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id="toc-Eighteenth_century" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Eighteenth_century"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.1</span> <span>Eighteenth century</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Eighteenth_century-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Nineteenth_century" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Nineteenth_century"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.2</span> <span>Nineteenth century</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Nineteenth_century-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Twentieth_century" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Twentieth_century"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.3</span> <span>Twentieth century</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Twentieth_century-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Twenty-first_century" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Twenty-first_century"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.4</span> <span>Twenty-first century</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Twenty-first_century-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Royal_Navy" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Royal_Navy"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>Royal Navy</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Royal_Navy-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Royal Navy subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Royal_Navy-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Eighteenth-century_navy" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Eighteenth-century_navy"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1</span> <span>Eighteenth-century navy</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Eighteenth-century_navy-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Nineteenth-century_navy" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Nineteenth-century_navy"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.2</span> <span>Nineteenth-century navy</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Nineteenth-century_navy-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Twentieth-century_navy" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Twentieth-century_navy"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.3</span> <span>Twentieth-century navy</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Twentieth-century_navy-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-The_Navy_Board" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#The_Navy_Board"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.4</span> <span>The Navy Board</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-The_Navy_Board-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Ministry_of_Defence" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Ministry_of_Defence"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.5</span> <span>Ministry of Defence</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Ministry_of_Defence-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Notable_wars" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Notable_wars"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6</span> <span>Notable wars</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Notable_wars-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-American_Wars" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#American_Wars"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6.1</span> <span>American Wars</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-American_Wars-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-French_Revolutionary/Napoleonic_Wars" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#French_Revolutionary/Napoleonic_Wars"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6.2</span> <span>French Revolutionary/Napoleonic Wars</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-French_Revolutionary/Napoleonic_Wars-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Maritime_events_of_World_War_I" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Maritime_events_of_World_War_I"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6.3</span> <span>Maritime events of World War I</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Maritime_events_of_World_War_I-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Maritime_events_of_World_War_II" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Maritime_events_of_World_War_II"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6.4</span> <span>Maritime events of World War II</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Maritime_events_of_World_War_II-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Post_World_War_II_operations" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Post_World_War_II_operations"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6.5</span> <span>Post World War II operations</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Post_World_War_II_operations-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Notable_individuals" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Notable_individuals"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Notable individuals</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Notable_individuals-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Notable individuals subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Notable_individuals-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Charles_Hardy" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Charles_Hardy"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.1</span> <span>Charles Hardy</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Charles_Hardy-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Augustus_Keppel" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Augustus_Keppel"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.2</span> <span>Augustus Keppel</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Augustus_Keppel-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Edward_Hawke" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Edward_Hawke"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.3</span> <span>Edward Hawke</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Edward_Hawke-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Richard_Howe" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Richard_Howe"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.4</span> <span>Richard Howe</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Richard_Howe-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Horatio_Nelson" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Horatio_Nelson"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.5</span> <span>Horatio Nelson</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Horatio_Nelson-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Hyde_Parker" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Hyde_Parker"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.6</span> <span>Hyde Parker</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Hyde_Parker-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Edward_Pellew" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Edward_Pellew"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.7</span> <span>Edward Pellew</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Edward_Pellew-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-James_Saumarez" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#James_Saumarez"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.8</span> <span>James Saumarez</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-James_Saumarez-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-William_Dampier" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#William_Dampier"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.9</span> <span>William Dampier</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-William_Dampier-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-James_Cook" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#James_Cook"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.10</span> <span>James Cook</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-James_Cook-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-George_Vancouver" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#George_Vancouver"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.11</span> <span>George Vancouver</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-George_Vancouver-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Admiral_Anson" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Admiral_Anson"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.12</span> <span>Admiral Anson</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Admiral_Anson-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Sir_John_Franklin" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Sir_John_Franklin"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.13</span> <span>Sir John Franklin</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Sir_John_Franklin-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-James_Clarke_Ross" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#James_Clarke_Ross"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.14</span> <span>James Clarke Ross</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-James_Clarke_Ross-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Robert_Scott" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Robert_Scott"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.15</span> <span>Robert Scott</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Robert_Scott-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Ernest_Shackleton" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Ernest_Shackleton"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.16</span> <span>Ernest Shackleton</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Ernest_Shackleton-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Shipbuilding" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Shipbuilding"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Shipbuilding</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Shipbuilding-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Famous_ships" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Famous_ships"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Famous ships</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Famous_ships-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Famous ships subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Famous_ships-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Cutty_Sark" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Cutty_Sark"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.1</span> <span><i>Cutty Sark</i></span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Cutty_Sark-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Endeavour" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Endeavour"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.2</span> <span><i>Endeavour</i></span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Endeavour-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Great_Britain" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Great_Britain"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.3</span> <span><i>Great Britain</i></span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Great_Britain-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Great_Eastern" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Great_Eastern"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.4</span> <span><i>Great Eastern</i></span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Great_Eastern-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Titanic" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Titanic"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.5</span> <span><i>Titanic</i></span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Titanic-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Queen_Mary" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Queen_Mary"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.6</span> <span><i>Queen Mary</i></span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Queen_Mary-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Britannia" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Britannia"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.7</span> <span><i>Britannia</i></span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Britannia-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Victory" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Victory"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.8</span> <span><i>Victory</i></span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Victory-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Warrior" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Warrior"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.9</span> <span><i>Warrior</i></span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Warrior-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Belfast" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Belfast"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.10</span> <span><i>Belfast</i></span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Belfast-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Navigation" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Navigation"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>Navigation</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Navigation-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Navigation subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Navigation-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Instruments_and_guides" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Instruments_and_guides"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6.1</span> <span>Instruments and guides</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Instruments_and_guides-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Lighthouses" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Lighthouses"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6.2</span> <span>Lighthouses</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Lighthouses-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Navigation_marks" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Navigation_marks"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6.3</span> <span>Navigation marks</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Navigation_marks-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Electronic_navigation" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Electronic_navigation"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6.4</span> <span>Electronic navigation</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Electronic_navigation-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Safety_and_rescue" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Safety_and_rescue"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>Safety and rescue</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Safety_and_rescue-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Safety and rescue subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Safety_and_rescue-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Plimsoll_line" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Plimsoll_line"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7.1</span> <span>Plimsoll line</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Plimsoll_line-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Lifeboats" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Lifeboats"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7.2</span> <span>Lifeboats</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Lifeboats-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Maritime_and_Coastguard_Agency" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Maritime_and_Coastguard_Agency"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7.3</span> <span>Maritime and Coastguard Agency</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Maritime_and_Coastguard_Agency-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Ports_and_harbours" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Ports_and_harbours"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>Ports and harbours</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Ports_and_harbours-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Trade" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Trade"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9</span> <span>Trade</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Trade-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Trade subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Trade-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Goods" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Goods"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9.1</span> <span>Goods</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Goods-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Passenger_liners" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Passenger_liners"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9.2</span> <span>Passenger liners</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Passenger_liners-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Emigration/deportation" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Emigration/deportation"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9.3</span> <span>Emigration/deportation</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Emigration/deportation-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Ferries_and_cruise_boats" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Ferries_and_cruise_boats"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">10</span> <span>Ferries and cruise boats</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Ferries_and_cruise_boats-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Customs_men_and_smugglers" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Customs_men_and_smugglers"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">11</span> <span>Customs men and smugglers</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Customs_men_and_smugglers-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Fishing" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Fishing"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">12</span> <span>Fishing</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Fishing-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Energy" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Energy"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">13</span> <span>Energy</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Energy-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Energy subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Energy-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Gas_and_oil" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Gas_and_oil"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">13.1</span> <span>Gas and oil</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Gas_and_oil-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Oil_spills" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Oil_spills"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">13.2</span> <span>Oil spills</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Oil_spills-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Offshore_wind_farms" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Offshore_wind_farms"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">13.3</span> <span>Offshore wind farms</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Offshore_wind_farms-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Coast" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Coast"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">14</span> <span>Coast</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Coast-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Leisure_activities" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Leisure_activities"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">15</span> <span>Leisure activities</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Leisure_activities-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Leisure activities subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Leisure_activities-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Resorts" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Resorts"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">15.1</span> <span>Resorts</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Resorts-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Rowing,_yachting_and_power_boats" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Rowing,_yachting_and_power_boats"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">15.2</span> <span>Rowing, yachting and power boats</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Rowing,_yachting_and_power_boats-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Marinas" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Marinas"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">15.3</span> <span>Marinas</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Marinas-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Marine_science" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Marine_science"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">16</span> <span>Marine science</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Marine_science-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Marine science subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Marine_science-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Hydrographics" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Hydrographics"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">16.1</span> <span>Hydrographics</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Hydrographics-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Oceanography" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Oceanography"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">16.2</span> <span>Oceanography</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Oceanography-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Maritime_studies" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Maritime_studies"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">17</span> <span>Maritime studies</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Maritime_studies-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Maritime studies subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Maritime_studies-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Colleges" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Colleges"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">17.1</span> <span>Colleges</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Colleges-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Admiralty_law" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Admiralty_law"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">17.2</span> <span>Admiralty law</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Admiralty_law-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Law_of_the_sea" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Law_of_the_sea"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">18</span> <span>Law of the sea</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Law_of_the_sea-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Law of the sea subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Law_of_the_sea-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Ship_design" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Ship_design"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">18.1</span> <span>Ship design</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Ship_design-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Maritime_museums" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Maritime_museums"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">19</span> <span>Maritime museums</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Maritime_museums-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Maritime museums subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Maritime_museums-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Maritime_archaeology" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Maritime_archaeology"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">19.1</span> <span>Maritime archaeology</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Maritime_archaeology-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Maritime_subjects_in_the_Arts" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Maritime_subjects_in_the_Arts"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">20</span> <span>Maritime subjects in the Arts</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Maritime_subjects_in_the_Arts-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Maritime subjects in the Arts subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Maritime_subjects_in_the_Arts-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Art" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Art"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">20.1</span> <span>Art</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Art-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Literature" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Literature"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">20.2</span> <span>Literature</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Literature-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Music" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Music"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">20.3</span> <span>Music</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Music-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">21</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">22</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Further_reading" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Further_reading"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">23</span> <span>Further reading</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Further_reading-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">24</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" 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//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/100px-Question_book-new.