The Naval War

While France's armies ruled Europe, the waves were dominated by Britain's Royal Navy.

Backed by huge amounts of money, Britain's wooden walls kept it safe from invasion and enabled it to build a trading empire.

The Royal Navy's key tactic was to attack whenever possible and its admirals and captains obliged with gusto. We have biographies for the leading sailors including Horatio Nelson, Cuthbert Collingwood, Thomas Cochrane and Edward Pellew.

In the following pages we cover many aspects of naval warfare in the age of fighting sail and provide some wonderful images from naval artists such as Paul Deacon and Richard Moore.

We detail the naval balance between the Powers in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, explain the type of ships that were used, what life was like aboard a sailing warship, how far cannons could fire and provide a glossary of naval terms.

We also describe key battles such as Camperdown, Copenhagen, The Nile and, of course, Trafalgar .

Naval warfare during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars was a time for heroes and great deeds and still captures the imagination with tales about Hornblower and Jack Aubrey.

Naval Balance
Conditions of the Fleets
The Leading Sailors
Officers and Crew
Naval Glossary
Fleet Sizes
Naval Cannon Ranges
Royal Navy Ship Ratings
Royal Navy Pay
Royal Navy Half Pay
Mutiny at Spithead
Mutiny at the Nore
British Ships at Anchor
Military Glossary
Maritime Art of Paul Deacon
Art of Richard Moore

The Battles
Camperdown
Cape St Vincent
Copenhagen
Lake Erie
The Nile
UK orders of battle at the Nile
French orders at the Nile
Trafalgar
War of 1812: Naval Duels
A British Boarding Party in Action
Bombardment of Toulon

Trafalgar
Battleline Map
Nelson is Wounded
Nelson Lies Dying
French Report of Their "victory" at Trafalgar
English Newspaper Report of Trafalgar
Royal Navy Order of Battle
French Order of Battle
Spanish Order of Battle
Letter to Admiral Collingwood
Flags of Nelson's "England Expects" Signal
French Prizes Sink