"The Royal Navy and the French Wars: The Long-Term..." Topic

…Background by Jeremy Black

"To understand the (British) Royal Navy at the time of the Napoleonic Wars, it is necessary to appreciate the extent to which they were not a new episode for the navy but rather the latest iteration of a repeated challenge that had existed since 1689. Moreover, the navy had institutional and career continuity, and indeed to a much greater extent than its Continental rivals. As a result, it is necessary to look at long-term continuities when trying to understand the Napoleonic Wars at sea. A key form of continuity was offered by the technology itself. The incremental process of naval improvement continued in the last decades of sail, but, with hindsight provided by subsequent technological developments, it is possible to see the period in terms of the use of yet greater resources of people, materiel and funds to use established means to pursue familiar military courses. The American and French Revolutions certainly did not bring changes in naval warfare comparable to those on land. Instead, the long-term growing stress onnaval firepower continued to affect fleet structures. Whereas in 1720, there were only two warships displacing more than 3,000 tons, by 1815 nearly a fifth of the naval strength above 500 tons was in this category. In 1800-15, ships of 2,500-3,000 tons achieved greater importance, whereas those of 2,000-2,500 and 1,500-2,000 tons declined in number. These bigger ships were able to carry heavier guns. Whereas the average ship of the line in 1720 had 60 guns and was armed with 12- and 24-pounders, that of 1815
had 74 guns with 32- and 36-pounders on the lower deck…"

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