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="399" /></a></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This article <b>needs additional citations for <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability">verification</a></b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> Please help <a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom" title="Special:EditPage/Maritime history of the United Kingdom">improve this article</a> by <a href="/wiki/Help:Referencing_for_beginners" title="Help:Referencing for beginners">adding citations to reliable sources</a>. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.<br /><small><span class="plainlinks"><i>Find sources:</i> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?as_eq=wikipedia&q=%22Maritime+history+of+the+United+Kingdom%22">"Maritime history of the United Kingdom"</a> – <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?tbm=nws&q=%22Maritime+history+of+the+United+Kingdom%22+-wikipedia&tbs=ar:1">news</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?&q=%22Maritime+history+of+the+United+Kingdom%22&tbs=bkt:s&tbm=bks">newspapers</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?tbs=bks:1&q=%22Maritime+history+of+the+United+Kingdom%22+-wikipedia">books</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%22Maritime+history+of+the+United+Kingdom%22">scholar</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/action/doBasicSearch?Query=%22Maritime+history+of+the+United+Kingdom%22&acc=on&wc=on">JSTOR</a></span></small></span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">October 2022</span>)</i></span><span class="hide-when-compact"><i> (<small><a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove this message</a></small>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p> The <b>Maritime history of the United Kingdom</b> involves events including <a href="/wiki/Shipping" class="mw-redirect" title="Shipping">shipping</a>, <a href="/wiki/Port" title="Port">ports</a>, <a href="/wiki/Navigation" title="Navigation">navigation</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Sailor" title="Sailor">seamen</a>, as well as marine sciences, exploration, trade, and maritime themes in the arts from the creation of the kingdom of <a href="/wiki/Kingdom_of_Great_Britain" title="Kingdom of Great Britain">Great Britain</a><sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> as a united, <a href="/wiki/Sovereign_state" title="Sovereign state">sovereign state</a>, on 1 May 1707 in accordance with the <a href="/wiki/Treaty_of_Union" title="Treaty of Union">Treaty of Union</a>, signed on 22 July 1706.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Until the advent of air transport and the creation of the <a href="/wiki/Channel_Tunnel" title="Channel Tunnel">Channel Tunnel</a>, marine transport was the only way of reaching the <a href="/wiki/British_Isles_(terminology)" class="mw-redirect" title="British Isles (terminology)">British Isles</a>. For this reason, maritime trade and naval power have always had great importance. </p> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Britannia_rules_the_waves_IMG_2210.JPG" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/Britannia_rules_the_waves_IMG_2210.JPG/300px-Britannia_rules_the_waves_IMG_2210.JPG" decoding="async" width="300" height="200" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/Britannia_rules_the_waves_IMG_2210.JPG/450px-Britannia_rules_the_waves_IMG_2210.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/Britannia_rules_the_waves_IMG_2210.JPG/600px-Britannia_rules_the_waves_IMG_2210.JPG 2x" data-file-width="2894" data-file-height="1929" /></a><figcaption><i>Britannia <a href="/wiki/Rule,_Britannia!" title="Rule, Britannia!">rule the waves</a></i>: decorated plate made in <a href="/wiki/Liverpool" title="Liverpool">Liverpool</a> circa 1793–1794 (<a href="/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_de_la_R%C3%A9volution_fran%C3%A7aise" title="Musée de la Révolution française">Musée de la Révolution française</a>).</figcaption></figure> <p>Prior to the <a href="/wiki/Acts_of_Union_1707" title="Acts of Union 1707">Acts of Union, 1707</a>, the maritime history of the British Isles was largely dominated by that of England. (See <a href="/wiki/Maritime_history_of_England" title="Maritime history of England">Maritime history of England</a> for more details.) </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Chronology">Chronology</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Chronology"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Eighteenth_century">Eighteenth century</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Eighteenth century"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In the eighteenth century, Britain was a major exporter of <a href="/wiki/Wool" title="Wool">wool</a> fabric and other manufactured goods.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p><a href="/wiki/Lloyd%27s_List" title="Lloyd's List">Lloyd's List</a> was established in 1734 and <a href="/wiki/Lloyd%27s_Register" title="Lloyd's Register">Lloyd's Register</a> in 1764/5. <a href="/wiki/The_Marine_Society" title="The Marine Society">The Marine Society</a> was set up in 1756 with the aim of sending poor boys to sea. </p><p>Steam technology was first applied to boats in the 1770s but sailing ships continued to be developed. In 1794 an experimental steam powered ship called the <i>Kent</i> was built which showed designers the way forward. <a href="/w/index.php?title=Nathanial_Symonds&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Nathanial Symonds (page does not exist)">Nathanial Symonds</a> demonstrated a sinking boat in 1729. </p><p>Towards the end of the century, the <a href="/wiki/Napoleonic_Wars" title="Napoleonic Wars">Napoleonic Wars</a> started with <a href="/wiki/Napoleon_I_of_France" class="mw-redirect" title="Napoleon I of France">Napoleon</a>, later crowned as French Emperor, and <a href="/wiki/Naval_battle" class="mw-redirect" title="Naval battle">naval battles</a> continued into the 19th century. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Nineteenth_century">Nineteenth century</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Nineteenth century"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In 1801 a <a href="/wiki/Steamboat" title="Steamboat">steamship</a> called the <i><a href="/wiki/Charlotte_Dundas" title="Charlotte Dundas">Charlotte Dundas</a></i> ran trials on a <a href="/wiki/Canal" title="Canal">canal</a> near <a href="/wiki/Glasgow" title="Glasgow">Glasgow</a>, towing barges. In 1815 <a href="/w/index.php?title=Pierre_Andriel&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Pierre Andriel (page does not exist)">Pierre Andriel</a> crossed the English Channel aboard the steamship <a href="/wiki/Steam_ship_%C3%89lise" class="mw-redirect" title="Steam ship Élise"><i>Élise</i></a>. By the mid-century steamboats were a common sight on British rivers and canals. Regular steamship sailings across the Atlantic started in the 1830s. </p><p>Shipbuilders began using <a href="/wiki/Iron" title="Iron">iron</a> instead of wood as the ships could be made larger with more cargo space. Ships also began to be fitted with <a href="/wiki/Steam_engine" title="Steam engine">steam engines</a> and <a href="/wiki/Paddle_steamer" title="Paddle steamer">paddle wheels</a> but the latter was found to be unsuited to open sea use. From the 1840s screw <a href="/wiki/Propeller" title="Propeller">propellers</a> replaced paddles. In the 1870s new more efficient engines were introduced so that sailing ships began to be phased out. From the 1880s <a href="/wiki/Steel" title="Steel">steel</a> began to replace iron for the hulls. </p><p>Because of the space required for coal and the large crew requirements on steamships, sailing ships were favoured for long voyages and reached a design peak with the <a href="/wiki/Clipper" title="Clipper">clippers</a> used for transporting tea and wool. Steamships gradually replaced sailing ships for commercial shipping during the 19th century, particularly after more efficient engine designs were developed in the later part of the period. </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Navarino" title="Battle of Navarino">Battle of Navarino</a> in 1827 was the last to be fought by the <a href="/wiki/Royal_Navy" title="Royal Navy">Royal Navy</a> entirely with sailing ships. By the end of the century submarine design had progressed sufficiently to be useful, as had the design of <a href="/wiki/Torpedo" title="Torpedo">torpedoes</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Twentieth_century">Twentieth century</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Twentieth century"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:TitanicBeken.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/TitanicBeken.jpg/220px-TitanicBeken.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="106" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/TitanicBeken.jpg/330px-TitanicBeken.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/TitanicBeken.jpg/440px-TitanicBeken.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2497" data-file-height="1198" /></a><figcaption>RMS <i>Titanic</i>, days before sinking.</figcaption></figure> <p>At the start of the century 25% of the world's trade was through British ports, 18% of this being to North America. Trans-oceanic travel was important at the start of the century with <a href="/wiki/Transatlantic_crossing" title="Transatlantic crossing">transatlantic</a> liners competing for the "<a href="/wiki/Blue_Riband" title="Blue Riband">Blue Riband</a>" for the fastest crossing. A significant event was the sinking of the <a href="/wiki/RMS_Titanic" class="mw-redirect" title="RMS Titanic"><i>Titanic</i></a> in 1912. This led to the <a href="/wiki/Global_Maritime_Distress_Safety_System" class="mw-redirect" title="Global Maritime Distress Safety System">Global Maritime Distress Safety System</a> and to the <a href="/w/index.php?title=Iceberg_Patrol&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Iceberg Patrol (page does not exist)">Iceberg Patrol</a>. The rise of air travel led to a decrease in ocean travel but then, towards the end of the century, <a href="/wiki/Cruise_ship" title="Cruise ship">cruise ships</a> became important again. </p><p>During the 20th century new types of cargo ships appeared - the <a href="/wiki/Container_ship" title="Container ship">container ship</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Petroleum_tanker" class="mw-redirect" title="Petroleum tanker">oil tanker</a> and the gas container ship. Specialised ports for handling these were also developed. </p><p>Most <a href="/wiki/Warship" title="Warship">warships</a> used steam propulsion until the advent of the gas turbine in the mid part of the period. Steamships were superseded by <a href="/wiki/Diesel_engine" title="Diesel engine">diesel-driven</a> cargo ships in the second half of the century. Submarines were mainly powered by a combination of diesel and batteries until the advent of <a href="/wiki/Nuclear_marine_propulsion" title="Nuclear marine propulsion">nuclear marine propulsion</a> in 1955. </p><p>There were two major wars against Germany and its allies that saw a massive expansion in naval fleets and the use of air power at sea, resulting in the construction of <a href="/wiki/Aircraft_carrier" title="Aircraft carrier">aircraft carriers</a> that became the main centre of sea power. Both wars saw massive destruction of the British <a href="/wiki/Ship_transport" class="mw-redirect" title="Ship transport">merchant fleet</a> but new construction exceeded the rate of destruction. After World War II there was an initial drop in warship numbers but then the rise of the <a href="/wiki/Soviet_Navy" title="Soviet Navy">Soviet naval</a> threat resulted in the <a href="/wiki/Cold_War" title="Cold War">Cold War</a> with the construction of new warships and submarines. The reduction of the <a href="/wiki/Soviet_Union" title="Soviet Union">Soviet</a> threat at the end of the century was offset by threats from other sources and <a href="/wiki/Piracy" title="Piracy">piracy</a> as well as sea-borne <a href="/wiki/Illegal_drug_trade" title="Illegal drug trade">drug trafficking</a>. </p><p><a href="/wiki/Cod_War" class="mw-redirect" title="Cod War">Cod War</a>, offshore oil, gas and <a href="/wiki/Wind_farm" title="Wind farm">wind farms</a>. Exploitation of <a href="/wiki/Wave_power" title="Wave power">wave power</a> was started. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Twenty-first_century">Twenty-first century</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Twenty-first century"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The start of the century saw the building of <a href="/wiki/Superliner_(passenger_ship)" class="mw-redirect" title="Superliner (passenger ship)">superliners</a>. The Royal Navy saw further reductions in its strength, though new larger aircraft carriers have been promised. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Royal_Navy">Royal Navy</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Royal Navy"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/History_of_the_Royal_Navy" class="mw-redirect" title="History of the Royal Navy">History of the Royal Navy</a></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Eighteenth-century_navy">Eighteenth-century navy</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Eighteenth-century navy"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Quibcardinaux2.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Quibcardinaux2.jpg/220px-Quibcardinaux2.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="136" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Quibcardinaux2.jpg/330px-Quibcardinaux2.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Quibcardinaux2.jpg/440px-Quibcardinaux2.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1280" data-file-height="791" /></a><figcaption>The <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Quiberon_Bay" title="Battle of Quiberon Bay">Battle of Quiberon Bay</a> which ended the <a href="/wiki/Planned_French_invasion_of_Britain_(1759)" title="Planned French invasion of Britain (1759)">French invasion plans</a> in 1759</figcaption></figure> <p>Under the <a href="/wiki/Acts_of_Union_1707" title="Acts of Union 1707">Acts of Union 1707</a> in 1707 the <a href="/wiki/Royal_Scots_Navy" title="Royal Scots Navy">Royal Scots Navy</a> merged with the English navy and the <b>British</b> Royal Navy came into being. The early 18th century saw the Royal Navy with more ships than other navies. Although it suffered severe financial problems through the earlier part of this period, modern methods of financing government, and in particular the Navy, were developed, This financing enabled the Navy to become the most powerful force of the later 18th century without <a href="/wiki/National_bankruptcy" class="mw-redirect" title="National bankruptcy">bankrupting</a> the country. The Napoleonic Wars saw the Royal Navy reach a peak of efficiency, dominating the navies of all Britain's adversaries. </p><p>Under <a href="/wiki/William_III_of_England" title="William III of England">William III</a> and <a href="/wiki/Mary_II_of_England" class="mw-redirect" title="Mary II of England">Mary II</a> a hospital at <a href="/wiki/Greenwich" title="Greenwich">Greenwich</a> was founded to relieve the sufferings of British seamen. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Nineteenth-century_navy">Nineteenth-century navy</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Nineteenth-century navy"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Turner,_The_Battle_of_Trafalgar_(1806).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Turner%2C_The_Battle_of_Trafalgar_%281806%29.jpg/220px-Turner%2C_The_Battle_of_Trafalgar_%281806%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="157" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Turner%2C_The_Battle_of_Trafalgar_%281806%29.jpg/330px-Turner%2C_The_Battle_of_Trafalgar_%281806%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Turner%2C_The_Battle_of_Trafalgar_%281806%29.jpg/440px-Turner%2C_The_Battle_of_Trafalgar_%281806%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1536" data-file-height="1093" /></a><figcaption>The Battle of Trafalgar.</figcaption></figure> <p>Between 1793 and 1815 the Royal Navy lost 344 vessels due to non-combat causes: 75 by foundering, 234 shipwrecked and 15 from accidental burnings or explosions. In the same period it lost 103,000 seamen: 84,440 by disease and accidents, 12,680 by shipwreck or foundering and 6,540 by enemy action. </p><p>From the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Trafalgar" title="Battle of Trafalgar">Battle of Trafalgar</a> in 1805 until the outbreak of the European War in 1914, Britain had an almost uncontested power over the world's oceans, and it was said that "Britannia ruled the waves". During the <a href="/wiki/Napoleonic_Wars" title="Napoleonic Wars">Napoleonic Wars</a>, there was increasing tension at sea between Britain and the United States, as American traders took advantage of their country's neutrality to trade with the French-controlled parts of Europe as well as with the British Isles. The Anglo-American <a href="/wiki/War_of_1812" title="War of 1812">War of 1812</a> was characterised by single-ship actions and the disruption of merchant shipping. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Twentieth-century_navy">Twentieth-century navy</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Twentieth-century navy"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:HMS_Dreadnought_1906_H61017.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/HMS_Dreadnought_1906_H61017.jpg/220px-HMS_Dreadnought_1906_H61017.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="166" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/HMS_Dreadnought_1906_H61017.jpg/330px-HMS_Dreadnought_1906_H61017.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/HMS_Dreadnought_1906_H61017.jpg/440px-HMS_Dreadnought_1906_H61017.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3001" data-file-height="2258" /></a><figcaption>HMS <i>Dreadnought</i></figcaption></figure> <p>The start of the 20th century saw structural changes in the Navy brought about by the <a href="/wiki/First_Sea_Lord" title="First Sea Lord">First Sea Lord</a> <a href="/wiki/John_Fisher,_1st_Baron_Fisher" title="John Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher">Jackie Fisher</a> who retired, scrapped or placed in reserve many of the older vessels, making new funds and manpower available for newer ships. He saw the development of <a href="/wiki/HMS_Dreadnought_(1906)" title="HMS Dreadnought (1906)">HMS <i>Dreadnought</i></a>, the first all-big-gun ship and one of the most influential ships in naval history. This ship rendered all other <a href="/wiki/Battleship" title="Battleship">battleships</a> then existing obsolete, and indeed lent her name to an entire class of battleships, the <a href="/wiki/Dreadnought" title="Dreadnought">dreadnoughts</a>. Admiral <a href="/wiki/Percy_Scott" title="Percy Scott">Percy Scott</a> introduced new programmes such a gunnery training and central <a href="/wiki/Fire-control_system" title="Fire-control system">fire control</a> which greatly increased the effectiveness in battle of the Navy's ships. </p><p>During the <a href="/wiki/World_War_I" title="World War I">First World War</a> the Royal Navy played a vital role in escorting <a href="/wiki/Convoy" title="Convoy">convoys</a> of food, arms and raw materials to Britain. It defeated the <a href="/wiki/German_Empire" title="German Empire">German</a> campaign of <a href="/wiki/Unrestricted_submarine_warfare" title="Unrestricted submarine warfare">unrestricted submarine warfare</a> and prevented the breakout of the German <a href="/wiki/High_Seas_Fleet" title="High Seas Fleet">High Seas Fleet</a>. As well as tasks in the Atlantic it also carried out operations in the Baltic, Mediterranean and <a href="/wiki/Black_Sea" title="Black Sea">Black Sea</a>. </p><p>In the inter-war years the Royal Navy was stripped of much of its power. The <a href="/wiki/Washington_Naval_Treaty" title="Washington Naval Treaty">Washington Naval Treaty</a> of 1922, together with the deplorable financial conditions during the immediate post-war period and the <a href="/wiki/Great_Depression" title="Great Depression">Great Depression</a>, forced the Admiralty to scrap some <a href="/wiki/Capital_ship" title="Capital ship">capital ships</a> and to cancel plans for new construction. The <a href="/wiki/London_Naval_Treaty" title="London Naval Treaty">London Naval Treaty</a> of 1930 deferred new capital ship construction until 1937 and reiterated construction limits on <a href="/wiki/Cruiser" title="Cruiser">cruisers</a>, <a href="/wiki/Destroyer" title="Destroyer">destroyers</a> and submarines. As international tensions increased in the mid-thirties, the <a href="/wiki/Second_London_Naval_Treaty" title="Second London Naval Treaty">Second London Naval Treaty</a> of 1936 failed to halt the development of a naval <a href="/wiki/Arms_race" title="Arms race">arms race</a> and by 1938 treaty limits were effectively ignored. The re-armament of the Royal Navy was well under way by this point; the Royal Navy had constructed the <a href="/wiki/King_George_V-class_battleship_(1939)" title="King George V-class battleship (1939)"><i>King George V</i> class</a> of 1936 and several aircraft carriers including <a href="/wiki/HMS_Ark_Royal_(91)" title="HMS Ark Royal (91)"><i>Ark Royal</i></a>. In addition to new construction, several existing battleships, battlecruisers and heavy cruisers were re-constructed and new <a href="/wiki/Anti-aircraft_warfare" title="Anti-aircraft warfare">anti-aircraft</a> weaponry reinforced. However, around this time the <a href="/wiki/Imperial_Japanese_Navy" title="Imperial Japanese Navy">Imperial Japanese Navy</a> and the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Navy" title="United States Navy">United States Navy</a> began to surpass the Royal Navy in power. </p><p>After the Second World War, the decline of the British Empire and economic hardships in Britain forced reduction in size and capability of the Royal Navy. The increasingly powerful United States Navy took on the former role of the Royal Navy as a means of keeping peace around the world. However, the threat of the Soviet Union created a new role for the Navy within <a href="/wiki/NATO" title="NATO">NATO</a>. