruitment - look for people with sea faring ability so don't have to spend months training them to high standard - they're already half way there
- constant gunnery practice firing canons as fast as they could
- practice different battle scenarios
- efficiency and accuracy key
- better than French counterparts - French navy was conscripted - random men plucked from anywhere so some were good but many were clueless
77
discuss why carronades were so decisive and a key reason for British success
- unmatched by enemy
- on deck - people killers not ship destroyers - cause chaos and panic
- smaller more manoeuvrable
- true value in shooting mast
- ship can't move - be boarded and dealt with
- huge game breaker for British coupled with Nelson's crossing the T as short range
- variety of shots chain, grape etc...
78
discuss industrialisation and the Royal Navy
- Britain first nation to have industrial revolution
- one of key reasons Britain developed a worldwide empire (the other was naval dominance)
- before French Wars Navy had implemented signif advancements after poor performance in American war of Independence
- Middleton - coppering - reduce attack from shipworm and growth of marine weeds
- improvements to guns - flintlock mechanism added to canons
- carronades introduced from 1770s following a development at Carron Ironworks in Falkirk
- dip into empire resources
- french using less reliable match technique not flintlocks
79
discuss the slider carriage, barrel and adjustment screw of the carronade
- slider carriage - automatically slides back to re-load reducing the need for loads of men with ropes to pull it back
- big canons below deck were manual
- adjustment screw - raise and lower to aim at mast and men
- shorter barrel and wider muzzle allowed a broader angle of fire
- quick to reload - used little gun powder - deadly at close range with grapeshot
- fire a heavy round shot up to 64lb
- produced deadly splinters
80
how did carronades become ineffective LT
- in American war of 1812 - the USA ships learnt to just keep their distance and bombard the British adversaries from a distance beyond the range of carronades
- people realised if you're not close they're useless
- phased out towards the end of Napoleonic Wars
81
how many worldwide British loses of ships was there between 1793-1815
522
- but Britain has ships everywhere and they've captured many Franco-Spanish ships too
- shows British success and how good they were compared to the French
- French lost 785
- Spanish lost 193 (to 1808)
82
how many ships did Britain lose at Trafalgar
NONE :)
83
when was the SECOND battle of Copenhagen
2nd -5th September 1807
84
why did the SECOND battle of Copenhagen happen
- Britain go back to Copenhagen as the Danish still looking to be on the side of the French but the Baltic was a key area for British trade
85
why was the SECOND battle of Copenhagen so controversial
- the Royal Navy didn't attack the ships, they attack the city with no direct provocation
- shell and bombard it from the sea killing innocent civilians
- Denmark still neutral too!
- showed its one rule for Britain and another for everyone else
- British government saw it was a necessary evil to defend British interests from preventing Danish interfering with British trade in the Baltic
86
what was the outcome of the SECOND battle of Copenhagen
- destroyed some 30% of the city
- killing some 2000 civilians
- on 5th September, the Danes had had enough and offered to surrender
- in the surrender document singed by all parties on Sep 7th Denmark agreed to hand over their ENTIRE navy to the British
87
when was the Walcheren Expedition
1809
88
why did the Walcheren Expedition take place
- British Expedition to the Netherlands with the intention of opening another front in the Austrian Empire's struggle with France during the War of the Fifth Coalition
- attempt to pen the ports and get a stronger hold in Northern Europe
89
what was the outcome of the Walcheren Expedition
- unsuccessful
- main problem was disease - during Nelson's time there were no issues with disease, hygiene or discipline because of the level of respect he commanded from his men/ the best food he commanded for his fleet
- either freak illness or proved the standards of the navy had slipped now they had hegemony
- Walcheren fever
- 4000 British troops died during the expedition only 106 in combat
90
why did the Admiralty of the Royal Navy have a seat on the government
- significance of navy
- connected for approval of things
- so many admirals, size of empire and scale of the seas - keep it in check
- information transmitted quickly
91
reasons for fluctuating naval expenditure across the French wars
- 1802 - treaty of Amiens - year of peace - spending drops
- naval tech of knowing enemy location poor - battles did not continuously ensue each other so high spending not always necessary
- some battles more successful than others so rebuilding of ships more necessary sometimes than others
92
why did the Royal Navy fight against USA In 1812 and how successful was it
- USA trading and assisting the French
- Britain thus attempted to blockade the East Coast of America and stop this trade
- America fought back land and naval battles
- Britain's untouchability began to dwindle though they were by far still the best Navy in the world
- carronades less effective against the British Navy and Britain did lose some ships
- both sides did desire peace after a while
- 1841 Treaty of Ghent signed leaving no real winner
