Sea Power and Maritime Affairs

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Sea Power and Maritime Affairs

• Lesson 3 Oceanic Sea Power and the Emergence of
  European Nation States,
• 1400s to 1763.

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Current Events

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• auxiliary support ship
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• And yes, I know, Duke Lost!!

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Learning Objectives

• The student will comprehend the importance of sea
  borne commerce and square-rigged ocean-going
  merchantmen and warships to Europe's emergence
  from the Middle Ages.
• The student will know the important voyages of
  discovery and the reasons they were organized.
• The student will comprehend the succession of
  great maritime powers in the 15th through the
  17th centuries (Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands,
  Britain) and the reasons for the rise of each and
  the decline of all except Britain.

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Learning Objectives

• The student will comprehend the causes and
  significance of the Grand Armada (1586-1588) to
  include the transition from galley warfare to
  that between sailing ships mounting cannon in
  broadsides.
• The student will comprehend the important
  historical events and strategic goals of France
  and Britain in their confrontations from the late
  1600s to 1763.

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Learning Objectives

• The student will know the major effects of events
  in Anglo-French relations on their colonial
  possessions in North America and around the world
  from the late 1600s to 1763.

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Western Europe Emerges

• Major player in international trade and commerce
• Dissimilar climate, geography, and peoples
• Navigable rivers and surrounding coastal waters
• Growth of middle class of artisans, merchants,
  and tradesmen.
• Development of systems of exchange, banking,
  investment, and insurance.
• Rise in disposable income created demands for
  foods and goods from other continents.

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Sailing Ships

• Galleys useless on Atlantic Ocean due to high sea
  states and poor weather.
• Merchant ships developed into caravels and then
  galleons.
• Forecastles and aftercastles developed.
• Initially grappling hooks are used for boarding
  enemy ships, then cannon are used to attack at
  longer range.
• Improvements in navigation.
• Magnetic compass and dead reckoning or DR.
• Angle of stars above the horizon provided
  latitude.
• Allowed longer voyages away from land.

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Age of Exploration

• Portugal Prince Henry the Navigator
• Bartholomew Diaz - Cape of Good Hope - 1486
• Vasco da Gama - India - 1497 -- Conflict with
  Arabs.
• Cabral - Brazil - 1500
• Spain - Large empire established in the Americas.
• Columbus - Americas - 1492
• Named for Amerigo Vespucci
• Magellan - Circumnavigation of the Globe -
  1519-1522
• The Conquistadors of America
• Balboa - Panama - 1513
• Ponce de Leon - Florida - 1513
• Cortez - Mexico (Aztec Empire) - 1520
• Pizarro - Peru (Inca Empire) - 1532

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Early European Colonization

• Treaty of Tordesillas - 1494
• Papal division of the world to regulate
  exploration and colonization by Portugal and
  Spain.
• England, Holland, and France begin exploration -
  1500s.
• Ignore Treaty of Tordesillas.
• European competition for overseas colonies
  begins.
• Mercantilism - Colonies needed to support
  economic growth.
• Colonies established in areas in Caribbean and
  Latin America not already claimed by Portugal and
  Spain.
• England Eastern coast of present-day United
  States.
• France Canada and Louisiana
• Holland New York area, South Africa and
  challenge of Portugal in Indian Ocean and East
  Indies.

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Spain vs. England (1567-1604)

• Spain Superpower
• Conflicts with France for N Europe, turkey for
  the Med.
• Spanish Netherlands revolts and serves as
  distraction from quest for Sea Control.
• Spanish king, Philip II sends large army to
  Netherlands, 1566.
• Englands options limited, creates Cold War

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Defeat of the Spanish Armada

• Tactics
• Weather Gage effectively utilized by British.
• Held upwind position.
• Now able to off-fight with longer range guns.
• Previously ships had to make physical contact to
  engage.
• Maneuverability now more important.
• English had superior seamanship skills.
• Spanish defeated in English Channel.
• Many Spanish ships wrecked in North Sea storm.
• Spain and its empire begin a long period of
  decline.
• England begins to establish overseas colonies -
  America.

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Men of War

• Forecastles and Aftercastles eliminated.
• Increased speed and stability.
• Multiple decks with gunports.
• More guns added.
• Full-rigging.
• Faster speeds.
• Many sailors.
• Needed to man sails and guns.