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:17_HMS_Ark_Royal_North_Atlantic_July_76.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/17_HMS_Ark_Royal_North_Atlantic_July_76.jpg/220px-17_HMS_Ark_Royal_North_Atlantic_July_76.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="158" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/17_HMS_Ark_Royal_North_Atlantic_July_76.jpg/330px-17_HMS_Ark_Royal_North_Atlantic_July_76.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/17_HMS_Ark_Royal_North_Atlantic_July_76.jpg/440px-17_HMS_Ark_Royal_North_Atlantic_July_76.jpg 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="573" /></a><figcaption>HMS <i>Ark Royal</i> in 1976.</figcaption></figure> <p>The 1960s saw the peak of the Royal Navy's capabilities in the post-war era. The fleet carriers <a href="/wiki/HMS_Ark_Royal_(R09)" title="HMS Ark Royal (R09)"><i>Ark Royal</i></a>, <a href="/wiki/HMS_Eagle_(R05)" title="HMS Eagle (R05)"><i>Eagle</i></a>, the rebuilt <a href="/wiki/HMS_Victorious_(R38)" title="HMS Victorious (R38)"><i>Victorious</i></a>, <a href="/wiki/HMS_Hermes_(R12)" title="HMS Hermes (R12)"><i>Hermes</i></a> and <a href="/wiki/HMS_Centaur_(R06)" title="HMS Centaur (R06)"><i>Centaur</i></a> gave the Royal Navy the most powerful fleet outside the United States. The navy also had a large fleet of <a href="/wiki/Frigate" title="Frigate">frigates</a> and destroyers. New, more modern units like the <a href="/wiki/County-class_destroyer" title="County-class destroyer">County-class destroyers</a> and <a href="/wiki/Leander-class_frigate" title="Leander-class frigate"><i>Leander</i> class-frigates</a> began to enter service in the 1960s. At this time the Royal Navy received its first <a href="/wiki/Nuclear_weapon" title="Nuclear weapon">nuclear weapons</a> and was to become responsible for the maintenance of the UK's nuclear deterrent. </p><p>However, a <a href="/wiki/Labour_Party_(UK)" title="Labour Party (UK)">Labour</a> government came into power and was determined to cut defence expenditure. After this the navy began to fall in size and by 1979 the last fleet carrier was scrapped. The navy was forced to make do with three much smaller <a href="/wiki/Invincible-class_aircraft_carrier" title="Invincible-class aircraft carrier"><i>Invincible</i>-class aircraft carriers</a> with <a href="/wiki/BAE_Sea_Harrier" class="mw-redirect" title="BAE Sea Harrier">Sea Harrier</a> aircraft. The fleet was now centred around anti-submarine warfare in the North Atlantic. Further Defence Reviews have further cut the Royal Navy. </p><p>Although the Royal Navy has significantly reduced in size since the 1960s, reflecting the reduced requirements of the state, this does not take into account the increase in technological capability of the Navy's ships. The navy is responsible for the British strategic <a href="/wiki/Nuclear_deterrent" class="mw-redirect" title="Nuclear deterrent">nuclear deterrent</a>. It concentrates on <a href="/wiki/Anti-submarine_warfare" title="Anti-submarine warfare">anti-submarine warfare</a> and <a href="/wiki/Naval_mine#Countermeasures" title="Naval mine">mine countermeasures</a> as part of NATO. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="The_Navy_Board">The Navy Board</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: The Navy Board"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Navy_Board" title="Navy Board">Navy Board</a> was responsible for providing the ships and the men to man them, including <a href="/wiki/Warrant_Officer" class="mw-redirect" title="Warrant Officer">Warrant Officers</a>. The <a href="/wiki/Impressment#The_Impress_Service_and_impressment_at_sea" title="Impressment">Impress Service</a> recruited volunteers but also took many against their will. After 1740 the Admiralty gained control over the Navy Board. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Ministry_of_Defence">Ministry of Defence</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Ministry of Defence"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In 1964 the Admiralty and the Navy Board became part of the integrated <a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Defence_(United_Kingdom)" title="Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)">Ministry of Defence</a>. This included the <a href="/wiki/Fleet_Air_Arm" title="Fleet Air Arm">Fleet Air Arm</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Notable_wars">Notable wars</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Notable wars"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="American_Wars">American Wars</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: American Wars"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main articles: <a href="/wiki/American_Revolution" title="American Revolution">American Revolution</a> and <a href="/wiki/War_of_1812" title="War of 1812">War of 1812</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:The_battle_of_the_Saints_12_avril_1782.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/33/The_battle_of_the_Saints_12_avril_1782.jpg/220px-The_battle_of_the_Saints_12_avril_1782.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="131" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/33/The_battle_of_the_Saints_12_avril_1782.jpg/330px-The_battle_of_the_Saints_12_avril_1782.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/33/The_battle_of_the_Saints_12_avril_1782.jpg/440px-The_battle_of_the_Saints_12_avril_1782.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3200" data-file-height="1907" /></a><figcaption>The <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_the_Saintes" title="Battle of the Saintes">Battle of the Saintes</a> in 1782</figcaption></figure> <p>During the <a href="/wiki/American_Revolution" title="American Revolution">American Revolution</a>, a primitive submarine tried and failed to sink a British warship, <a href="/wiki/HMS_Eagle_(1774)" title="HMS Eagle (1774)">HMS <i>Eagle</i></a> the <a href="/wiki/Flagship" title="Flagship">flagship</a> of the blockers, in New York City harbour in 1776. <a href="/wiki/John_Paul_Jones" title="John Paul Jones">John Paul Jones</a> attacked British shipping in the Irish Sea and also the towns of <a href="/wiki/Whitehaven" title="Whitehaven">Whitehaven</a> and <a href="/wiki/Kirkcudbright" title="Kirkcudbright">Kirkcudbright</a>. In the Anglo-American War of 1812, an unsuccessful submarine attack was made on a British warship stationed in <a href="/wiki/New_London,_Connecticut" title="New London, Connecticut">New London</a> harbour. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="French_Revolutionary/Napoleonic_Wars"><span id="French_Revolutionary.2FNapoleonic_Wars"></span>French Revolutionary/Napoleonic Wars</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: French Revolutionary/Napoleonic Wars"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main articles: <a href="/wiki/French_Revolutionary_Wars" title="French Revolutionary Wars">French Revolutionary Wars</a> and <a href="/wiki/Napoleonic_Wars" title="Napoleonic Wars">Napoleonic Wars</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Trafalgar1.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2f/Trafalgar1.jpg/220px-Trafalgar1.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="118" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2f/Trafalgar1.jpg/330px-Trafalgar1.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2f/Trafalgar1.jpg/440px-Trafalgar1.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1200" data-file-height="645" /></a><figcaption>The <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Trafalgar" title="Battle of Trafalgar">Battle of Trafalgar</a>, depicted here in its opening phase</figcaption></figure> <p>In 1793 France declared war on Britain. The next 12 years saw many battles such as that at <a href="/wiki/Cape_St._Vincent" title="Cape St. Vincent">Cape St. Vincent</a> and at the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_the_Nile" title="Battle of the Nile">Battle of the Nile</a>, and short-lived truces such as the <a href="/wiki/Treaty_of_Amiens" title="Treaty of Amiens">Treaty of Amiens</a>. The height of the Royal Navy's achievements came on 21 October 1805 at the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Trafalgar" title="Battle of Trafalgar">Battle of Trafalgar</a>, where a numerically smaller but more experienced British fleet under the command of <a href="/wiki/Horatio_Nelson,_1st_Viscount_Nelson" title="Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson">Lord Horatio Nelson</a> decisively defeated a combined French and Spanish fleet. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Maritime_events_of_World_War_I">Maritime events of World War I</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=15" title="Edit section: Maritime events of World War I"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>At the start of the war the <a href="/wiki/German_Empire" title="German Empire">German Empire</a> had cruisers scattered across the globe. Some of them were subsequently used to attack Allied merchant shipping. The Royal Navy systematically hunted them down, though not without some embarrassment from its inability to protect Allied shipping. For example, the detached <a href="/wiki/Light_cruiser" title="Light cruiser">light cruiser</a> <a href="/wiki/SMS_Emden" title="SMS Emden"><i>Emden</i></a>, part of the <a href="/w/index.php?title=East_Asia_squadron&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="East Asia squadron (page does not exist)">East Asia squadron</a> stationed at <a href="/wiki/Qingdao" title="Qingdao">Qingdao</a>, seized or destroyed 15 merchantmen as well as sinking a Russian cruiser and a French destroyer. However, the bulk of the East Asia <a href="/wiki/Squadron_(naval)" title="Squadron (naval)">squadron</a> - consisting of the armoured cruisers <a href="/wiki/SMS_Scharnhorst" title="SMS Scharnhorst"><i>Scharnhorst</i></a> and <a href="/wiki/SMS_Gneisenau" title="SMS Gneisenau"><i>Gneisenau</i></a>, light cruisers <a href="/wiki/SMS_N%C3%BCrnberg_(1906)" title="SMS Nürnberg (1906)"><i>Nürnberg</i></a>, <a href="/wiki/SMS_Leipzig_(1905)" title="SMS Leipzig (1905)"><i>Leipzig</i></a>, and <a href="/wiki/SMS_Dresden_(1907)" title="SMS Dresden (1907)"><i>Dresden</i></a> and two <a href="/wiki/Troopship" title="Troopship">transport ships</a> - did not have orders to raid shipping and was instead underway to Germany when it was defeated by the British at the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_the_Falkland_Islands" title="Battle of the Falkland Islands">Battle of the Falkland Islands</a> in December 1914, with only <i>Dresden</i> escaping destruction. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:HMS_Lion_(1910).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/HMS_Lion_%281910%29.jpg/220px-HMS_Lion_%281910%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="113" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/HMS_Lion_%281910%29.jpg/330px-HMS_Lion_%281910%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/HMS_Lion_%281910%29.jpg/440px-HMS_Lion_%281910%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="737" data-file-height="377" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/David_Beatty,_1st_Earl_Beatty" title="David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty">Beatty's</a> flagship <a href="/wiki/HMS_Lion_(1910)" title="HMS Lion (1910)">HMS <i>Lion</i></a> burning after having been hit by a salvo from <a href="/wiki/SMS_L%C3%BCtzow" title="SMS Lützow">SMS <i>Lützow</i></a>.</figcaption></figure> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Jutland" title="Battle of Jutland">Battle of Jutland</a> was the major sea battle of the First World War. Although the British <a href="/wiki/Grand_Fleet" title="Grand Fleet">Grand Fleet</a> suffered greater losses than the German <a href="/wiki/High_Seas_Fleet" title="High Seas Fleet">High Seas Fleet</a>, the latter withdrew to port and the British retained control of the North Sea. </p><p>Soon after the outbreak of hostilities the British initiated a Naval Blockade of Germany, preventing supplies from reaching its ports. The strategy proved effective, cutting off vital military and civilian supplies, though this <a href="/wiki/Blockade" title="Blockade">blockade</a> violated generally accepted <a href="/wiki/International_law" title="International law">international law</a> codified by several international agreements of the past two centuries. A blockade of stationed ships within a three-mile (5 km) radius was considered legitimate, however Britain mined <a href="/wiki/International_waters" title="International waters">international waters</a> to prevent any ships from entering entire sections of ocean, causing danger to neutral ships. Since there was limited response to this tactic, Germany expected a similar response to its unrestricted submarine warfare. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:British_Convoys_during_the_First_World_War_Q19954.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/British_Convoys_during_the_First_World_War_Q19954.jpg/220px-British_Convoys_during_the_First_World_War_Q19954.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="157" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/British_Convoys_during_the_First_World_War_Q19954.jpg/330px-British_Convoys_during_the_First_World_War_Q19954.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/British_Convoys_during_the_First_World_War_Q19954.jpg/440px-British_Convoys_during_the_First_World_War_Q19954.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3508" data-file-height="2511" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Convoys_in_World_War_I" title="Convoys in World War I">British convoy in the Atlantic</a> during World War I</figcaption></figure> <p>German <a href="/wiki/U-boat" title="U-boat">U-boats</a> attempted to cut the supply lines between North America and Britain during the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_the_Atlantic_(1914%E2%80%931918)" class="mw-redirect" title="Battle of the Atlantic (1914–1918)">First Battle of the Atlantic</a>. The nature of submarine warfare meant that attacks often came without warning, giving the crews of the merchant ships little hope of survival. The United States launched a protest and Germany modified its rules of engagement. After the infamous sinking of the passenger ship <a href="/wiki/RMS_Lusitania" title="RMS Lusitania">RMS <i>Lusitania</i></a> in 1915, Germany promised not to target passenger liners. Britain armed its merchant ships. Finally in early 1917 Germany adopted a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, realizing the Americans would eventually enter the war. Germany sought to strangle <a href="/wiki/Allies_of_World_War_I" title="Allies of World War I">Allied</a> <a href="/wiki/Sea_lane" title="Sea lane">sea lanes</a> before the US could transport a large army overseas. </p><p>The U-boat threat lessened in 1917 when merchant ships travelled in convoys escorted by destroyers. This tactic made it difficult for U-boats to find targets. The accompanying destroyers might sink a submerged submarine with <a href="/wiki/Depth_charge" title="Depth charge">depth charges</a>. The losses to submarine attacks were reduced significantly, but the convoys system slowed the flow of supplies. The solution to the delays was a massive programme to build new freighters. Troop ships were too fast for the submarines and did not travel the North Atlantic in convoys. The First World War also saw the first use of aircraft carriers in combat, with <a href="/wiki/HMS_Furious_(47)" title="HMS Furious (47)"><i>Furious</i></a> launching <a href="/wiki/Sopwith_Camel" title="Sopwith Camel">Sopwith Camels</a> in a successful raid against <a href="/wiki/Zeppelin" title="Zeppelin">Zeppelin</a> hangars at Tondern in July 1918. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Maritime_events_of_World_War_II">Maritime events of World War II</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=16" title="Edit section: Maritime events of World War II"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In the North Atlantic, <a href="/wiki/Nazi_Germany" title="Nazi Germany">German</a> U-boats again attempted to cut supply lines to Britain by sinking merchant ships. In the first four months of the war they sank more than 110 vessels. In addition to supply ships, the U-boats occasionally attacked British and Canadian warships. One U-boat sank the British carrier <a href="/wiki/HMS_Courageous_(50)" title="HMS Courageous (50)"><i>Courageous</i></a> while another managed to sink the battleship <a href="/wiki/HMS_Royal_Oak_(08)" title="HMS Royal Oak (08)"><i>Royal Oak</i></a> at her home anchorage of <a href="/wiki/Scapa_Flow" title="Scapa Flow">Scapa Flow</a>. </p> <figure class="mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Britain%27s_Sea_Power_is_Yours!_Art.IWMPST14011.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/Britain%27s_Sea_Power_is_Yours%21_Art.IWMPST14011.jpg/300px-Britain%27s_Sea_Power_is_Yours%21_Art.IWMPST14011.jpg" decoding="async" width="300" height="199" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/Britain%27s_Sea_Power_is_Yours%21_Art.IWMPST14011.jpg/450px-Britain%27s_Sea_Power_is_Yours%21_Art.IWMPST14011.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/Britain%27s_Sea_Power_is_Yours%21_Art.IWMPST14011.jpg/600px-Britain%27s_Sea_Power_is_Yours%21_Art.IWMPST14011.jpg 2x" data-file-width="722" data-file-height="480" /></a><figcaption>A WWII poster</figcaption></figure> <p>In the early stages of the war the Royal Navy placed much faith in ASDIC (an early form of active <a href="/wiki/Sonar" title="Sonar">sonar</a>) to detect submerged U-boats but the Germans countered this by the use of the "<a href="/wiki/Wolfpack_(naval_tactic)" title="Wolfpack (naval tactic)">wolfpack</a>" which attacked on the surface at night. To form this pack, the U-boats communicated to their base by radio, to coordinate the action of several U-boats. The British eventually broke the <a href="/wiki/Enigma_machine" title="Enigma machine">German Naval code</a>, which allowed this tactic to be defeated. The Germans then switched to attacking shipping off the American coast. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Sinking_of_HMS_Hood_(cropped).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Sinking_of_HMS_Hood_%28cropped%29.jpg/220px-Sinking_of_HMS_Hood_%28cropped%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="176" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Sinking_of_HMS_Hood_%28cropped%29.jpg/330px-Sinking_of_HMS_Hood_%28cropped%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Sinking_of_HMS_Hood_%28cropped%29.jpg/440px-Sinking_of_HMS_Hood_%28cropped%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="5679" data-file-height="4554" /></a><figcaption>HMS <i>Hood</i> sinking after a catastrophic explosion during battle with <i>Bismarck</i>.</figcaption></figure> <p>The British sank the <a href="/wiki/Deutschland-class_cruiser" title="Deutschland-class cruiser"><i>Deutschland</i>-class</a> cruiser <a href="/wiki/German_cruiser_Admiral_Graf_Spee" title="German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee"><i>Admiral Graf Spee</i></a> in December 1939 and the battleship <a href="/wiki/German_battleship_Bismarck" title="German battleship Bismarck"><i>Bismarck</i></a> in 1941. However the threat caused by the <a href="/wiki/German_battleship_Tirpitz" title="German battleship Tirpitz"><i>Tirpitz</i></a> was only countered later after many attacks. The Royal Navy suffered significant losses in the early stages of the war including the battlecruisers <a href="/wiki/HMS_Hood" title="HMS Hood"><i>Hood</i></a>, which had been sunk by <i>Bismarck</i>, and <a href="/wiki/HMS_Repulse_(1916)" title="HMS Repulse (1916)"><i>Repulse</i></a> and the battleship <a href="/wiki/HMS_Prince_of_Wales_(53)" title="HMS Prince of Wales (53)"><i>Prince of Wales</i></a>, both of which were <a href="/wiki/Sinking_of_Prince_of_Wales_and_Repulse" title="Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse">sunk by Japanese bombers in late 1941</a>. </p><p>The Royal Navy provided critical cover for the British and French troops during the <a href="/wiki/Dunkirk_evacuation" title="Dunkirk evacuation">Dunkirk evacuation</a> and rescued the bulk of the troops, the remainder being evacuated by a fleet of small ships. Later the Navy provided cover for the <a href="/wiki/Dieppe_Raid" title="Dieppe Raid">Dieppe Raid</a> catastrophe, that saw 3,623 of the 6,086 men who made it ashore killed, wounded, or captured. </p><p>In the summer of 1941, the Soviet Union entered the war on the side of Britain. Although the Soviets had tremendous reserves in manpower, they had lost much of their equipment and manufacturing base in the first few weeks following the German invasion. The Allies attempted to remedy this by sending <a href="/wiki/Arctic" title="Arctic">Arctic</a> convoys, which travelled from Britain and later the United States to the northern ports of the Soviet Union, <a href="/wiki/Arkhangelsk" title="Arkhangelsk">Arkhangelsk</a> (Archangel) and <a href="/wiki/Murmansk" title="Murmansk">Murmansk</a>. The treacherous route around the <a href="/wiki/North_Cape,_Norway" class="mw-redirect" title="North Cape, Norway">North Cape of Norway</a> was the site of many battles as the Germans continually tried to disrupt the convoys using U-boats, bombers and surface ships. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:80-G-24831_(22347017022).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/80-G-24831_%2822347017022%29.jpg/220px-80-G-24831_%2822347017022%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="167" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/80-G-24831_%2822347017022%29.jpg/330px-80-G-24831_%2822347017022%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/80-G-24831_%2822347017022%29.jpg/440px-80-G-24831_%2822347017022%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2703" data-file-height="2056" /></a><figcaption>Allied <a href="/wiki/Convoy_PQ_17" title="Convoy PQ 17">Arctic convoy</a> at anchor in the harbor at <a href="/wiki/Hvalfjord" class="mw-redirect" title="Hvalfjord">Hvalfjord</a>, Iceland, May 1942</figcaption></figure> <p><a href="/wiki/Malta" title="Malta">Malta</a> was an important base for attacking the <a href="/wiki/Axis_powers" title="Axis powers">Axis</a> supply lines to North Africa. Submarines, aircraft and surface ships were used from Maltese bases. In 1941 "<a href="/wiki/Force_K" title="Force K">Force K</a>" was based in Malta which caused the <a href="/wiki/Kingdom_of_Italy_(1861%E2%80%931946)" class="mw-redirect" title="Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)">Italians</a> to suspend their convoys but the Germans insisted that they be resumed. Force K ran into a <a href="/wiki/Naval_mine" title="Naval mine">minefield</a> and warships were also lost by attacks by U-boats and <a href="/wiki/Human_torpedo" title="Human torpedo">human torpedoes</a>. Axis aircraft attacked <a href="/wiki/Allies_of_World_War_II" title="Allies of World War II">Allied</a> supply convoys to Malta and the situation became desperate. Eventually in 1942 "<a href="/wiki/Operation_Pedestal" title="Operation Pedestal">Operation Pedestal</a>", 14 ships with a large escort was sent. However, only 5 ships got through and many escorts were lost. The renewed attacks by the submarine force prevented full use of the Axis held port of <a href="/wiki/Tobruk" title="Tobruk">Tobruk</a> and eventually to victory in North Africa. <a href="/wiki/Gibraltar" title="Gibraltar">Gibraltar</a> was also an important naval base, as was <a href="/wiki/Alexandria" title="Alexandria">Alexandria</a>. </p><p>In late 1941 <a href="/wiki/Winston_Churchill" title="Winston Churchill">Winston Churchill</a> tried to prevent <a href="/wiki/Empire_of_Japan" title="Empire of Japan">Japanese</a> aggression against British territories in the Far East by sending a naval deterrent called "Force Z". The Royal Navy could only spare one new battleship, HMS <i>Prince of Wales</i>, an old <a href="/wiki/Battlecruiser" title="Battlecruiser">battlecruiser</a> HMS <i>Repulse</i> and the carrier <a href="/wiki/HMS_Indomitable_(92)" title="HMS Indomitable (92)">HMS <i>Indomitable</i></a>. The latter hit an uncharted rock and was put out of action but Churchill insisted on the other two ships being sent. They arrived at <a href="/wiki/Singapore" title="Singapore">Singapore</a> on 2 December 1941. A day after the <a href="/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor" title="Attack on Pearl Harbor">attack on Pearl Harbor</a>, the ships with escorting destroyers sailed to attack Japanese transports. They were spotted by <a href="/wiki/Surveillance_aircraft" title="Surveillance aircraft">reconnaissance aircraft</a> and eventually sunk by torpedoes from planes. