Changes in the Royal Navy, 1790-1918

• No navy left which could threaten Britain.
• Became more important to police trade and protect commerce.
• Abolished slavery in 1807- Royal Navy enforcing ban on international and British waters
• Most of the Battleships which fought against Napleon were decommissioned 
• 1817- 13 battleships still on active service.. 
• Main strenght came from frigates, sloops and brigs. 
• Reorganised into squadrons- North America, South America, West Indies, Western Mediterranean, West Africa, Cape Colony, East Indies and Eastern Mediteranean.
• Gunboat diplomacy- Algiers 1816, Acre 1840, retalliation for acts thought to be against British interests
• Ottoman Fleet destroyed in 1827 at the Battle of Navarino
• Royal Navy stopped Iberian fleets acting effectively, thereby helping revolutionaries 1820s

The Shift from Sail to steam:

• HMS Meda & HMS Gladiator first steam driven ships
• Not until 1850, did Britain begin a programme of building steam powered battleships using a scre propeller, rather than a paddle.
• French began introducing steam engines in the early 1840s
• First steam powered battleships- HMS Agamennom was built in 1852. HMS Devastation, first ship without regging in 1873

Wood to Iron:

• First fully iron Warship was launched in 1860- HMS Warrior
• Allowed for heavier ships
• Better gunnery- Armstrong Whitworth 110 pounders. 

New ships and gunnery:

• Could call on a handful of large battleships with 120 or 80 guns, but most carried 74 or 60 guns. 
• The navy had been reduced too far and Graham began a systematic programme of refitting existing ships and building new battleships.
• Felt the art of gunnery had been neglected- issued an order that all crew should practice to improve skills. Also set up a school of gunnery and commissioned the HMS excellent, for the particular purpose. 

Promotion:

• 800 captains on active service. Those without a ship were put on half pay. Based on influence not intelligence. Graham introduced a regulation that set out a minimumamount of service an officer had to have in order to move up the ranks. 

Supply:

• Abolition of the Naval Office and Victualling board- placed under naval control.
• Five principle officers would each be in charge of a certain area. Principal officers worked at the adimirality and communication became quicker
• Graham also extended the widening of Royal Navy control to the dockyards.- Greater efficiency in servicing and resupplying ships

Changing role of the navy:

• Blockades, prevent foriegn invasion, protect trade, protect food imports.

Two power standard:

• Naval defence Act 1899- Britain's naval strenght should be at least equal to its two biggest rivals. (France and Germany)
• Germany- unified 1871- all ships were modern and had more industrial capacity. Some Royal Navy ships were not fit for service.
• Tirpitz- German Navy 2/3 of the Royal Navy it could defeat it. 
• Lead to the arms race 

Jackie Fisher:

• Reforms of officer trading- all officers taught together until 22 years old. 
• Officer cadets would all have to study history, navigation and seamanship, along with science, mathematics and engineering. 
• Also bought in officers whose technical expertise he valued. 

Balancing the budget:

• Sold off 90 ships and put 64 in reserve- too weak to fight and too slow to run away
• Created the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve in order to augment the Royal Navy Reserve. 
• Britain had a large reserve to call on in times of war 
• The strenght of the Mediterranean Fleet was reduced to 12 ships and the 5 battleships stationed in China were sent back to Britain. 
• South Atlantic fleet was abolished. Channel Fleet moved to Gibraltar and was renamed the Atlantic Fleet.
• Home Fleet became the Channel Fleet. Reserve Fleet stationed at the Thames.

Effect of the Russo-Japanese War:

• Showed the importance of having more and bigger guns
• Importance of Submarines
• Building of Battle cruisers

HMS Dreadnought:

• 20,000 tonnes. Ten 12" guns. Could fire 18,000 yards and a top speed of 21.6 knots.
• Had technology which could take into account the direction and speed of the target

• Germans started the construction of 9 dreadnoughts in 1908
• By 1914, Germany would have 17 dreadnoughts to Britain's 29. The French would have 10, the Russians 4 and the Austrians 3
• Orion class (Super Dreadnought)- 22,000 tonnes, 13.5" guns.
• 1912- Queen Elizabeth Class- 27,00 tonnes and armed with 15" guns. 
• Germany realised their primay aim was to defeat France on land, so stopped their dreadnought programme and focused more of their resources on the army.