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MenofWar

• Propulsion Sail
• Weapons Guns (Broadside)
• Formation Line-Ahead
• Rate Guns Decks Notes
• 1 gt 100 3 Ships of the Line (Flag)
• 2 80-100 3 Ships of the Line (Flag)
• 3 60-80 2 Ships of the Line (Private)
• 4 50-60 1-2 Cruisers (Flag)
• 5 30-44 1 Cruisers (Frigates)
• 6 20-28 1 Cruisers (Sloops, Brigs
  Schooners)

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Anglo-Dutch Wars (1652-1674)

• Series of three naval wars. (1652-54, 1665-67,
  1672-74)
• Dutch United Provinces gain maritime trade
  monopolies.
• Use dominant sea power to advantage after
  independence from Spain in 1609.
• Challenged by Cromwells England Builds the Navy
• English naval tactics developed Fighting
  Instructions
• Line ahead formations become standard.
• Provides ability to fire broadsides at enemy
  fleet.
• Royal Navy debates between Formal and Melee
  schools.
• Dutch loses possessions in North America.
• Hudson Valley and New Amsterdam (New York City)
• Fatal weaknesses Dependent on sea, threats from
  other continental powers, configured for shallow
  water.

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Fleet Advantages

• Weather Gage
• Held by the upwind fleet.
• Ability to determine the time and range of
  engagement of the enemy fleet.
• Lee Gage
• Held by the downwind fleet.
• Ability to determine the time of disengagement
  from the enemy fleet.

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Line Ahead Formations
Wind
Weather Gage
Lee Gage
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Ships of the Line

• Only heavily gunned ships able to remain in line
  ahead formation during battle.
• Greater than 80 guns required.
• Smaller ships (cruisers) detached for patrol,
  reconnaissance, blockade, and attacks on enemy
  merchant ships (commerce raiding).
• Fleet with better gunnery skills can gain the
  advantage.
• Importance of training sailors to fire guns
  rapidly and accurately.

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Melee Tactics Theory

• To gain the advantage, one needs to concentrate
  firepower against the enemy fleet.
• Allows a superior weight of broadside.
• A conterminous line-ahead formation does not
  allow firepower to be massed.
• Must maneuver the fleet to gain the advantage in
  firepower.
• Massing
• Doubling
• Breaking the Line

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Melee Tactics
Wind
Massing
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Melee Tactics
Wind
Doubling
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Melee Tactics
Wind
Breaking the Line
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Anglo-French Conflicts (1689-1775)

• Great Britain fears France's threat to become
  militarily dominant in Europe.
• Continental element
• France Army 5-to1 to the British
• Britain monetarily and militarily subsidies her
  continental allies
• Maritime element
• Britain prospered through commerce across the
  Atlantic
• Royal Navy shows the flag from warships
• Britain gaining timber and Naval supplies from
  the Baltic.
• Britain maintained a fleet twice the size of
  France
• Permanent Fighting Instructions adopted by Royal
  Navy.
• Results of sea battles support the use of formal
  tactics.

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PermanentFighting Instructions
Wind
Van
Rear
Center
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Tactics

• French Navy - Defensive
• Desired to hold the lee gage.
• Able to retire in order to save ships.
• Unable to devote resources to Navy due to wars in
  Europe.
• Fired on the up roll to target rigging (masts
  and sails).
• Reduce British ability to maneuver into attack
  position.
• Few British casualties.
• Royal Navy - Offensive
• Desired to hold the weather gage.
• Advantage to the attacking fleet.
• Fired on the down roll into the enemy hulls
• Splinters and debris killed and maimed French gun
  crews.
• High numbers of French casualties.

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Anglo-French Conflicts (1689-1775)

• War of English Succession (1689-1697)
• English goal Contain French aggression
  maintain balance of power on continent of Europe.
  
• Battle of Barfleur
• Louis XIV lost the war France abandoned its
  continental conquests acknowledged William of
  Orange as King of England.
• War of Spanish Succession (1703-1713)
• Britain acquires possessions of France and her
  allies (e.g., Spain, Gibraltar)
• Battle of Malaga Tactically indecisive, but
  French "flinched under bombardment" and
  retreated to port.
• Great Britain was now leader in maritime commerce
  and clearly the "Mistress of the Seas."

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Seven Years War (1756-1763)

• Significance
• Geopolitical Genuine world war fought in German
  states, Mediterranean, Canada, West Indies,
  India, Africa, and Philippines.
• Strategic Classic example of conflict between
  land power (France) and sea power (England).
• Great Britain Key to victory
• Pitt's Plan of William Pitt the Elder.
• Hitting - Attack overseas colonies of France
  and Spain.
• Holding - French battle fleet through blockade
  of ports.
• Support continental allies Frederick the Great
  of Prussia.

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Seven Years War (1756-1763)

• French counter-strategy
• Raid British maritime commerce
• Defend French Colonies
• Try to invade England
• Known as French and Indian War in America.
• British Siege of Quebec - 1759.
• Wolfe defeats Montcalm on the Plains of Abraham.
• British defeat French at Battle of Quiberon Bay -
  1759.
• Peace of Paris - 1763
• Great Britain obtains Canada, U.S. East of
  Mississippi River to Appalachian Mts., Florida,
  and much of India.

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Next Class

• The American Revolution 1775-1783
• Read This Peoples Navy, chapter 1