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:The_King_Pays_4-day_Visit_To_the_Home_Fleet._18_To_21_March_1943,_at_Scapa_Flow,_the_King,_Wearing_the_Uniform_of_An_Admiral_of_the_Fleet,_Paid_a_4-day_Visit_To_the_Home_Fleet._A15117.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/The_King_Pays_4-day_Visit_To_the_Home_Fleet._18_To_21_March_1943%2C_at_Scapa_Flow%2C_the_King%2C_Wearing_the_Uniform_of_An_Admiral_of_the_Fleet%2C_Paid_a_4-day_Visit_To_the_Home_Fleet._A15117.jpg/220px-thumbnail.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="167" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/The_King_Pays_4-day_Visit_To_the_Home_Fleet._18_To_21_March_1943%2C_at_Scapa_Flow%2C_the_King%2C_Wearing_the_Uniform_of_An_Admiral_of_the_Fleet%2C_Paid_a_4-day_Visit_To_the_Home_Fleet._A15117.jpg/330px-thumbnail.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/The_King_Pays_4-day_Visit_To_the_Home_Fleet._18_To_21_March_1943%2C_at_Scapa_Flow%2C_the_King%2C_Wearing_the_Uniform_of_An_Admiral_of_the_Fleet%2C_Paid_a_4-day_Visit_To_the_Home_Fleet._A15117.jpg/440px-thumbnail.jpg 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="609" /></a><figcaption>King <a href="/wiki/George_VI" title="George VI">George VI</a> visiting the <a href="/wiki/Home_Fleet" title="Home Fleet">Home Fleet</a> based at <a href="/wiki/Scapa_Flow" title="Scapa Flow">Scapa Flow</a>, March 1943</figcaption></figure> <p>The turning point in the "<a href="/wiki/Battle_of_the_Atlantic" title="Battle of the Atlantic">Second Battle of the Atlantic</a>" was in early 1943 as the Allies refined their naval tactics, making effective use of new technology to counter the U-boats. The Allies produced ships faster than they were sunk and lost fewer ships by re-adopting the convoy system. Improved anti-submarine warfare meant that the life expectancy of a typical U-boat crew would be measured in months. The vastly improved Type 21 U-boat appeared at the end of the war but was too late to affect the outcome. In December 1943 the last major sea battle between the Royal Navy and the <a href="/wiki/Kriegsmarine" title="Kriegsmarine">Kriegsmarine</a> (War navy) took place. At the "<a href="/wiki/Battle_of_North_Cape" class="mw-redirect" title="Battle of North Cape">Battle of North Cape</a>" Germany's battleship <a href="/wiki/German_battleship_Scharnhorst" title="German battleship Scharnhorst"><i>Scharnhorst</i></a> was sunk by <a href="/wiki/HMS_Duke_of_York_(17)" title="HMS Duke of York (17)">HMS <i>Duke of York</i></a>, <a href="/wiki/HMS_Belfast" title="HMS Belfast">HMS <i>Belfast</i></a> and several destroyers. </p><p>For the <a href="/wiki/D-Day" class="mw-redirect" title="D-Day">D-Day</a> landings in 1944 the Royal Navy provided most of the warships and three-quarters of the landing craft. After the <a href="/wiki/German_Instrument_of_Surrender" title="German Instrument of Surrender">German surrender</a>, a force was sent to the Pacific Ocean to attack the Japanese. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Post_World_War_II_operations">Post World War II operations</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=17" title="Edit section: Post World War II operations"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Since the late 1950s, the United Kingdom became engaged in a protracted dispute with <a href="/wiki/Iceland" title="Iceland">Iceland</a> over fishing rights in North Atlantic waters. The Royal Navy, along with tugs from the <a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Agriculture,_Fisheries_and_Food_(United_Kingdom)" title="Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (United Kingdom)">MAFF</a> and British civilian trawlers, was involved in three major confrontations with the <a href="/wiki/Icelandic_Coast_Guard" title="Icelandic Coast Guard">Icelandic Coast Guard</a> from 1958 to 1976. These largely bloodless clashes became known as the <a href="/wiki/Cod_Wars" title="Cod Wars">Cod Wars</a>, and consisted in a series of close encounters and rammings between Icelandic gunboats and British frigates and tugs. A total of 15 Royal Navy warships and five Icelandic gunboats were damaged in different degrees during the third conflict only.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The dispute ended in June 1976 with the recognition by Britain of Iceland's exclusive 200 nautical miles fishery zone. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:HMS_Broadsword_and_Hermes,_1982_(IWM).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/HMS_Broadsword_and_Hermes%2C_1982_%28IWM%29.jpg/220px-HMS_Broadsword_and_Hermes%2C_1982_%28IWM%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="173" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/HMS_Broadsword_and_Hermes%2C_1982_%28IWM%29.jpg/330px-HMS_Broadsword_and_Hermes%2C_1982_%28IWM%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/HMS_Broadsword_and_Hermes%2C_1982_%28IWM%29.jpg/440px-HMS_Broadsword_and_Hermes%2C_1982_%28IWM%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="628" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/HMS_Broadsword_(F88)" title="HMS Broadsword (F88)">HMS <i>Broadsword</i></a> and <a href="/wiki/HMS_Hermes_(R12)" title="HMS Hermes (R12)">HMS <i>Hermes</i></a> during the <a href="/wiki/Falklands_War" title="Falklands War">Falklands War</a></figcaption></figure> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Falklands_War" title="Falklands War">Falklands War</a> was fought in 1982 between <a href="/wiki/Argentina" title="Argentina">Argentina</a> and Britain over the disputed <a href="/wiki/Falkland_Islands" title="Falkland Islands">Falkland Islands</a>, <a href="/wiki/South_Georgia_and_the_South_Sandwich_Islands" title="South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands">South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands</a>. Britain was initially taken by surprise by the Argentine attack on the South Atlantic islands, but launched a naval <a href="/wiki/Task_force" title="Task force">task force</a> to engage the <a href="/wiki/Argentine_Navy" title="Argentine Navy">Argentine Navy</a> and <a href="/wiki/Argentine_Air_Force" title="Argentine Air Force">Air Force</a>, and to retake the islands by <a href="/wiki/Amphibious_warfare" title="Amphibious warfare">amphibious assault</a>. A <a href="/wiki/Westland_Lynx" title="Westland Lynx">Westland Lynx HAS.2</a>. and three <a href="/wiki/Westland_Wasp" title="Westland Wasp">Westland Wasp HAS.1</a> from the Royal Navy disabled the Argentine submarine ARA <a href="/wiki/ARA_Santa_Fe_(S-21)" title="ARA Santa Fe (S-21)"><i>Santa Fe</i></a> with <a href="/wiki/Aerospatiale_AS-12" class="mw-redirect" title="Aerospatiale AS-12">AS-12</a> <a href="/wiki/Air-to-surface_missile" title="Air-to-surface missile">air-to-surface</a> missiles in South Georgia and nuclear submarine <a href="/wiki/HMS_Conqueror_(S48)" title="HMS Conqueror (S48)">HMS <i>Conqueror</i></a> sank the light cruiser ARA <a href="/wiki/ARA_General_Belgrano" title="ARA General Belgrano"><i>General Belgrano</i></a>, but lost the destroyers <a href="/wiki/HMS_Sheffield_(D80)" title="HMS Sheffield (D80)">HMS <i>Sheffield</i></a> and <a href="/wiki/HMS_Coventry_(D118)" title="HMS Coventry (D118)">HMS <i>Coventry</i></a> and the frigates <a href="/wiki/HMS_Ardent_(F184)" title="HMS Ardent (F184)">HMS <i>Ardent</i></a> and <a href="/wiki/HMS_Antelope_(F170)" title="HMS Antelope (F170)">HMS <i>Antelope</i></a> due to air attack. The Argentine airstrikes also sank the freighter <a href="/wiki/SS_Atlantic_Conveyor" title="SS Atlantic Conveyor"><i>Atlantic Conveyor</i></a>, the <a href="/wiki/Auxiliary_ship" title="Auxiliary ship">logistic ship</a> <a href="/wiki/RFA_Sir_Galahad_(1966)" title="RFA Sir Galahad (1966)">RFA <i>Sir Galahad</i></a> and an <a href="/wiki/Landing_Craft_Utility" title="Landing Craft Utility">LCU</a> landing craft from <a href="/wiki/HMS_Fearless_(L10)" title="HMS Fearless (L10)">HMS <i>Fearless</i></a>. Another Argentine submarine, the ARA <a href="/wiki/ARA_San_Luis_(S-32)" title="ARA San Luis (S-32)"><i>San Luis</i></a>, launched a number of unsuccessful attacks on the British task force,<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> which in turn expended 50 <a href="/wiki/Mark_46_torpedo" title="Mark 46 torpedo">Mk 46</a> anti-submarine torpedoes during the conflict.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Argentine transport <a href="/wiki/ARA_Isla_de_los_Estados" title="ARA Isla de los Estados">ARA <i>Isla de los Estados</i></a> was sunk by <a href="/wiki/HMS_Alacrity_(F174)" title="HMS Alacrity (F174)">HMS <i>Alacrity</i></a>, while the coaster ARA <i>Monsunen</i> managed to slip away after a hot pursuit by the frigates <a href="/wiki/HMS_Yarmouth_(F101)" title="HMS Yarmouth (F101)">HMS <i>Yarmouth</i></a> and <a href="/wiki/HMS_Broadsword_(F88)" title="HMS Broadsword (F88)">HMS <i>Broadsword</i></a>. The assault force was landed at <a href="/wiki/San_Carlos_Water" title="San Carlos Water">San Carlos Water</a>, where Royal Navy warships and aircraft shot down 22 Argentine fighter-bombers. The British eventually prevailed and the islands returned to British control. </p><p>The Royal Navy took part in the 1990 <a href="/wiki/Gulf_War" title="Gulf War">Gulf War</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Kosovo_War" title="Kosovo War">Kosovo War</a>, the <a href="/wiki/War_in_Afghanistan_(2001%E2%80%93present)" class="mw-redirect" title="War in Afghanistan (2001–present)">Afghanistan War</a> and the 2003 <a href="/wiki/Iraq_War" title="Iraq War">Iraq War</a>. In August 2005 the Royal Navy rescued seven Russians stranded in a submarine off the <a href="/wiki/Kamchatka_Peninsula" title="Kamchatka Peninsula">Kamchatka Peninsula</a>. Using its <a href="/wiki/Scorpio_ROV" title="Scorpio ROV">Scorpio 45</a> remote-controlled mini-sub, the Russian submarine was freed from the fishing nets and cables that had held the submarine for three days. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Notable_individuals">Notable individuals</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=18" title="Edit section: Notable individuals"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Charles_Hardy">Charles Hardy</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=19" title="Edit section: Charles Hardy"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Charles_Hardy" title="Charles Hardy">Charles Hardy</a> was a British naval officer and colonial governor. He was appointed governor and commander-in-chief of the British colony of <a href="/wiki/Newfoundland_and_Labrador" title="Newfoundland and Labrador">Newfoundland</a> in 1744. In 1758 he and <a href="/wiki/James_Wolfe" title="James Wolfe">James Wolfe</a> attacked French posts around the mouth of the <a href="/wiki/Saint_Lawrence_River" class="mw-redirect" title="Saint Lawrence River">Saint Lawrence River</a> and destroyed all of the French fishing stations along the northern shores of what is now <a href="/wiki/New_Brunswick" title="New Brunswick">New Brunswick</a> and along the <a href="/wiki/Gasp%C3%A9_Peninsula" title="Gaspé Peninsula">Gaspé Peninsula</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Augustus_Keppel">Augustus Keppel</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=20" title="Edit section: Augustus Keppel"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Augustus_Keppel,_1st_Viscount_Keppel" title="Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel">Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel</a> was a <a href="/wiki/Admiral_(United_Kingdom)" class="mw-redirect" title="Admiral (United Kingdom)">British admiral</a> who held sea command during the <a href="/wiki/Seven_Years%27_War" title="Seven Years' War">Seven Years' War</a> and during the <a href="/wiki/American_Revolutionary_War" title="American Revolutionary War">American Revolutionary War</a>. In the final years of the latter conflict he served as First Lord of the Admiralty. During the Seven Years' War he had seen constant service. He was in North America in 1755, on the coast of France in 1756, was dispatched on a cruise to reduce the French settlements on the west coast of Africa in 1758 and his ship <a href="/wiki/HMS_Neptune_(1683)" title="HMS Neptune (1683)"><i>Neptune</i> (1683)</a> was the first to get into action at the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Quiberon_Bay" title="Battle of Quiberon Bay">Battle of Quiberon Bay</a> in 1759. In 1757 he had formed part of the <a href="/wiki/Court-martial" title="Court-martial">court-martial</a> that had condemned Admiral <a href="/wiki/John_Byng" title="John Byng">John Byng</a>, but was active among others who endeavoured to secure a pardon for him. However, neither he nor those who had acted with him could produce any serious reason why the sentence should not be carried out. When Spain joined France in 1762 he was sent as second in command with Sir George Peacock in the expedition which took <a href="/wiki/Havana" title="Havana">Havana</a>. His health suffered from the fever which carried off an immense proportion of the soldiers and sailors, but the £25,000 of prize money which he received freed him from the unpleasant position of a younger son of a family ruined by the extravagance of his father. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Edward_Hawke">Edward Hawke</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=21" title="Edit section: Edward Hawke"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Edward_Hawke,_1st_Baron_Hawke" title="Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke">Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke</a> was a naval officer of the Royal Navy. During the <a href="/wiki/War_of_the_Austrian_Succession" title="War of the Austrian Succession">War of the Austrian Succession</a> he was promoted to <a href="/wiki/Rear_admiral" title="Rear admiral">Rear admiral</a>. In the Seven Years' War Hawke replaced Admiral John Byng as commander in the Mediterranean. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Richard_Howe">Richard Howe</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=22" title="Edit section: Richard Howe"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Richard_Howe,_1st_Earl_Howe" title="Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe">Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe</a> was a British admiral. During the rebellion in North America, Howe was known to be sympathetic to the colonists. He had in prior years sought the acquaintance of <a href="/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin" title="Benjamin Franklin">Benjamin Franklin</a>, who was a friend of Howe's sister, a popular lady in London society. During his career Howe displayed an uncommon tactical originality. His performance was unexcelled even by Nelson who, like Howe's other successors, was served by more highly trained squadrons and benefitted from Howe's concepts. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Horatio_Nelson">Horatio Nelson</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=23" title="Edit section: Horatio Nelson"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:The_death_of_Lord_Nelson_on_the_quarter_deck_aboard_HMS_Vict_Wellcome_V0006852.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/The_death_of_Lord_Nelson_on_the_quarter_deck_aboard_HMS_Vict_Wellcome_V0006852.jpg/220px-The_death_of_Lord_Nelson_on_the_quarter_deck_aboard_HMS_Vict_Wellcome_V0006852.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="193" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/The_death_of_Lord_Nelson_on_the_quarter_deck_aboard_HMS_Vict_Wellcome_V0006852.jpg/330px-The_death_of_Lord_Nelson_on_the_quarter_deck_aboard_HMS_Vict_Wellcome_V0006852.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/The_death_of_Lord_Nelson_on_the_quarter_deck_aboard_HMS_Vict_Wellcome_V0006852.jpg/440px-The_death_of_Lord_Nelson_on_the_quarter_deck_aboard_HMS_Vict_Wellcome_V0006852.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2822" data-file-height="2481" /></a><figcaption>Nelson is shot on the <a href="/wiki/Quarterdeck" title="Quarterdeck">quarterdeck</a> during the Battle of Trafalgar</figcaption></figure> <p><a href="/wiki/Horatio_Nelson,_1st_Viscount_Nelson" title="Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson">Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson</a> was a British admiral who was famous for his participation in the sea battles of the Napoleonic Wars, most notably at the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Trafalgar" title="Battle of Trafalgar">Battle of Trafalgar</a> a decisive British victory where he lost his life. He was born in 1758 in <a href="/wiki/Norfolk" title="Norfolk">Norfolk</a> and in 1771 joined <a href="/wiki/HMS_Raisonnable_(1768)" title="HMS Raisonnable (1768)"><i>Raisonnable</i> (1768)</a>. By the time he was 20 he had been to the <a href="/wiki/Arctic" title="Arctic">Arctic</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Indies" class="mw-redirect" title="Indies">Indies</a> and the Caribbean. He was appointed <a href="/wiki/Lieutenant" title="Lieutenant">Lieutenant</a> in 1777, <a href="/wiki/Post-Captain" class="mw-redirect" title="Post-Captain">Post-Captain</a> in 1779 and <a href="/wiki/Commodore_(Royal_Navy)" title="Commodore (Royal Navy)">Commodore</a> in 1796. He took part in the campaign in <a href="/wiki/Corsica" title="Corsica">Corsica</a> in 1794 where he lost his right eye. In 1797 he was at the battle of <a href="/wiki/Cape_St._Vincent" title="Cape St. Vincent">Cape St. Vincent</a> at which he was promoted Rear Admiral of the Blue. That year he lost his right arm after the raid on <a href="/wiki/Santa_Cruz_de_Tenerife" title="Santa Cruz de Tenerife">Santa Cruz</a>, <a href="/wiki/Tenerife" title="Tenerife">Tenerife</a> and was knighted. In 1798 he fought the French fleet at the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_the_Nile" title="Battle of the Nile">Battle of the Nile</a> in <a href="/wiki/Abu_Qir_Bay" title="Abu Qir Bay">Abu Qir Bay</a>, <a href="/wiki/Egypt" title="Egypt">Egypt</a> and was given the title "Baron of the Nile". </p><p>Nelson was noted for his considerable ability to inspire and bring out the best in his men, to the point that it gained a name "The Nelson Touch". His actions during these battles meant that before and after his death he was revered like few military figures have been throughout British history. Alexander Davidson was a contemporary and close friend of Nelson and is responsible for several acts that glorified Nelson's public image. These included the creation of a medal commemorating the victory at the Battle of Trafalgar and the creation of the <a href="/wiki/Nelson_Memorial,_Swarland" title="Nelson Memorial, Swarland">Nelson Memorial</a> at his estate in <a href="/wiki/Swarland" title="Swarland">Swarland</a>, <a href="/wiki/Northumberland" title="Northumberland">Northumberland</a>. As a close friend of the Admiral he acted as an intermediary when Nelson's marriage to his wife <a href="/wiki/Frances_Nisbet" class="mw-redirect" title="Frances Nisbet">Frances Nelson</a> fell apart due in large part to his affair with <a href="/wiki/Emma,_Lady_Hamilton" title="Emma, Lady Hamilton">Emma Hamilton</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Hyde_Parker">Hyde Parker</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=24" title="Edit section: Hyde Parker"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In 1778 <a href="/wiki/Hyde_Parker_(admiral)" class="mw-redirect" title="Hyde Parker (admiral)">Sir Hyde Parker</a> was engaged in the <a href="/wiki/Savannah_expedition" class="mw-redirect" title="Savannah expedition">Savannah expedition</a>, and in the following year his ship was wrecked on the hostile Cuban coast. His men, however, entrenched themselves and in the end were brought off safely. Parker was with his father, <a href="/wiki/Sir_Hyde_Parker,_5th_Baronet" title="Sir Hyde Parker, 5th Baronet">Sir Hyde Parker, 5th Baronet</a> at the <a href="/wiki/Dogger_Bank" title="Dogger Bank">Dogger Bank</a> and with Richard Howe in the two actions in the <a href="/wiki/Strait_of_Gibraltar" title="Strait of Gibraltar">Strait of Gibraltar</a>. In 1793, having just become Rear Admiral, he served under <a href="/wiki/Sir_Samuel_Hood,_1st_Baronet" title="Sir Samuel Hood, 1st Baronet">Sir Samuel Hood</a> at <a href="/wiki/Toulon" title="Toulon">Toulon</a> and in Corsica. Two years later, now a <a href="/wiki/Vice_Admiral" class="mw-redirect" title="Vice Admiral">Vice Admiral</a>, he took part under <a href="/wiki/William_Hotham,_1st_Baron_Hotham" title="William Hotham, 1st Baron Hotham">William Hotham</a> in the indecisive fleet actions in 1795. From 1796 to 1800 he was in command at <a href="/wiki/Jamaica" title="Jamaica">Jamaica</a> and ably conducted the operations in the West Indies. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Edward_Pellew">Edward Pellew</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=25" title="Edit section: Edward Pellew"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Bombardment_of_Algiers_1816_by_Chambers.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/Bombardment_of_Algiers_1816_by_Chambers.jpg/220px-Bombardment_of_Algiers_1816_by_Chambers.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="153" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/Bombardment_of_Algiers_1816_by_Chambers.jpg/330px-Bombardment_of_Algiers_1816_by_Chambers.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/Bombardment_of_Algiers_1816_by_Chambers.jpg/440px-Bombardment_of_Algiers_1816_by_Chambers.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1280" data-file-height="892" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Bombardment_of_Algiers_(1816)" title="Bombardment of Algiers (1816)">Bombardment of Algiers</a>. Edward Pellew led an Anglo-Dutch fleet against the <a href="/wiki/Barbary_states" class="mw-redirect" title="Barbary states">Barbary states</a>.</figcaption></figure> <p><a href="/wiki/Edward_Pellew,_1st_Viscount_Exmouth" title="Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth">Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth</a>, was a British naval officer who fought during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. Pellegrew is remembered as an officer and gentleman, earning his land and titles through courage, leadership and skill - serving as a paradigm of the versatility and determination of naval officers during the Napoleonic Wars. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="James_Saumarez">James Saumarez</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=26" title="Edit section: James Saumarez"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/James_Saumarez,_1st_Baron_de_Saumarez" title="James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez">James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez</a> was an admiral of the Royal Navy, notable for his victory at the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Algeciras_Bay" class="mw-redirect" title="Battle of Algeciras Bay">Battle of Algeciras Bay</a>. In 1801 he was raised to the rank of Rear Admiral of the Blue, was created a baronet and received the command of a small squadron which was destined to watch the movements of the Spanish fleet at <a href="/wiki/C%C3%A1diz" title="Cádiz">Cádiz</a>. Between 6 and 12 July he performed a brilliant piece of service, in which after a first repulse at <a href="/wiki/Algeciras" title="Algeciras">Algeciras</a> he routed a much superior combined force of French and Spanish ships at the Battle of Algeciras Bay. For his services Saumarez received the <a href="/wiki/Order_of_the_Bath" title="Order of the Bath">Order of the Bath</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_the_City#Freedom_of_the_City_of_London" title="Freedom of the City">Freedom of the City of London</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="William_Dampier">William Dampier</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=27" title="Edit section: William Dampier"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/William_Dampier" title="William Dampier">William Dampier</a> made voyages from <a href="/wiki/Weymouth,_Dorset" title="Weymouth, Dorset">Weymouth</a> to Newfoundland, <a href="/wiki/Java" title="Java">Java</a>, Jamaica and <a href="/wiki/Honduras" title="Honduras">Honduras</a>. From his experiences he wrote a book <i>A New Voyage Around The World</i> that was much admired and resulted in his command of the first voyage of exploration organised by the Admiralty. He reached Australia but found no wealth so it was not a success. Dampier later took up privateering and rescued <a href="/wiki/Alexander_Selkirk" title="Alexander Selkirk">Alexander Selkirk</a>, which was the basis for <a href="/wiki/Robinson_Crusoe" title="Robinson Crusoe">Robinson Crusoe</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="James_Cook">James Cook</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=28" title="Edit section: James Cook"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Cook%27s_landing_at_Botany_Bay.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Cook%27s_landing_at_Botany_Bay.jpg/250px-Cook%27s_landing_at_Botany_Bay.jpg" decoding="async" width="250" height="192" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Cook%27s_landing_at_Botany_Bay.jpg/375px-Cook%27s_landing_at_Botany_Bay.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Cook%27s_landing_at_Botany_Bay.jpg 2x" data-file-width="473" data-file-height="364" /></a><figcaption>Cook's landing at <a href="/wiki/Botany_Bay" title="Botany Bay">Botany Bay</a> in 1770</figcaption></figure> <p><a href="/wiki/James_Cook" title="James Cook">James Cook</a> was born in <a href="/wiki/Yorkshire" title="Yorkshire">Yorkshire</a> in 1728. Having worked in a shop, he decided that a life at sea was what he wanted and he became apprenticed to a firm of <a href="/wiki/Whitby" title="Whitby">Whitby</a> coal shippers. He then joined the navy as a seaman and worked his way up to command. The <a href="/wiki/Royal_Society" title="Royal Society">Royal Society</a> wanted to observe the <a href="/wiki/Transit_of_Venus" title="Transit of Venus">transit of Venus</a> due in June 1769 and to find the supposed southern continent. They persuaded the Admiralty to provide a ship and James Cook, a navigator who had prepared charts of the St Lawrence river. For the voyage Cook chose the <a href="/wiki/HMS_Endeavour" title="HMS Endeavour">HM Bark <i>Endeavour</i></a> which was a Whitby <a href="/wiki/Collier_(ship_type)" class="mw-redirect" title="Collier (ship type)">collier</a>. It was adapted in the <a href="/wiki/Royal_Navy_Dockyard" title="Royal Navy Dockyard">Royal Navy Dockyard</a> at <a href="/wiki/Deptford" title="Deptford">Deptford</a>, and scientific instruments for observing the transit were loaded. Accompanying Cook were the astronomer Dr Green, a botanist <a href="/wiki/Joseph_Banks" title="Joseph Banks">Joseph Banks</a> and two artists. The <i>Endeavour</i> sailed around <a href="/wiki/Cape_Horn" title="Cape Horn">Cape Horn</a> to <a href="/wiki/Tahiti" title="Tahiti">Tahiti</a>, then to New Zealand and finally to Australia. After a year at home, Cook took two colliers, <a href="/wiki/HMS_Resolution_(1771)" title="HMS Resolution (1771)"><i>Resolution</i></a> and <a href="/wiki/HMS_Adventure_(1771)" title="HMS Adventure (1771)"><i>Adventure</i></a>, to the <a href="/wiki/Antarctica" title="Antarctica">Antarctic</a> and then to <a href="/wiki/Tahiti" title="Tahiti">Tahiti</a>, testing the new timekeeper of <a href="/wiki/John_Harrison" title="John Harrison">John Harrison</a>. He made a third voyage, to try to find the <a href="/wiki/Northwest_Passage" title="Northwest Passage">Northwest Passage</a>, with <i>Resolution</i> and <a href="/wiki/HMS_Discovery_(1774)" title="HMS Discovery (1774)">HMS <i>Discovery</i></a>. After encountering ice he turned back to <a href="/wiki/Hawaii" title="Hawaii">Hawaii</a>. There he was treated as a god but on leaving was forced to return. When Cook tried to take the king hostage, because of the theft of a ship's boat, he was killed on 14 February 1779. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="George_Vancouver">George Vancouver</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=29" title="Edit section: George Vancouver"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/George_Vancouver" title="George Vancouver">George Vancouver</a> was born in <a href="/wiki/King%27s_Lynn" title="King's Lynn">King's Lynn</a> in 1757. He became a captain in the Royal Navy and carried out surveys of the west coast of America, using a different ship also called the <i><a href="/wiki/HMS_Discovery_(1789)" title="HMS Discovery (1789)"><i>Discovery</i> (1789)</a></i>, of Australia and New Zealand. Both the city of <a href="/wiki/Vancouver" title="Vancouver">Vancouver</a> and <a href="/wiki/Vancouver_Island" title="Vancouver Island">Vancouver Island</a> are named after him. He also negotiated agreements with the king of Hawaii but died at the age of 40. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Admiral_Anson">Admiral Anson</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=30" title="Edit section: Admiral Anson"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Samuel_Scott_-_Vice_Admiral_Sir_George_Anson%27s_Victory_off_Cape_Finisterre_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/Samuel_Scott_-_Vice_Admiral_Sir_George_Anson%27s_Victory_off_Cape_Finisterre_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg/240px-Samuel_Scott_-_Vice_Admiral_Sir_George_Anson%27s_Victory_off_Cape_Finisterre_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" decoding="async" width="240" height="135" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/Samuel_Scott_-_Vice_Admiral_Sir_George_Anson%27s_Victory_off_Cape_Finisterre_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg/360px-Samuel_Scott_-_Vice_Admiral_Sir_George_Anson%27s_Victory_off_Cape_Finisterre_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/Samuel_Scott_-_Vice_Admiral_Sir_George_Anson%27s_Victory_off_Cape_Finisterre_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg/480px-Samuel_Scott_-_Vice_Admiral_Sir_George_Anson%27s_Victory_off_Cape_Finisterre_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg 2x" data-file-width="6567" data-file-height="3689" /></a><figcaption>The <a href="/wiki/First_Battle_of_Cape_Finisterre_(1747)" title="First Battle of Cape Finisterre (1747)">First Battle of Cape Finisterre</a> in May 1747 during the <a href="/wiki/War_of_the_Austrian_Succession" title="War of the Austrian Succession">War of the Austrian Succession</a></figcaption></figure> <p><a href="/wiki/George_Anson,_1st_Baron_Anson" title="George Anson, 1st Baron Anson">George Anson, 1st Baron Anson</a> took a squadron of British ships <a href="/wiki/George_Anson%27s_voyage_around_the_world" title="George Anson's voyage around the world">around Cape Horn</a> in 1740–4 to harass the Spanish. He captured several ships, raided the <a href="/wiki/Philippines" title="Philippines">Philippines</a> and visited <a href="/wiki/Guangzhou" title="Guangzhou">Canton</a> (now Guangzhou). He returned with much gold and silver to great acclaim. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Sir_John_Franklin">Sir John Franklin</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=31" title="Edit section: Sir John Franklin"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/John_Franklin" title="John Franklin">John Franklin</a> was an officer in the Royal Navy and an Arctic explorer. He was born in 1786 and joined the navy at the age of 16. He sailed on <a href="/wiki/Matthew_Flinders" title="Matthew Flinders">Matthew Flinders</a> voyages around Australia and took part in the Battle of Trafalgar, but is best remembered for his four Arctic voyages. He made maps of over 3,000 miles (4,800 km) of the coast of <a href="/wiki/Northern_Canada" title="Northern Canada">northern Canada</a>. On his final voyage in 1845 he had two ships the <i><a href="/wiki/HMS_Erebus_(1826)" title="HMS Erebus (1826)"><i>Erebus</i></a></i> and the <i><a href="/wiki/HMS_Terror_(1813)" title="HMS Terror (1813)"><i>Terror</i></a></i>. He was seen off <a href="/wiki/Baffin_Island" title="Baffin Island">Baffin Island</a> but then disappeared. Various expeditions were mounted to find him and his crew. One expedition met <a href="/wiki/Inuit" title="Inuit">Inuit</a> who said that the ships had been crushed in the ice. Messages from the explorers were found but all later died. Franklin had died in 1847 and the remainder had tried to travel south. <a href="/wiki/Robert_McClure" title="Robert McClure">Robert McClure</a> completed the route in 1850. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="James_Clarke_Ross">James Clarke Ross</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=32" title="Edit section: James Clarke Ross"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/James_Clark_Ross" title="James Clark Ross">James Clark Ross</a> surveyed <a href="/wiki/Victoria_Land" title="Victoria Land">Victoria Land</a> in Antarctica in 1842. The <a href="/wiki/Ross_Sea" title="Ross Sea">Ross Sea</a> and <a href="/wiki/Ross_Island" title="Ross Island">Ross Island</a> are named after him as is a ship of the <a href="/wiki/British_Antarctic_Survey" title="British Antarctic Survey">British Antarctic Survey</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Robert_Scott">Robert Scott</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=33" title="Edit section: Robert Scott"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Robert_Falcon_Scott" title="Robert Falcon Scott">Robert Falcon Scott</a> surveyed the Great Ice Barrier in the Antarctic in 1901–4 in <a href="/wiki/RRS_Discovery" title="RRS Discovery">RRS <i>Discovery</i></a>. He died in 1910 on the journey back from the <a href="/wiki/South_Pole" title="South Pole">South Pole</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Ernest_Shackleton">Ernest Shackleton</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=34" title="Edit section: Ernest Shackleton"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Discoveryboat.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/Discoveryboat.jpg/220px-Discoveryboat.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="194" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Discoveryboat.jpg 1.5x" data-file-width="250" data-file-height="221" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/RRS_Discovery" title="RRS Discovery"><i>Discovery</i></a> in Antarctic water</figcaption></figure> <p><a href="/wiki/Ernest_Shackleton" title="Ernest Shackleton">Ernest Shackleton</a> led an expedition to try to cross Antarctica in 1914. His ship became crushed in the ice but he led 28 men to safety on <a href="/wiki/Elephant_Island" title="Elephant Island">Elephant Island</a>. To get help Shackleton and six men crossed 800 nautical miles (1,500 km) of sea in an open boat to South Georgia and then crossed the mountains to <a href="/wiki/Grytviken" title="Grytviken">Grytviken</a>. He returned to rescue all his men from Elephant Island. He died on South Georgia in 1922. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Shipbuilding">Shipbuilding</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=35" title="Edit section: Shipbuilding"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>At the time of the creation of the United Kingdom, England had important royal dockyards at <a href="/wiki/Harwich" title="Harwich">Harwich</a>, <a href="/wiki/Sheerness" title="Sheerness">Sheerness</a> and <a href="/wiki/Plymouth" title="Plymouth">Plymouth</a>. A mechanised <a href="/wiki/Portsmouth_Block_Mills" title="Portsmouth Block Mills">block mill</a> was set up at <a href="/wiki/Portsmouth" title="Portsmouth">Portsmouth</a> in 1806 that was cheaper and faster than producing them by hand. As shipbuilding centres in the <a href="/wiki/North_East_England" title="North East England">north east of England</a> expanded, those in <a href="/wiki/East_Anglia" title="East Anglia">East Anglia</a> declined. </p><p>Ship sizes increased in the 19th century due to the change from wood to iron and then steel. Yards in the north east and in Scotland became dominant. British yards produced the majority of the world's shipping at the end of the century, mostly <a href="/wiki/Tramp_steamer" class="mw-redirect" title="Tramp steamer">tramp steamers</a>. </p><p>In 1913 Britain had 61% of the world market, with 40% in 1920 but this had declined to 0.7% in 1997. Modernisation of the shipyards took place in the 1960s allowing construction of supertankers. The British yards were <a href="/wiki/Nationalization" title="Nationalization">nationalised</a> as part of the <a href="/wiki/Aircraft_and_Shipbuilding_Industries_Act_1977" title="Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act 1977">Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act 1977</a> and renamed "<a href="/wiki/British_Shipbuilders" title="British Shipbuilders">British Shipbuilders</a>" but were <a href="/wiki/Privatization" title="Privatization">privatised</a> again in the 1980s. <a href="/wiki/Rosyth_Dockyard" title="Rosyth Dockyard">Rosyth Dockyard</a> was started in 1909 while <a href="/wiki/HMNB_Clyde" title="HMNB Clyde">HMNB Clyde</a> (Faslane) submarine base was created in the 1960s. American nuclear submarines were based in <a href="/wiki/Holy_Loch" title="Holy Loch">Holy Loch</a> but have since left. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Famous_ships">Famous ships</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=36" title="Edit section: Famous ships"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Cutty_Sark"><i>Cutty Sark</i></h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=37" title="Edit section: Cutty Sark"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The <i><a href="/wiki/Cutty_Sark" title="Cutty Sark">Cutty Sark</a></i> was a <a href="/wiki/Clipper" title="Clipper">clipper</a> ship built in 1869 in <a href="/wiki/Dumbarton" title="Dumbarton">Dumbarton</a>, Scotland, to carry 600 tons of cargo. She raced the <a href="/wiki/Thermopylae_(clipper)" title="Thermopylae (clipper)"><i>Thermopylae</i></a> and other clippers in the <a href="/wiki/Tea" title="Tea">tea</a> trade from China and later in the <a href="/wiki/Wool" title="Wool">wool</a> trade from Australia. She was capable of sailing at over 17 knots (31 km/h). Built as a <a href="/wiki/Full-rigged_ship" title="Full-rigged ship">full-rigged ship</a>, she spent her final trading years as a <a href="/wiki/Barquentine" title="Barquentine">barquentine</a>. She was dismasted in 1916 but restored in 1922 then used as a training ship. <i>Cutty Sark</i> was taken over by a preservation society in 1952 and moved to <a href="/wiki/Greenwich" title="Greenwich">Greenwich</a>. In 2007 she was damaged by fire during restoration work but is now repaired and offers visitors tours as well as a souvenir shop and a coffee shop. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Endeavour"><i>Endeavour</i></h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=38" title="Edit section: Endeavour"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/HM_Bark_Endeavour" class="mw-redirect" title="HM Bark Endeavour">HM Bark <i>Endeavour</i></a> was built in 1768 as a <a href="/wiki/Collier_(ship_type)" class="mw-redirect" title="Collier (ship type)">collier</a> at <a href="/wiki/Whitby" title="Whitby">Whitby</a>. She was a full-rigged ship and sturdily built with a large hold. <i>Endeavour's</i> flat-bottomed hull was well suited for sailing in shallow water and was designed to be beached. She was acquired by the Royal Navy, and after a major refit at Deptford she was used by James Cook on his first voyage to the Pacific Ocean. She ran aground on "Endeavour Reef" in the <a href="/wiki/Great_Barrier_Reef" title="Great Barrier Reef">Great Barrier Reef</a> but was refloated and repaired. On her return to Britain, <i>Endeavour</i> was used as a store ship and then sold out of the navy and used as a merchant ship. Her later fate is uncertain. </p><p>A <a href="/wiki/HM_Bark_Endeavour_Replica" class="mw-redirect" title="HM Bark Endeavour Replica">replica of <i>Endeavour</i></a> was built in <a href="/wiki/Fremantle,_Western_Australia" class="mw-redirect" title="Fremantle, Western Australia">Fremantle</a> from the original drawings, starting in 1988. This was completed in 1994 and <i>Endeavour</i> undertook a voyage to Whitby where she stayed from 1997 to 2003. She is now at the <a href="/wiki/Australian_National_Maritime_Museum" title="Australian National Maritime Museum">Australian National Maritime Museum</a> in Sydney. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Great_Britain"><i>Great Britain</i></h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=39" title="Edit section: Great Britain"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Launch-of-the-SS-GB.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/Launch-of-the-SS-GB.jpg/250px-Launch-of-the-SS-GB.jpg" decoding="async" width="250" height="151" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/Launch-of-the-SS-GB.jpg/375px-Launch-of-the-SS-GB.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/Launch-of-the-SS-GB.jpg/500px-Launch-of-the-SS-GB.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1507" data-file-height="913" /></a><figcaption>The 1843 launch of the <i><a href="/wiki/SS_Great_Britain" title="SS Great Britain">Great Britain</a></i></figcaption></figure> <p>The <a href="/wiki/SS_Great_Britain" title="SS Great Britain">SS <i>Great Britain</i></a> was <a href="/wiki/Isambard_Kingdom_Brunel" title="Isambard Kingdom Brunel">Isambard Kingdom Brunel</a>'s second ship design, after a wooden paddle steamer called the <a href="/wiki/SS_Great_Western" title="SS Great Western">SS <i>Great Western</i></a>. She was the first steamship to make regular crossings of the Atlantic. This was the first large iron steamship and the first to use a screw propeller. After a long career she was abandoned in the Falkland Islands but was brought back to the <a href="/wiki/Drydock" class="mw-redirect" title="Drydock">drydock</a> in Bristol in which she was built. There she has been restored. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Great_Eastern"><i>Great Eastern</i></h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=40" title="Edit section: Great Eastern"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The <a href="/wiki/SS_Great_Eastern" title="SS Great Eastern">SS <i>Great Eastern</i></a> was launched in 1858 and was six times bigger than any ship before. She was the third ship designed by Brunel. The <i>Great Eastern</i> had six masts as well as coal fired engines driving paddle wheels. It was designed to carry enough coal to travel to Australia and return, and was intended to carry 4,000 passengers (or 10,000 soldiers). Work started on the ship in 1854 but there were many problems in building and launching the ship. After fitting out at Deptford she undertook trials in September 1859 but the heater attached to the paddle engine boilers exploded. As the ship had been fitted with watertight <a href="/wiki/Bulkhead_(partition)" title="Bulkhead (partition)">bulkheads</a> she survived and was repaired. Because of the opening of the <a href="/wiki/Suez_Canal" title="Suez Canal">Suez Canal</a>, she was not used on the Australian route as envisaged but on the Atlantic crossings. Passengers did not like the rolling in storms and she was sold to a cable laying company after only six years. The <i>Great Eastern</i> was used to lay the first <a href="/wiki/Transatlantic_telegraph_cable" title="Transatlantic telegraph cable">transatlantic telegraph cable</a> and many others subsequently. She was broken up in 1888. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Titanic"><i>Titanic</i></h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=41" title="Edit section: Titanic"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:RMS_Titanic_3.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/RMS_Titanic_3.jpg/230px-RMS_Titanic_3.jpg" decoding="async" width="230" height="169" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/RMS_Titanic_3.jpg/345px-RMS_Titanic_3.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/RMS_Titanic_3.jpg/460px-RMS_Titanic_3.jpg 2x" data-file-width="5000" data-file-height="3677" /></a><figcaption><i>Titanic</i> departing <a href="/wiki/Southampton" title="Southampton">Southampton</a> on 10 April 1912</figcaption></figure> <p>The <a href="/wiki/RMS_Titanic" class="mw-redirect" title="RMS Titanic"><i>Titanic</i></a> and her sister ships <a href="/wiki/RMS_Olympic" title="RMS Olympic"><i>Olympic</i></a> and <a href="/wiki/HMHS_Britannic" title="HMHS Britannic"><i>Britannic</i></a> were built the <a href="/wiki/White_Star_Line" title="White Star Line">White Star Line</a> to outdo the <a href="/wiki/RMS_Mauretania_(1906)" title="RMS Mauretania (1906)"><i>Mauretania</i></a> and <a href="/wiki/RMS_Lusitania" title="RMS Lusitania"><i>Lusitania</i></a> which belonged to the rival <a href="/wiki/Cunard_Line" title="Cunard Line">Cunard Line</a>. <i>Titanic</i> was 269 m long and weight 45,000 tons. She was described as a luxury hotel at sea and as "unsinkable". She was fitted with a double bottom and 16 watertight compartments so that even if two were flooded she would not sink. <i>Titanic</i> departed from <a href="/wiki/Southampton" title="Southampton">Southampton</a> on 10 April 1912 on her maiden voyage to America. She called at <a href="/wiki/Cherbourg-Octeville" title="Cherbourg-Octeville">Cherbourg</a> and then <a href="/wiki/Cobh" title="Cobh">Queenstown</a> (now Cobh) before heading for New York City. Despite warnings of <a href="/wiki/Iceberg" title="Iceberg">icebergs</a>, she continued at 24 knots (44 km/h) on the night of 14 April. About midnight she hit an iceberg and five compartments started to flood. Two hours afterwards she sank. There were only enough lifeboats for half the passengers and about 1,500 people perished. In 1985 her wreck was identified by sonar 4,000 m down and explored using a <a href="/wiki/Remotely_operated_vehicle" class="mw-redirect" title="Remotely operated vehicle">remotely operated vehicle</a> (ROV). Many objects from the wreck have been recovered. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Queen_Mary"><i>Queen Mary</i></h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=42" title="Edit section: Queen Mary"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/RMS_Queen_Mary" title="RMS Queen Mary">RMS <i>Queen Mary</i></a> was built in 1936 by <a href="/wiki/John_Brown_%26_Company" title="John Brown & Company">John Brown & Company</a> in <a href="/wiki/Clydebank" title="Clydebank">Clydebank</a>, Scotland for what is now the Cunard Line. She made runs across the Atlantic between Southampton, Cherbourg and New York City in partnership with <a href="/wiki/RMS_Queen_Elizabeth" title="RMS Queen Elizabeth"><i>Queen Elizabeth</i></a>. The <i>Queen Mary</i> was used as a troop ship in the Second World War, carrying 16,082 people on one voyage. After the war she resumed Atlantic runs but these became loss making. She was withdrawn from service in 1967 and is now in <a href="/wiki/Long_Beach,_California" title="Long Beach, California">Long Beach</a> California as a hotel and tourist attraction. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Britannia"><i>Britannia</i></h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=43" title="Edit section: Britannia"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/HMY_Britannia" title="HMY Britannia">HMY <i>Brittania</i></a> was the name given to two <a href="/wiki/Luxury_yacht" class="mw-redirect" title="Luxury yacht">yachts</a> owned by the British royal family. The last one of these was built in 1953 and served the British royal family for nearly 43 years. Britannia is 5862 tons with an overall length of 412 feet (126 m). During her time in service she steamed 71 million miles. She has been preserved in port at <a href="/wiki/Leith" title="Leith">Leith</a> in Scotland. She was designed to be used as a <a href="/wiki/Hospital_ship" title="Hospital ship">hospital ship</a> in time of war but did not undertake this role. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Victory"><i>Victory</i></h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=44" title="Edit section: Victory"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:John_Wilson_Carmichael_-_The_opening_engagement_at_Trafalgar;_H.M.S._%27Royal_Sovereign%27_raking_the_stern_of_the_Spanish_flagship_%27Santa_Ana%27.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/John_Wilson_Carmichael_-_The_opening_engagement_at_Trafalgar%3B_H.M.S._%27Royal_Sovereign%27_raking_the_stern_of_the_Spanish_flagship_%27Santa_Ana%27.jpg/230px-John_Wilson_Carmichael_-_The_opening_engagement_at_Trafalgar%3B_H.M.S._%27Royal_Sovereign%27_raking_the_stern_of_the_Spanish_flagship_%27Santa_Ana%27.jpg" decoding="async" width="230" height="134" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/John_Wilson_Carmichael_-_The_opening_engagement_at_Trafalgar%3B_H.M.S._%27Royal_Sovereign%27_raking_the_stern_of_the_Spanish_flagship_%27Santa_Ana%27.jpg/345px-John_Wilson_Carmichael_-_The_opening_engagement_at_Trafalgar%3B_H.M.S._%27Royal_Sovereign%27_raking_the_stern_of_the_Spanish_flagship_%27Santa_Ana%27.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/John_Wilson_Carmichael_-_The_opening_engagement_at_Trafalgar%3B_H.M.S._%27Royal_Sovereign%27_raking_the_stern_of_the_Spanish_flagship_%27Santa_Ana%27.jpg/460px-John_Wilson_Carmichael_-_The_opening_engagement_at_Trafalgar%3B_H.M.S._%27Royal_Sovereign%27_raking_the_stern_of_the_Spanish_flagship_%27Santa_Ana%27.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2880" data-file-height="1674" /></a><figcaption>The opening engagement at the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Trafalgar" title="Battle of Trafalgar">Battle of Trafalgar</a></figcaption></figure> <p><a href="/wiki/HMS_Victory" title="HMS Victory">HMS <i>Victory</i></a> was built between 1759 and 1765 at <a href="/wiki/Chatham_Dockyard" title="Chatham Dockyard">Chatham Dockyard</a> with over 100 guns. She fought at <a href="/wiki/Ushant" title="Ushant">Ushant</a> in 1778 and 1781, and at Cape St. Vincent in 1796. <i>Victory</i> was reconstructed in 1798 with more guns and then fought at the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Trafalgar" title="Battle of Trafalgar">Battle of Trafalgar</a> in 1805. Later she sailed on many naval expeditions. However, in 1889, <i>Victory</i> became home to the "Naval School of Telegraphy". She got into a poor state and was restored 1922–8. <i>Victory</i> is now in drydock at <a href="/wiki/HMNB_Portsmouth" title="HMNB Portsmouth">HMNB Portsmouth</a> (Portsmouth Historic Dockyard), where she received some damage in the Second World War. <i>Victory</i> is still the flagship of the <a href="/wiki/Second_Sea_Lord" title="Second Sea Lord">Second Sea Lord</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Warrior"><i>Warrior</i></h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=45" title="Edit section: Warrior"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/HMS_Warrior_(1860)" title="HMS Warrior (1860)">HMS <i>Warrior</i></a> was built in 1860 in response to the French ship <a href="/wiki/French_battleship_La_Gloire" class="mw-redirect" title="French battleship La Gloire"><i>La Gloire</i></a>. She was the first iron-hulled <a href="/wiki/Ironclad_warship" title="Ironclad warship">ironclad</a>, with three skins of iron, <a href="/wiki/Teak" title="Teak">teak</a> and iron. <i>Warrior</i> was broadside firing with 9 ton muzzle loading guns. She was described by <a href="/wiki/Napoleon_III_of_France" class="mw-redirect" title="Napoleon III of France">Napoleon III</a> as a "black snake amongst the rabbits". Her construction started a revolution in shipbuilding which meant that she was soon outclassed. She ended her days as an oil jetty at <a href="/wiki/Pembroke_Dock" title="Pembroke Dock">Pembroke Dock</a> but was restored and has been on display since the 1980s at HMNB Portsmouth. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Belfast"><i>Belfast</i></h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=46" title="Edit section: Belfast"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/HMS_Belfast" title="HMS Belfast">HMS <i>Belfast</i></a> is a <a href="/wiki/Town-class_cruiser_(1936)" title="Town-class cruiser (1936)">Town-class cruiser</a> launched in 1938. At the start of the Second World War she was part of the force mounting a blockade on Germany. After sustaining mine damage she was reconstructed and became the heaviest cruiser of the class at 11553 tons. <i>Belfast</i> fought in the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_North_Cape" class="mw-redirect" title="Battle of North Cape">Battle of North Cape</a> against the <a href="/wiki/German_battleship_Scharnhorst" title="German battleship Scharnhorst"><i>Scharnhorst</i></a> and took part in operations against <a href="/wiki/German_battleship_Tirpitz" title="German battleship Tirpitz"><i>Tirpitz</i></a>. She was part of the bombardment force during the D-Day landings and later served in the <a href="/wiki/Far_East" title="Far East">Far East</a>. <i>Belfast</i> also took part in the <a href="/wiki/Korean_War" title="Korean War">Korean War</a>. <i>Belfast</i> was then modernised and went to the Far East again. She was paid off from the <a href="/wiki/Royal_Navy" title="Royal Navy">Royal Navy</a> in 1963 and is now a museum ship on the <a href="/wiki/River_Thames" title="River Thames">River Thames</a> at London. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Navigation">Navigation</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=47" title="Edit section: Navigation"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Bow_Creek_Lighthouse_dusk.JPG" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/Bow_Creek_Lighthouse_dusk.JPG/220px-Bow_Creek_Lighthouse_dusk.JPG" decoding="async" width="220" height="178" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/Bow_Creek_Lighthouse_dusk.JPG/330px-Bow_Creek_Lighthouse_dusk.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/Bow_Creek_Lighthouse_dusk.JPG/440px-Bow_Creek_Lighthouse_dusk.JPG 2x" data-file-width="2107" data-file-height="1700" /></a><figcaption>The surviving one of a pair of experimental lighthouses at <a href="/wiki/Trinity_Buoy_Wharf" title="Trinity Buoy Wharf">Trinity Buoy Wharf</a>, used by <a href="/wiki/Michael_Faraday" title="Michael Faraday">Michael Faraday</a> and later used for training (closed 1988)</figcaption></figure> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Instruments_and_guides">Instruments and guides</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=48" title="Edit section: Instruments and guides"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Between 1735 and 1760 <a href="/wiki/John_Harrison" title="John Harrison">John Harrison</a> developed four types of <a href="/wiki/Marine_chronometer" title="Marine chronometer">marine chronometers</a> for use at sea to allow accurate determination of <a href="/wiki/Longitude" title="Longitude">longitude</a>. </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/Gyrocompass" title="Gyrocompass">gyrocompass</a> was introduced in 1908. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Lighthouses">Lighthouses</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=49" title="Edit section: Lighthouses"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The first offshore lighthouse was that built on the <a href="/wiki/Eddystone_Rocks" title="Eddystone Rocks">Eddystone Rocks</a> in 1699. This was washed away in a great storm but a replacement was built. As its foundations were unsatisfactory it was taken down and rebuilt on <a href="/wiki/Plymouth_Hoe" title="Plymouth Hoe">Plymouth Hoe</a>. The third lighthouse on the reef still stands. The first <a href="/wiki/Lightvessel" class="mw-redirect" title="Lightvessel">lightship</a> was positioned at the <a href="/wiki/Nore" title="Nore">Nore</a> in 1732. <a href="/wiki/Foghorn" title="Foghorn">Foghorns</a> were incorporated in the 19th century to provide warning in low visibility. In the late 19th and early 20th century underwater bells were used as warning devices. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Navigation_marks">Navigation marks</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=50" title="Edit section: Navigation marks"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Trinity_House" title="Trinity House">Trinity House</a> of Deptford was founded in 1514 to look after navigation marks in the <a href="/wiki/Thames_Estuary" title="Thames Estuary">Thames Estuary</a>. Similar organisations were founded at other places later. These were subsequently amalgamated and its authority was increased in 1836. Trinity House now looks after most of the marks in England and Wales, with the <a href="/wiki/Northern_Lighthouse_Board" title="Northern Lighthouse Board">Northern Lighthouse Board</a> in Scotland and the <a href="/wiki/Commissioners_of_Irish_Lights" title="Commissioners of Irish Lights">Commissioners of Irish Lights</a> for the whole of Ireland. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Electronic_navigation">Electronic navigation</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=51" title="Edit section: Electronic navigation"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Ship's <a href="/wiki/Radar" title="Radar">radar</a> started to be used during WWII, though it was primarily for military use. After 1945 when it came off the secret list, it was used commercially by the merchant fleets. Radar is also used on land for monitoring the position of shipping, for example in the <a href="/wiki/Strait_of_Dover" title="Strait of Dover">Strait of Dover</a> which is the busiest area of sea in the world. </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/Decca_Navigator_System" title="Decca Navigator System">Decca Navigator System</a> was a <a href="/wiki/Hyperbola" title="Hyperbola">hyperbolic</a> radio navigation system for commercial use that was installed in the decades after WWII, when it had come off the secret list. It had been used to sweep and mark the channels for the <a href="/wiki/D-Day" class="mw-redirect" title="D-Day">D-Day</a> invasion Operation Overlord. After the end of <a href="/wiki/World_War_II" title="World War II">World War II</a> the Decca Navigator Co. Ltd. was formed to enable commercial use, and the system expanded rapidly, particularly in areas of <a href="/wiki/British_Empire" title="British Empire">British influence</a>. It gave unparalleled accuracy until the advent of GPS satellite-based systems. At its peak it was deployed in many of the world's major shipping areas. More than 15,000 receiving sets were in use aboard ships in 1970. There were 4 transmitting "chains" around England, 1 in Ireland and 2 in Scotland, 12 in Scandinavia and a number elsewhere in the world. It was only phased out after the USA GPS signals became available for public use in 2001. </p><p>Electronic <a href="/wiki/Echo_sounding" title="Echo sounding">echo sounding</a> was introduced in the 1930s to determine water depth and was useful in shallow waters. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Safety_and_rescue">Safety and rescue</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=52" title="Edit section: Safety and rescue"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:DauntRescueGribble.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/DauntRescueGribble.png/220px-DauntRescueGribble.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="151" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/DauntRescueGribble.png/330px-DauntRescueGribble.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/DauntRescueGribble.png/440px-DauntRescueGribble.png 2x" data-file-width="1237" data-file-height="849" /></a><figcaption>1974 postage stamp marking the <a href="/wiki/Royal_National_Lifeboat_Institution" title="Royal National Lifeboat Institution">Royal National Lifeboat Institution</a>'s 150th anniversary (<i>rescue of Daunt Lightship's crew by Ballycotton lifeboat <a href="/wiki/RNLB_Mary_Stanford_(ON_733)" title="RNLB Mary Stanford (ON 733)">RNLB </a></i><a href="/wiki/RNLB_Mary_Stanford_(ON_733)" title="RNLB Mary Stanford (ON 733)">Mary Stanford<i></i></a><i>. Artist: <a href="/wiki/B._F._Gribble" title="B. F. Gribble">B. F. Gribble</a></i>)</figcaption></figure> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Plimsoll_line">Plimsoll line</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=53" title="Edit section: Plimsoll line"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In the 19th century it was sometimes the practice to send heavily insured "<a href="/wiki/Coffin_ship" title="Coffin ship">coffin ships</a>" to sea that were old, poorly maintained and overloaded. In 1868 <a href="/wiki/Samuel_Plimsoll" title="Samuel Plimsoll">Samuel Plimsoll</a> became concerned by the scandal and published <i>Our Seamen</i> which revealed the situation. A <a href="/wiki/Waterline" title="Waterline">load line</a> (which became known as the Plimsoll Line) was required by the <i>Merchant Shipping Act</i> of 1876 but it was not until 1890 that the <a href="/wiki/Board_of_Trade" title="Board of Trade">Board of Trade</a> became responsible for determining where it should be. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Lifeboats">Lifeboats</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=54" title="Edit section: Lifeboats"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>There were some locally organised <a href="/wiki/Lifeboat_(rescue)" title="Lifeboat (rescue)">lifeboats</a> in the 18th century, the first being in 1789 as a result of a tragic accident at the entrance to the <a href="/wiki/River_Tyne" title="River Tyne">River Tyne</a>. The <a href="/wiki/Royal_National_Lifeboat_Institution" title="Royal National Lifeboat Institution">Royal National Lifeboat Institution</a> was founded by Sir <a href="/wiki/William_Hillary" title="William Hillary">William Hillary</a> in 1824 and is financed voluntarily. It maintains many lifeboats and lifeboat stations around the coast of Britain, the stations being run by paid engineers but mostly manned by local volunteers. An exception is the station at <a href="/wiki/Spurn" title="Spurn">Spurn Head</a> which is isolated so it is manned fully by paid crew. The boats were rowed with oars until the 1890s when steam-driven boats began to be introduced. Nowadays there are large diesel-driven offshore boats and small fast inshore boats. In some places <a href="/wiki/Hovercraft" title="Hovercraft">hovercraft</a> are used for rescues. The RNLI boats cooperate with the other rescue services, particularly the rescue helicopters. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Maritime_and_Coastguard_Agency">Maritime and Coastguard Agency</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=55" title="Edit section: Maritime and Coastguard Agency"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Maritime_and_Coastguard_Agency" title="Maritime and Coastguard Agency">Maritime and Coastguard Agency</a> was formed in 1998 to look after safety in British waters. It coordinates the search rescue services and determines safety standards. It incorporated the Coastguard Agency, that had been formed from <a href="/wiki/Her_Majesty%27s_Coastguard" class="mw-redirect" title="Her Majesty's Coastguard">Her Majesty's Coastguard</a>, and the Marine Safety Agency. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Ports_and_harbours">Ports and harbours</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=56" title="Edit section: Ports and harbours"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Imports_from_France_Boitard_1757.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Imports_from_France_Boitard_1757.jpg/220px-Imports_from_France_Boitard_1757.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="127" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Imports_from_France_Boitard_1757.jpg/330px-Imports_from_France_Boitard_1757.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Imports_from_France_Boitard_1757.jpg/440px-Imports_from_France_Boitard_1757.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1591" data-file-height="920" /></a><figcaption>Legal Quays (<a href="/wiki/Pool_of_London" title="Pool of London">Pool of London</a>) in 1757, by <a href="/wiki/Louis_Peter_Boitard" title="Louis Peter Boitard">Louis Peter Boitard</a>.</figcaption></figure> <p>Around the coast of Britain there are hundreds of ports and harbours, varying from the tiny (such as <a href="/wiki/Porlock_Weir" title="Porlock Weir">Porlock Weir</a>) to the large (such as the <a href="/wiki/Port_of_Felixstowe" title="Port of Felixstowe">Port of Felixstowe</a>). Ships were also simply drawn up on beaches. Over the centuries the relative importance of each port and harbour has changed due to such factors as silting and trade alterations. In later periods deep water access has been a major factor in determining a port's success. </p><p>In the 18th century there were major harbour improvements with <a href="/wiki/Dredging" title="Dredging">dredging</a> of channels and construction of <a href="/wiki/Pier" title="Pier">piers</a>. <a href="/wiki/Wet_dock" class="mw-redirect" title="Wet dock">Wet docks</a> were built at London, <a href="/wiki/Liverpool" title="Liverpool">Liverpool</a>, Hull and Bristol. </p><p><a href="/wiki/London" title="London">London</a> was still the largest port in the 19th century when new docks were built. <a href="/wiki/Cardiff" title="Cardiff">Cardiff</a> became a major coal exporting port after a <a href="/wiki/Rail_transport" title="Rail transport">railway</a> link was built, as did other <a href="/wiki/South_Wales" title="South Wales">South Wales</a> ports. The railways were responsible for developing new ports such as <a href="/wiki/Newhaven,_East_Sussex" class="mw-redirect" title="Newhaven, East Sussex">Newhaven</a> as <a href="/wiki/Ferry_slip" title="Ferry slip">ferry terminals</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Manchester_Ship_Canal" title="Manchester Ship Canal">Manchester Ship Canal</a> enabled Manchester to become a significant port though far inland. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Scene_in_a_London_Dockyard_during_the_Second_World_War_D1222.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/Scene_in_a_London_Dockyard_during_the_Second_World_War_D1222.jpg/220px-Scene_in_a_London_Dockyard_during_the_Second_World_War_D1222.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="146" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/Scene_in_a_London_Dockyard_during_the_Second_World_War_D1222.jpg/330px-Scene_in_a_London_Dockyard_during_the_Second_World_War_D1222.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/Scene_in_a_London_Dockyard_during_the_Second_World_War_D1222.jpg/440px-Scene_in_a_London_Dockyard_during_the_Second_World_War_D1222.jpg 2x" data-file-width="5551" data-file-height="3684" /></a><figcaption>Scene in a British dockyard during WWII</figcaption></figure> <p>When oil replaced coal after the First World War, coal ports like Cardiff declined. London, Southampton, <a href="/wiki/Manchester" title="Manchester">Manchester</a>, Liverpool, and Glasgow increased in trade during the inter-war years, and ferry ports such as <a href="/wiki/Harwich" title="Harwich">Harwich</a> and Dover grew. Oil terminals were built from the 1920s and the larger ships required new docks at existing ports. After the Second World War new cargo handling methods were introduced, such as <a href="/wiki/Pallet" title="Pallet">pallets</a> (1950), <a href="/wiki/Containerization" title="Containerization">containerisation</a> (1960s) and <a href="/wiki/Roll-on/roll-off" title="Roll-on/roll-off">roll-on/roll-off</a> ships. Dockers at some ports resisted this change so leading to the development of new facilities at ports such as <a href="/wiki/Port_of_Felixstowe" title="Port of Felixstowe">Felixstowe</a> and <a href="/wiki/Port_of_Tilbury" title="Port of Tilbury">Tilbury</a>. </p><p>Older port facilities became redundant and were redeveloped, such as <a href="/wiki/Canary_Wharf" title="Canary Wharf">Canary Wharf</a> in London. In 1977 the major ports of Britain were London, Tees and <a href="/wiki/Hartlepool" title="Hartlepool">Hartlepool</a>, Grimsby and <a href="/wiki/Immingham" title="Immingham">Immingham</a>, Forth, and <a href="/wiki/Milford_Haven" title="Milford Haven">Milford Haven</a>. Many of the small ports were redeveloped as <a href="/wiki/Marina" title="Marina">marinas</a>, such as <a href="/wiki/Watchet" title="Watchet">Watchet</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Trade">Trade</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=57" title="Edit section: Trade"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Goods">Goods</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=58" title="Edit section: Goods"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The Navigation Ordinance of 1651 cut out Dutch shippers from English trade, which led to war. In the 17th century trade expanded with imports of fish and sugar. Exports were of corn and manufactured goods. The <a href="/wiki/Royal_African_Company" title="Royal African Company">Royal African Company</a> had a monopoly of the African trade until 1712 but there was much privateering. Later a major part of this trade was in the "<a href="/wiki/Triangular_trade" title="Triangular trade">Triangular trade</a>" which involved taking goods from Britain to West Africa, <a href="/wiki/Slavery" title="Slavery">slaves</a> from Africa to the West Indies and America, then sugar to Britain. The main ports involved were London, Bristol and Liverpool but there were many others, with a total of 11,615 sailings with 3.4 million slaves between 1662 and 1807. <a href="/wiki/William_Wilberforce" title="William Wilberforce">William Wilberforce</a> and his supporters got the <a href="/wiki/History_of_slavery" title="History of slavery">slave trade</a> abolished in 1808 and subsequently the Royal Navy tried to suppress it. </p><p>In 1600 Queen Elizabeth had given the <a href="/wiki/Honourable_East_India_Company" class="mw-redirect" title="Honourable East India Company">Honourable East India Company</a> the right to trade east of the <a href="/wiki/Cape_of_Good_Hope" title="Cape of Good Hope">Cape of Good Hope</a>. By 1804 the company's fleet from India was said to be worth £6M. The <a href="/wiki/Virginia_Company" title="Virginia Company">Virginia Company</a> failed in 1624. The <a href="/wiki/South_Sea_Company" title="South Sea Company">South Sea Company</a> had been set up to trade in the Pacific but became involved in domestic politics. The <a href="/wiki/Levant_Company" title="Levant Company">Levant Company</a> was set up to trade with Turkey. </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/Industrial_Revolution" title="Industrial Revolution">Industrial Revolution</a> caused a large increase in shipping movements. Raw materials were imported and manufactured goods were exported. In addition there was a need for coal. In the 19th century Britain built up the largest merchant fleet in the world. Around half the ocean-going tonnage was under the <a href="/wiki/Red_Ensign" title="Red Ensign">Red Ensign</a>. </p><p>Examinations for masters and mates of large merchant ships were introduced in 1845 for foreign-going ships and in 1854 for coastal ones. Engineers tickets were required after 1862. Logs were required to be kept after 1850. </p><p>In the First World War a fifth of Britain's pre-war merchant shipping had been sunk by 1917, including 1349 ships in August of that year. Most deep water ships were sunk by torpedoes while most coastal ones hit mines. The fleets of neutral countries had expanded and in the 1920s there was a slump in shipping. Development of refrigerated ships allowed the importation of lamb and other meats from places such as New Zealand. A large number of merchant ships were sunk in the Second World War, but Britain's fleet had expanded by the end due to new construction. In the 1950s "<a href="/wiki/Flag_of_convenience" title="Flag of convenience">flags of Convenience</a>" were taking an increasing share of world trade and the <a href="/wiki/Eastern_Bloc" title="Eastern Bloc">Eastern Bloc</a>'s shipping was expanding to earn foreign currency. </p><p>Excluding tankers and the US <a href="/wiki/War_Reserve_Stock" class="mw-redirect" title="War Reserve Stock">War Reserve</a>, Britain still had the world's largest merchant fleet in 1957. However, since then there has been a sharp decline, partly because of "re-flagging" to cut costs. Britain, now the world's fifth largest trading nation, exports 26% of its <a href="/wiki/Gross_domestic_product" title="Gross domestic product">gross domestic product</a>, with 95% of this trade going by sea. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Passenger_liners">Passenger liners</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=59" title="Edit section: Passenger liners"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:RMS_QUEEN_MARY_Cunard_White_Star_1949_Baggage_Tag.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/RMS_QUEEN_MARY_Cunard_White_Star_1949_Baggage_Tag.jpg/220px-RMS_QUEEN_MARY_Cunard_White_Star_1949_Baggage_Tag.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="135" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/RMS_QUEEN_MARY_Cunard_White_Star_1949_Baggage_Tag.jpg/330px-RMS_QUEEN_MARY_Cunard_White_Star_1949_Baggage_Tag.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/RMS_QUEEN_MARY_Cunard_White_Star_1949_Baggage_Tag.jpg/440px-RMS_QUEEN_MARY_Cunard_White_Star_1949_Baggage_Tag.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1355" data-file-height="833" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Cunard-White_Star" class="mw-redirect" title="Cunard-White Star">Cunard-White Star</a> <a href="/wiki/RMS_Queen_Mary" title="RMS Queen Mary">RMS <i>Queen Mary</i></a> baggage tag</figcaption></figure> <p>The first paddle steamer was used in 1793 and by 1821 there were services between Leith and London. The first British steamer to cross the Atlantic was the <a href="/wiki/SS_Sirius_(1837)" title="SS Sirius (1837)"><i>Sirius</i></a> in 1838, closely followed by the <a href="/wiki/SS_Great_Western" title="SS Great Western"><i>Great Western</i></a>. The <a href="/wiki/Peninsular_and_Oriental_Steam_Navigation_Company" class="mw-redirect" title="Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company">Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company</a> was originally set up to take passengers to <a href="/wiki/Gibraltar" title="Gibraltar">Gibraltar</a> and this was extended to <a href="/wiki/India" title="India">India</a>, the company eventually becoming "P&O". The "<a href="/wiki/White_Star_Line" title="White Star Line">White Star Line</a>" originally concentrated on the emigrant trade but had fast liners after 1871. During wartime the liners were used as troop ships. Southampton became the main passenger port because of its deep harbour with four tides. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Emigration/deportation"><span id="Emigration.2Fdeportation"></span>Emigration/deportation</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=60" title="Edit section: Emigration/deportation"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Some 20,000 people emigrated from Britain to North America in the 20 years after the Mayflower's voyage. After the loss of the <a href="/wiki/Thirteen_Colonies" title="Thirteen Colonies">American Colonies</a>, Britain used Australia as a <a href="/wiki/Penal_colony" title="Penal colony">penal colony</a>. The First Fleet in 1787 consisted of 1,200 people including 780 convicts. After the Second World War emigrants travelled by sea to the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Ferries_and_cruise_boats">Ferries and cruise boats</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=61" title="Edit section: Ferries and cruise boats"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Ferry" title="Ferry">Ferries</a> operate across the English Channel, the Irish Sea, to the <a href="/wiki/Isle_of_Man" title="Isle of Man">Isle of Man</a>, to the <a href="/wiki/Isle_of_Wight" title="Isle of Wight">Isle of Wight</a>, the Isles of Scilly and to many Scottish islands. Ships have probably sailed these routes since prehistoric times. However, regular ferry services (apart from <a href="/wiki/Mersey_Ferry" title="Mersey Ferry">Mersey Ferry</a> which started in 1200s) only started in the 18th century. On the Isle of Man route, sailing ships were used until 1830 but steamships proved faster and more reliable. The ferry trade expanded with the advent of roll-on/roll-off ship designs. The ferries across the English Channel were badly affected by the opening of the <a href="/wiki/Channel_Tunnel" title="Channel Tunnel">Channel Tunnel</a> in 1994. </p><p>Cruise boats became popular in the 19th century. They operated from beaches in Dorset and Devon, and from Liverpool to North Wales. They also operated in the <a href="/wiki/River_Clyde" title="River Clyde">River Clyde</a>, Thames and <a href="/wiki/Bristol_Channel" title="Bristol Channel">Bristol Channel</a>. A paddle steamer, the <a href="/wiki/PS_Waverley" title="PS Waverley"><i>Waverley</i></a> built in 1946, is still running, making trips for example to <a href="/wiki/Lundy" title="Lundy">Lundy</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Customs_men_and_smugglers">Customs men and smugglers</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=62" title="Edit section: Customs men and smugglers"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Customs" title="Customs">Customs</a> <a href="/wiki/Duty_(economics)" class="mw-redirect" title="Duty (economics)">duties</a> are payable on specified goods imported or exported. The range of goods on which there are charges has varied over time. Customs men were put into the various ports and they tried to keep watch over the adjoining coasts. These boards were combined as the <i><a href="/wiki/Her_Majesty%27s_Customs_and_Excise" class="mw-redirect" title="Her Majesty's Customs and Excise">Board of Customs and Excise</a></i> (later <i>Her Majesty's Customs and Excise</i>, which was formed in 1909, and became part of <a href="/wiki/Her_Majesty%27s_Revenue_and_Customs" class="mw-redirect" title="Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs">Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs</a> in 2005. </p><p>In the 18th and 19th centuries there was extensive <a href="/wiki/Smuggling" title="Smuggling">smuggling</a> by sea from the continent to Britain because of the high duty on luxury goods. The later was to finance the wars with France and the United States. Silks, spirits and tobacco came from France while gin came from the Netherlands. Revenue cutters were used to try and intercept the smugglers but with little success. After the Napoleonic Wars there was surplus manpower that was used to try and suppress smuggling. In certain areas (such as in Kent and Cornwall) smuggling was for many communities more economically significant than legal activities such as farming or fishing. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Fishing">Fishing</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=63" title="Edit section: Fishing"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In the 19th and early 20th centuries <a href="/wiki/Herring" title="Herring">herring</a> fishing was a major activity in Britain. Herring fishing stopped in England and Wales during the 1960s but continued in Scotland until 1977/8. In 1937 the herring catch at Yarmouth dropped dramatically, then that at <a href="/wiki/Lowestoft" title="Lowestoft">Lowestoft</a> declined. </p> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Unloading_fish_A,_Mallaig,_Sep_1977.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/Unloading_fish_A%2C_Mallaig%2C_Sep_1977.jpg/300px-Unloading_fish_A%2C_Mallaig%2C_Sep_1977.jpg" decoding="async" width="300" height="197" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/Unloading_fish_A%2C_Mallaig%2C_Sep_1977.jpg/450px-Unloading_fish_A%2C_Mallaig%2C_Sep_1977.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/Unloading_fish_A%2C_Mallaig%2C_Sep_1977.jpg/600px-Unloading_fish_A%2C_Mallaig%2C_Sep_1977.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3199" data-file-height="2106" /></a><figcaption>Unloading fish on the fishing boat "Silvery Sea" in <a href="/wiki/Mallaig" title="Mallaig">Mallaig</a> harbour, Scotland, in 1977. This boat sank with all hands lost after a collision off the Danish coast in 1998.</figcaption></figure> <p><a href="/wiki/Trawling" title="Trawling">Trawling</a> has also been a major activity, with the use of <a href="/wiki/Radio_navigation_aid" class="mw-redirect" title="Radio navigation aid">radio navigation aids</a> and echo sounders making life easier now. Fishing in waters off <a href="/wiki/Iceland" title="Iceland">Iceland</a> became important, which led to three "<a href="/wiki/Cod_War" class="mw-redirect" title="Cod War">Cod Wars</a>" from the 1950s to the 1970s. British boats were excluded from Icelandic waters in 1976. In 1977 a 200-mile (320 km) fishing limit was set up by the <a href="/wiki/European_Community" class="mw-redirect" title="European Community">European Economic Community</a>, and British waters were opened to other Community members. This led to overfishing. Landings decreased 28% between 1967 and 1997, with fishing now mainly off Scotland. </p><p>Other sorts of fishing also take place on a commercial basis such as for <a href="/wiki/Crab" title="Crab">crab</a>, <a href="/wiki/Lobster" title="Lobster">lobster</a>, <a href="/wiki/Shellfish" title="Shellfish">shellfish</a> and <a href="/wiki/Mackerel" title="Mackerel">mackerel</a>. <a href="/wiki/Sport_fishing" class="mw-redirect" title="Sport fishing">Sport fishing</a> is popular from coasts and boats, including for <a href="/wiki/Shark" title="Shark">shark</a> off south west England. </p><p>In the past local conditions led to the development of a wide range of types of <a href="/wiki/Fishing_vessels" class="mw-redirect" title="Fishing vessels">fishing boats</a>. The bawley and the <a href="/wiki/Smack_(ship)" title="Smack (ship)">smack</a> were used in the Thames Estuary and off <a href="/wiki/East_Anglia" title="East Anglia">East Anglia</a>, while <a href="/wiki/Commercial_trawler" class="mw-redirect" title="Commercial trawler">trawlers</a> and <a href="/wiki/Drifter_(fishing_boat)" title="Drifter (fishing boat)">drifters</a> were used on the east coast. In 1870 paddle tugs were being used to tow luggers and smacks to sea. Steam trawlers were introduced in 1881, mainly at Grimsby and Hull. The steam drifter was not used in the herring fishery until 1897. In 1890 it was estimated that there were 20,000 men on the North Sea. The first trawlers fished over the side but in 1961 the first stern trawler was used at Lowestoft for fishing in <a href="/wiki/Arctic_Ocean" title="Arctic Ocean">Arctic waters</a>. By 1981 only 27 of 130 deep sea trawlers were still going to sea. Many were converted to <a href="/wiki/Oil_platform" title="Oil platform">oil rig</a> safety vessels. However the "inshore" boats landed a greater weight of fish even in 1973. </p><p>Herring fishing started in the <a href="/wiki/Moray_Firth" title="Moray Firth">Moray Firth</a> in 1819. The peak of the fishing at <a href="/wiki/Aberdeen" title="Aberdeen">Aberdeen</a> was in 1937 with 277 steam trawlers, though the first diesel drifter was introduced in 1926. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Energy">Energy</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=64" title="Edit section: Energy"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Gas_and_oil">Gas and oil</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=65" title="Edit section: Gas and oil"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The first British tanker was launched in 1886 and could carry 1,950 tons of oil. By 1961 the typical tanker was around 80,000 tons which grew to over 100,000 tons by 1967 and to over 250,000 tons by 1973. By 1965 <a href="/wiki/BP" title="BP">BP</a> had 170 tankers. </p> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Beryl_alpha_from_air.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/Beryl_alpha_from_air.jpg/300px-Beryl_alpha_from_air.jpg" decoding="async" width="300" height="222" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/Beryl_alpha_from_air.jpg/450px-Beryl_alpha_from_air.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/Beryl_alpha_from_air.jpg/600px-Beryl_alpha_from_air.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="759" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/ExxonMobil" title="ExxonMobil">ExxonMobil</a>'s Beryl alpha oil platform in the <a href="/wiki/East_Shetland_Basin" title="East Shetland Basin">East Shetland Basin</a></figcaption></figure> <p>The <a href="/wiki/List_of_oil_and_gas_fields_of_the_North_Sea" title="List of oil and gas fields of the North Sea">gas fields in the North Sea</a> have been in production since the 1960s while oil was discovered off Scotland in 1975. This led to the development of several support bases in Scotland. Platform construction has declined since 1985. The imminent decline of <a href="/wiki/North_Sea_oil" title="North Sea oil">North Sea gas</a> has led to the construction of liquid gas tankers and import facilities at Milford Haven. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Oil_spills">Oil spills</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=66" title="Edit section: Oil spills"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>There have been a number of major <a href="/wiki/Oil_spill" title="Oil spill">oil spills</a> around the coast of Britain. The wreck of the <a href="/wiki/Torrey_Canyon" class="mw-redirect" title="Torrey Canyon">Torrey Canyon</a> in March 1967 resulted in the first major <a href="/wiki/Petroleum" title="Petroleum">oil</a> spill. The ship grounded on the <a href="/wiki/Seven_Stones_reef" class="mw-redirect" title="Seven Stones reef">Seven Stones reef</a> between Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The ship was bombed to break it up and <a href="/wiki/Detergent" title="Detergent">detergent</a> used to disperse the 700 km<sup>2</sup> oil slick. It is estimated that 15,000 birds were killed and there was also a large effect on <a href="/wiki/Marine_biology" title="Marine biology">marine life</a>. As a result of this incident many lessons were learned on how to handle such problems and it led to changes in regulations. The grounding of <a href="/wiki/MV_Braer" title="MV Braer">MV <i>Braer</i></a> in January 1993 in <a href="/wiki/Shetland" title="Shetland">Shetland</a> led to the loss of 84,700 tons of <a href="/wiki/Light_crude_oil" title="Light crude oil">light crude oil</a>. There was again a large effect on wildlife, both birds and mammals. Because of the stormy conditions, the oil slick became broken up and had dispersed by October 1994. The <a href="/wiki/Sea_Empress" class="mw-redirect" title="Sea Empress">Sea Empress</a> hit a rock off Milford Haven in February 1996. Some 730,00 tons of oil were spilt, resulting in an estimated 5,000 birds being killed with much oil being washed up on beaches. It is estimated that the cost of the spill was £60 million. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Offshore_wind_farms">Offshore wind farms</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=67" title="Edit section: Offshore wind farms"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Britain started installing <a href="/wiki/Wind_farm" title="Wind farm">wind farms</a> off shore in the year 2000. By February 2007 this had reached 2 <a href="/wiki/Watt" title="Watt">GW</a> capacity though its average output was much less. It could provide up to 1.5% of the United Kingdom's electricity. The capacity of offshore wind farms exceeds that of the onshore ones and is expected to rise over the coming years with many proposals being made. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Coast">Coast</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=68" title="Edit section: Coast"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Coastline_of_the_United_Kingdom" title="Coastline of the United Kingdom">coastline of the United Kingdom</a> is constantly changing by erosion and deposition of materials. One area suffering from major <a href="/wiki/Erosion" title="Erosion">erosion</a> is the east coast of England, where in particular the town of <a href="/wiki/Dunwich" title="Dunwich">Dunwich</a> has been swallowed by the sea. At one time it was one of the largest ports in England but is completely gone. Another place that was largely destroyed is <a href="/wiki/Hallsands" title="Hallsands">Hallsands</a>, which was hit by storms in 1917, its defences having been removed by offshore dredging. Many beaches have had <a href="/wiki/Groyne" title="Groyne">groynes</a> constructed on them to control the movement of material. </p><p>Some areas of the UK are now under threat from rising sea levels while in the past the North Sea, Bristol Channel and English Channel have been flooded. The land is also still recovering from the deposition of ice on northern parts in the last <a href="/wiki/Ice_age" title="Ice age">ice age</a>. Thus <a href="/wiki/Southern_England" title="Southern England">southern England</a> is sinking while Scotland is rising. In some cases it has been decided to not defend areas against sea encroachments in storms, such as in <a href="/wiki/Porlock" title="Porlock">Porlock</a> bay, while valuable areas are being protected. The <a href="/wiki/Thames_Barrier" title="Thames Barrier">Thames Barrier</a> was completed in 1994 to prevent flooding in the upper Thames estuary. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Leisure_activities">Leisure activities</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=69" title="Edit section: Leisure activities"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Children_In_Water.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/Children_In_Water.jpg/300px-Children_In_Water.jpg" decoding="async" width="300" height="295" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/Children_In_Water.jpg/450px-Children_In_Water.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/Children_In_Water.jpg/600px-Children_In_Water.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1000" data-file-height="984" /></a><figcaption>Three-colour lantern slide of children playing on a <a href="/wiki/Brighton" title="Brighton">Brighton</a> beach, 6 August 1906, by <a href="/wiki/Otto_Pfenninger" title="Otto Pfenninger">Otto Pfenninger</a></figcaption></figure> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Resorts">Resorts</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=70" title="Edit section: Resorts"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In the 18th century people began visiting places on the coast of Britain for pleasure. Initially this was for medical reasons but became popular when <a href="/wiki/George_III_of_the_United_Kingdom" class="mw-redirect" title="George III of the United Kingdom">King George III</a> made <a href="/wiki/Weymouth,_Dorset" title="Weymouth, Dorset">Weymouth</a> his summer home around 1800 and later <a href="/wiki/George_IV_of_the_United_Kingdom" class="mw-redirect" title="George IV of the United Kingdom">King George IV</a> built a palace at <a href="/wiki/Brighton" title="Brighton">Brighton</a>. Many resorts such as <a href="/wiki/Blackpool" title="Blackpool">Blackpool</a> became popular when they were linked by railways to the big conurbations. More recently there has been a decline in popularity of British resorts due to the advent of cheap <a href="/wiki/Package_holiday" class="mw-redirect" title="Package holiday">package holidays</a> abroad with their better weather. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Rowing,_yachting_and_power_boats"><span id="Rowing.2C_yachting_and_power_boats"></span>Rowing, yachting and power boats</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=71" title="Edit section: Rowing, yachting and power boats"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Offshore rowing races are popular in the southwest of England using <a href="/wiki/Cornish_pilot_gig" title="Cornish pilot gig">gigs</a> based on those originally used in the <a href="/wiki/Isles_of_Scilly" title="Isles of Scilly">Isles of Scilly</a> for <a href="/wiki/Maritime_pilot" title="Maritime pilot">pilotage</a> and attending wrecks as well as smuggling. These are six oared vessels up to about 10 m long with nearly a 2 m beam. </p><p>Many <a href="/wiki/Yacht_club" title="Yacht club">yacht club</a> "one designs" were popular between 1920 and 1960, such as the Salcombe <a href="/wiki/Yawl" title="Yawl">yawl</a> which was later built in plastic as the Devon yawl. Later more widespread <a href="/wiki/Dinghy" title="Dinghy">dinghy</a> designs became more popular, such as the "Enterprise" introduced in 1960. In the late 19th and early part of the 20th century great yachts such as the J-class were built, including "Shamrock V" constructed to attempt to win the <a href="/wiki/America%27s_Cup" title="America's Cup">America's Cup</a> which originated in 1851. <a href="/wiki/Cowes_Week" title="Cowes Week">Cowes Week</a> has been held since 1826 and includes a race around the <a href="/wiki/Isle_of_Wight" title="Isle of Wight">Isle of Wight</a>. The <a href="/wiki/Fastnet_race" class="mw-redirect" title="Fastnet race">Fastnet race</a> was first sailed in 1925. The first <a href="/wiki/Single-handed_sailing" title="Single-handed sailing">single-handed</a> circumnavigation by a Briton was by John Gusswell between 1955 and 1959, while the first <a href="/wiki/Single-Handed_Trans-Atlantic_Race" title="Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race">Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race</a> was held in 1960 and won by <a href="/wiki/Francis_Chichester" title="Francis Chichester">Francis Chichester</a>. The first nonstop circumnavigation race in 1968 was won by <a href="/wiki/Robin_Knox-Johnston" title="Robin Knox-Johnston">Robin Knox-Johnston</a>, while the first "wrong way" circumnavigation was by <a href="/wiki/Chay_Blyth" title="Chay Blyth">Chay Blyth</a> in 1970. A <a href="/w/index.php?title=Round_Britain_Single_Handed_Race&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Round Britain Single Handed Race (page does not exist)">Round Britain Single Handed Race</a> was instituted in 1966. A sailing speed world record of 36 knots (67 km/h) was set at <a href="/wiki/Isle_of_Portland" title="Isle of Portland">Portland</a> by a catamaran in 1980. </p><p><a href="/wiki/Frederick_W._Lanchester" title="Frederick W. Lanchester">Frederick W. Lanchester</a> built the first <a href="/wiki/Motorboat" title="Motorboat">power boat</a> in 1898 using a 8 horsepower (6.0 kW), water-cooled engine. Since then power boats have been used as run-abouts and for racing, as well as for water-skiing. Both inboard and outboard engines are used. The <a href="/wiki/British_Power_Boat_Company" title="British Power Boat Company">British Power Boat Company</a> built many power boats between 1927 and 1946 including <a href="/wiki/Miss_Britain_III" title="Miss Britain III">Miss Britain III</a> and PT9 that became the basis of <a href="/wiki/Motor_Torpedo_Boat" class="mw-redirect" title="Motor Torpedo Boat">Motor Torpedo Boats</a> and the US <a href="/wiki/PT_boat" title="PT boat">PT boats</a> during the Second World War. The power speed record rose from 95 knots (176 km/h) in 1930 to 123 knots (228 km/h) in 1939. After the war the record speed rose again with runs by <a href="/wiki/Donald_Campbell" title="Donald Campbell">Donald Campbell</a>, who was killed during an attempt on the record in 1967. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Marinas">Marinas</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=72" title="Edit section: Marinas"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The increasing popularity of yachting and power boating has led to the creation of many purpose-built <a href="/wiki/Marina" title="Marina">marinas</a> and the conversion of existing harbours. See <a href="/wiki/List_of_marinas#United_Kingdom" title="List of marinas">List of marinas#United Kingdom</a> for those in the United Kingdom. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Marine_science">Marine science</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=73" title="Edit section: Marine science"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Hydrographics">Hydrographics</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=74" title="Edit section: Hydrographics"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The <a href="/wiki/United_Kingdom_Hydrographic_Office" title="United Kingdom Hydrographic Office">United Kingdom Hydrographic Office</a> (first the Admiralty then the Ministry of Defence) is responsible for publishing navigational <a href="/wiki/Nautical_chart" title="Nautical chart">nautical charts</a> in Britain, now with worldwide cover. It also produces related publications. Originally based in London, it moved to <a href="/wiki/Taunton" title="Taunton">Taunton</a> in the Second World War. The Hydrographic Department of the Admiralty was set up in 1795 and had seven vessels by 1820. One of its chief interests was in finding a <a href="/wiki/Northwest_Passage" title="Northwest Passage">Northwest Passage</a> around Canada. The first catalogue of charts was produced in 1825. The hydrographic squadron still forms part of the Royal Navy. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Oceanography">Oceanography</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=75" title="Edit section: Oceanography"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>One of the first scientific articles on <a href="/wiki/Oceanography" title="Oceanography">oceanography</a> was by <a href="/wiki/James_Cook" title="James Cook">James Cook</a> who included information on the oceans in his report on his voyages between 1768 and 1779. <a href="/wiki/James_Rennell" title="James Rennell">James Rennell</a> wrote the first textbooks about currents in the Atlantic Ocean and <a href="/wiki/Indian_Ocean" title="Indian Ocean">Indian Ocean</a> around 1800. Sir <a href="/wiki/James_Clark_Ross" title="James Clark Ross">James Clark Ross</a> took the first sounding in the deep sea in 1840 and <a href="/wiki/Charles_Darwin" title="Charles Darwin">Charles Darwin</a> published a paper on <a href="/wiki/Reef" title="Reef">reefs</a> and <a href="/wiki/Atoll" title="Atoll">atolls</a> as a result of the second voyage of <a href="/w/index.php?title=HMS_Beagle_(%27%27Beagle%27%27)&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="HMS Beagle (''Beagle'') (page does not exist)">HMS <i>Beagle</i> (<i>Beagle</i>)</a> in 1831–6. The <a href="/wiki/Royal_Society" title="Royal Society">Royal Society</a> sponsored the <a href="/wiki/HMS_Challenger_(1858)" title="HMS Challenger (1858)"><i>Challenger</i> (1858)</a> expedition (1872–76) that resulted in a 50 volume report, covering biological, physical and geological aspects. The 1910 North Atlantic expedition headed by Sir <a href="/wiki/John_Murray_(oceanographer)" title="John Murray (oceanographer)">John Murray</a> and <a href="/wiki/Johan_Hjort" title="Johan Hjort">Johan Hjort</a> resulted in the classic book <i>The Depths of the Oceans</i>. </p><p>The National Oceanographic Laboratory (later the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences) was set up at <a href="/wiki/Godalming" title="Godalming">Godalming</a> but was transferred to the Southampton Oceanographic Centre in 1994. The latter was renamed the <a href="/wiki/National_Oceanography_Centre,_Southampton" class="mw-redirect" title="National Oceanography Centre, Southampton">National Oceanographic Centre</a>. It operates a number of vessels that undertake exploratory cruises as well as various unmanned vehicles and buoys. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Maritime_studies">Maritime studies</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=76" title="Edit section: Maritime studies"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Colleges">Colleges</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=77" title="Edit section: Colleges"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>A number of places in the UK provide facilities for the study of the various aspects of seamanship, such as <a href="/wiki/Orkney_College" class="mw-redirect" title="Orkney College">Orkney College</a>. These courses lead to Certificates of Competency for particular jobs. Other places, such as <a href="/wiki/Liverpool_John_Moores_University" title="Liverpool John Moores University">Liverpool John Moores University</a>, provide more academic courses on mercantile practice, ship design and operation. The <a href="/wiki/University_of_Exeter" title="University of Exeter">University of Exeter</a> is one of those places that has specialised in maritime history. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Admiralty_law">Admiralty law</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=78" title="Edit section: Admiralty law"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Admiralty_law" title="Admiralty law">Admiralty law</a> governing relations between entities that operate vessels on the oceans is dealt with by special courts. There was a <a href="/wiki/Admiralty_court" title="Admiralty court">High Court of Admiralty</a> in London and Vice Admiral's Courts in other ports. Originally they dealt with administrative and naval matters but then included piracy cases (from 1700). By the 16th century they had wide powers but these were later reduced until restored in the 19th century. Trade disputes generally are dealt with by the <a href="/wiki/Commercial_Court_(England_and_Wales)" class="mw-redirect" title="Commercial Court (England and Wales)">commercial court</a>. The admiralty laws were a prominent feature in causing the American Revolution. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Law_of_the_sea">Law of the sea</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=79" title="Edit section: Law of the sea"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>This is a body of law governing international relations at sea. There have been three <a href="/wiki/United_Nations_Convention_on_the_Law_of_the_Sea" title="United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea">United Nations Conventions on the Law of the Sea</a> - in 1956, 1960 and 1967 - which have been ratified by Britain. The last one came into force in 1994. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Ship_design">Ship design</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=80" title="Edit section: Ship design"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Originally <a href="/wiki/Shipbuilding" title="Shipbuilding">ship design</a>, or <a href="/wiki/Naval_architecture" title="Naval architecture">naval architecture</a>, was by the skill of the shipwright only. In the 16th century shipwrights were authorised by the crown and under Henry VII a list of master shipwrights was produced. A treatise on ship design was written in the 16th century. A school of naval architecture was set up at Portsmouth in 1811. Nowadays ship design can be studied at a number of colleges in Britain. The professional body for ship designers in Britain is the <a href="/wiki/Royal_Institution_of_Naval_Architects" title="Royal Institution of Naval Architects">Royal Institution of Naval Architects</a> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Maritime_museums">Maritime museums</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=81" title="Edit section: Maritime museums"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The main maritime museum in Britain is the <a href="/wiki/National_Maritime_Museum" title="National Maritime Museum">National Maritime Museum</a> at <a href="/wiki/Greenwich" title="Greenwich">Greenwich</a>. However, there are nearly 300 smaller ones (including ships) at various ports around Britain. These include museums at <a href="/wiki/Kingston_upon_Hull" title="Kingston upon Hull">Kingston upon Hull</a>, <a href="/wiki/Hartlepool" title="Hartlepool">Hartlepool</a> and the oldest <a href="/wiki/Merseyside_Maritime_Museum" title="Merseyside Maritime Museum">Merseyside Maritime Museum</a> at the <a href="/wiki/Royal_Albert_Dock,_Liverpool" title="Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool">Royal Albert Dock</a> in <a href="/wiki/Liverpool" title="Liverpool">Liverpool</a> as well as <a href="/wiki/HMNB_Portsmouth" title="HMNB Portsmouth">HMNB Portsmouth</a>. These provide much information on the maritime history of Britain. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Maritime_archaeology">Maritime archaeology</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=82" title="Edit section: Maritime archaeology"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Maritime_archaeology" title="Maritime archaeology">Maritime archaeology</a> is important in Britain because of the large number of shipwrecks around the coast and because of the large areas off the coast that have been submerged by rising sea levels. The <a href="/wiki/Archaeology_of_shipwrecks" title="Archaeology of shipwrecks">archaeology of shipwrecks</a> covers sites from the <a href="/wiki/Bronze_Age" title="Bronze Age">Bronze Age</a> onward. Many artifacts have been obtained from the southern North Sea, for example. A recent find on the coast was <a href="/wiki/Seahenge" title="Seahenge">Seahenge</a>. The subject can be studied at universities in <a href="/wiki/Bristol" title="Bristol">Bristol</a>, <a href="/wiki/Bournemouth" title="Bournemouth">Bournemouth</a> and <a href="/wiki/Southampton" title="Southampton">Southampton</a> while <a href="/wiki/English_Heritage" title="English Heritage">English Heritage</a> is also interested. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Maritime_subjects_in_the_Arts">Maritime subjects in the Arts</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=83" title="Edit section: Maritime subjects in the Arts"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Art">Art</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=84" title="Edit section: Art"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Many works of <a href="/wiki/Marine_art" title="Marine art">Marine art</a> have been produced by British artists and on British maritime topics. One of the best known paintings in Britain is "<a href="/wiki/The_Fighting_Temeraire" title="The Fighting Temeraire">The Fighting Temeraire</a>" by <a href="/wiki/J._M._W._Turner" title="J. M. W. Turner">J. M. W. Turner</a> that hangs in London's <a href="/wiki/National_Gallery,_London" class="mw-redirect" title="National Gallery, London">National Gallery</a>. A lot of seaside resorts have art galleries selling marine subjects. </p><p>In addition there is art produced by the sailors themselves, such as <a href="/wiki/Scrimshaw" title="Scrimshaw">scrimshaw</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Literature">Literature</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=85" title="Edit section: Literature"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Britain has had many authors who wrote on marine topics, the sailing era being a popular period. <a href="/wiki/Joseph_Conrad" title="Joseph Conrad">Joseph Conrad</a>, who was born in Poland in 1857, came to Britain in 1878 and was naturalised in 1886. He undertook a voyage in a collier and then a wool clipper, obtaining a master's ticket in 1887. His last voyage in 1916 was in a <a href="/wiki/Q-ship" title="Q-ship">Q-ship</a> during the war. Conrad wrote many stories based on his experiences, such as "<a href="/wiki/Lord_Jim" title="Lord Jim">Lord Jim</a>". <a href="/wiki/Basil_Lubbock" title="Basil Lubbock">Basil Lubbock</a> went out to the <a href="/wiki/Klondike,_Yukon" title="Klondike, Yukon">Klondike</a> and then sailed back from <a href="/wiki/San_Francisco,_California" class="mw-redirect" title="San Francisco, California">San Francisco</a> on a grain ship. From this he wrote "Round the Horn before the Mast" describing the life of an ordinary seaman. After settling down in England he collected facts on sailing ships and wrote books about them. <a href="/wiki/Alan_Villiers" title="Alan Villiers">Alan Villiers</a> first sailed in a British square rigger and then in Danish ones. He bought a small Danish fully rigged ship and sailed around the world. After his return he wrote books about square riggers. Many works of fiction have also been written, perhaps the most famous being the series on <a href="/wiki/Horatio_Hornblower" title="Horatio Hornblower">Horatio Hornblower</a> by <a href="/wiki/C._S._Forester" title="C. S. Forester">C. S. Forester</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Music">Music</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=86" title="Edit section: Music"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>There are a large number of <a href="/wiki/Sea_shanty" title="Sea shanty">sea shanties</a> that have been collected, many by <a href="/wiki/Cecil_Sharp" title="Cecil Sharp">Cecil Sharp</a> at <a href="/wiki/Watchet" title="Watchet">Watchet</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=87" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Maritime_history" title="Maritime history">Maritime history</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Maritime_history_of_England" title="Maritime history of England">Maritime history of England</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Maritime_history_of_Scotland" title="Maritime history of Scotland">Maritime history of Scotland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Maritime_history_of_Europe" title="Maritime history of Europe">Maritime history of Europe</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Maritime_history_of_the_Channel_Islands" title="Maritime history of the Channel Islands">Maritime history of the Channel Islands</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Container_ship" title="Container ship">Container ship</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/History_of_the_United_Kingdom" title="History of the United Kingdom">History of the United Kingdom</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wind_power_in_the_United_Kingdom" title="Wind power in the United Kingdom">Wind power in the United Kingdom</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Naval_history" class="mw-redirect" title="Naval history">Naval history</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Naval_historian" class="mw-redirect" title="Naval historian">Naval historian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Royal_Navy_officer_rank_insignia" title="Royal Navy officer rank insignia">Royal Navy officer rank insignia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Whaling_in_the_United_Kingdom" title="Whaling in the United Kingdom">Whaling in the United Kingdom</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=88" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/citizenship/rise_parliament/uniting.htm">Uniting the kingdom?</a>, nationalarchives.gov.uk, accessed 28 January 2011; <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/legislativescrutiny/">Acts of Union 1707</a> parliament.uk, accessed 28 January 2011; <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/vli/visitingHolyrood/union_exhibition.pdf">Making the Act of Union 1707</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110511140052/http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/vli/visitingHolyrood/union_exhibition.pdf">Archived</a> 11 May 2011 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a> scottish.parliament.uk, accessed 28 January 2011; <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/scotlandshistory/unioncrownsparliaments/unionofparliaments/index.asp">The Union of the Parliaments 1707</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120102060414/http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/scotlandshistory/unioncrownsparliaments/unionofparliaments/index.asp">Archived</a> 2 January 2012 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a> <a href="/wiki/Learning_and_Teaching_Scotland" title="Learning and Teaching Scotland">Learning and Teaching Scotland</a>, accessed 28 January 2011; <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.scotshistoryonline.co.uk/union.html">"THE TREATY or Act of the Union"</a>. scotshistoryonline.co.uk<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">12 December</span> 2009</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=THE+TREATY+or+Act+of+the+Union&rft.pub=scotshistoryonline.co.uk&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scotshistoryonline.co.uk%2Funion.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMaritime+history+of+the+United+Kingdom" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/citizenship/rise_parliament/docs/articles_union.htm">"Articles of Union with Scotland 1707"</a>. parliament.uk<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">12 December</span> 2009</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Articles+of+Union+with+Scotland+1707&rft.pub=parliament.uk&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nationalarchives.gov.uk%2Fpathways%2Fcitizenship%2Frise_parliament%2Fdocs%2Farticles_union.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMaritime+history+of+the+United+Kingdom" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDavis1962" class="citation journal cs1">Davis, Ralph (1962). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2598999">"English Foreign Trade, 1700-1774"</a>. <i>The Economic History Review</i>. <b>15</b> (2): 285–303.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+Economic+History+Review&rft.atitle=English+Foreign+Trade%2C+1700-1774&rft.volume=15&rft.issue=2&rft.pages=285-303&rft.date=1962&rft.aulast=Davis&rft.aufirst=Ralph&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F2598999&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMaritime+history+of+the+United+Kingdom" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJones2009" class="citation book cs1">Jones, Robert (2009). <i>Safeguarding the Nation: The Story of the Modern Royal Navy</i>. Seaforth Publishing. p. 119. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1848320437" title="Special:BookSources/978-1848320437"><bdi>978-1848320437</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Safeguarding+the+Nation%3A+The+Story+of+the+Modern+Royal+Navy&rft.pages=119&rft.pub=Seaforth+Publishing&rft.date=2009&rft.isbn=978-1848320437&rft.aulast=Jones&rft.aufirst=Robert&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMaritime+history+of+the+United+Kingdom" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBarua2013" class="citation book cs1">Barua, Pradeep (2013). <i>The Military Effectiveness of Post-Colonial States</i>. Brill. pp. 35–6. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9789004249110" title="Special:BookSources/9789004249110"><bdi>9789004249110</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Military+Effectiveness+of+Post-Colonial+States&rft.pages=35-6&rft.pub=Brill&rft.date=2013&rft.isbn=9789004249110&rft.aulast=Barua&rft.aufirst=Pradeep&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMaritime+history+of+the+United+Kingdom" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLehman2012" class="citation journal cs1">Lehman, John (September 2012). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2012/september/reflections-special-relationship">"The Falklands War. Reflections on a Special Relationship"</a>. <i>Naval History Magazine</i>. <b>26</b>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Naval+History+Magazine&rft.atitle=The+Falklands+War.+Reflections+on+a+Special+Relationship&rft.volume=26&rft.date=2012-09&rft.aulast=Lehman&rft.aufirst=John&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usni.org%2Fmagazines%2Fnaval-history-magazine%2F2012%2Fseptember%2Freflections-special-relationship&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMaritime+history+of+the+United+Kingdom" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <ul><li>Brenton E P (1837). The Naval History of Great Britain.</li> <li>Calio J (2004). Who's Who in Naval History.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/John_Campbell_(author)" title="John Campbell (author)">Campbell J</a> (1841). Lives of the British Admirals and Naval History of Great Britain.</li> <li>Corbett S (1965). Drake and the Tudor Navy.</li> <li>Friel, Ian (2003). Maritime History of Britain and Ireland.</li> <li>Harrison H (1980). John Cabot in "The Maritime History of England under the Tudors".</li> <li><a href="/wiki/John_Hattendorf" class="mw-redirect" title="John Hattendorf">Hattendorf, John</a> (2007). <i>Oxford Encyclopedia of Maritime History</i>.</li> <li>Heiney, Paul (2005). Maritime Britain.</li> <li>Hervey F (1779). The Naval History of Great Britain, from the earliest times to the rising of Parliament in 1779.</li> <li>Mahan A T (1969). Types of Naval Officers drawn from the British Navy.</li> <li>Sobecki, S. (2008). The Sea and Medieval English Literature.<link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-84615-591-8" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-84615-591-8">978-1-84615-591-8</a></li> <li>Sobecki, S. (2011). The Sea and Englishness in the Middle Ages: Maritime Narratives, Identity and Culture. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781843842767" title="Special:BookSources/9781843842767">9781843842767</a></li> <li>Simper, Robert (1982). Britain's Maritime Heritage.</li> <li>Toogood, Brassey and James (1895). Index to Janes Naval History.</li> <li>Wilson H W (1896). Ironclads in Action: a sketch of Naval Warfare from 1855 to 1895. London.</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Further_reading">Further reading</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=89" title="Edit section: Further reading"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFThomas_Brassey,_2nd_Earl_Brassey1904" class="citation journal cs1"><a href="/wiki/Thomas_Brassey,_2nd_Earl_Brassey" title="Thomas Brassey, 2nd Earl Brassey">Thomas Brassey, 2nd Earl Brassey</a> (1904). "<a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Problems_of_Empire/Great_Britain_as_a_Sea_Power" class="extiw" title="s:Problems of Empire/Great Britain as a Sea Power">Great Britain as a Sea Power: From the 'Nineteenth Century,' July, 1893.</a>". <i>Problems of Empire</i>: 20–36. <a href="/wiki/WDQ_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="WDQ (identifier)">Wikidata</a> <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q107148998" class="extiw" title="d:Q107148998">Q107148998</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Problems+of+Empire&rft.atitle=Great+Britain+as+a+Sea+Power%3A+From+the+%26%2339%3BNineteenth+Century%2C%26%2339%3B+July%2C+1893.&rft.pages=20-36&rft.date=1904&rft.au=Thomas+Brassey%2C+2nd+Earl+Brassey&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMaritime+history+of+the+United+Kingdom" class="Z3988"></span><span class="cs1-maint citation-comment"><code class="cs1-code">{{<a href="/wiki/Template:Cite_journal" title="Template:Cite journal">cite journal</a>}}</code>: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (<a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_numeric_names:_authors_list" title="Category:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list">link</a>)</span></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Maritime_history_of_the_United_Kingdom&action=edit&section=90" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.icmh.org.uk/">International Commission for Maritime History</a></li> <li>Society for Nautical Research</li> <li>The Institute of Maritime History</li> <li>The Sextant, an online community for maritime history and nautical archaeology</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.shipwrecks.uk.com/">Shipwrecks UK, concerned with ship losses in the seas surrounding Britain and Ireland</a></li> <li>The Museum of Underwater Archaeology</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://cardigan-maritime.com/">Over The Waves ~ A project to highlight Cardigan's maritime history</a></li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul 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