All Questions
Tagged with naval british-empire
14 questions
28
votes
4
answers
8k
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Why didn't the British Grand Fleet force an engagement with the German Imperial Navy in WW1?
I'm watching the channel The Great War on YouTube, which documents the goings on of the First World War week by week (careful, it's addictive and there are literally hundreds of episodes).
It is my ...
- 1,300
25
votes
3
answers
8k
views
How did the British Navy pass orders to its fleet before radio?
During the 18th and 19th century, the British Navy had ships all over the world, and communicating with them had to be difficult. After all, the Battle of New Orleans happened after the British had ...
- 5,238
13
votes
1
answer
2k
views
When did navies stop giving out a drink ration to their sailors?
I seem to remember that the British Navy, and the US Navy maybe, used to give out a ration of alcohol to sailors each day. When did this practice stop, and why?
- 9,675
11
votes
3
answers
4k
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Did any of the 50 Destroyers swapped for bases with Great Britain in 1940 sink any Axis military vessels?
In 1940 the United States traded fifty mothballed WW1 Destroyers to England in exchange for land rights in areas of the British Empire. Were any of those fifty ships credited with sinking an Axis ...
- 1,606
11
votes
4
answers
2k
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What class / type of ship was the "Dragon" from Rotterdam c. 1732?
I am attempting to determine the class, size, features, history of the British ship "Dragon" c. 1732 that was known to arrive in Philadelphia on September 30, 1732 with 173 men, women and children ...
- 671
10
votes
5
answers
3k
views
Where is the Nemesis?
Where is the Nemesis today? Is it simply 'lost at sea', at a museum somewhere, or more likely (as it was an EIC vessel), was it sold for scrap?
I did a brief search (of the web), but couldnt find it. ...
- 202
7
votes
4
answers
1k
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What impact does colonial legacy have on current US presence in the South China Sea dispute?
In recent years, the South China Sea has become somewhat important from a geo-political standpoint. China is building military bases, among many other things, and the US has been speaking about ...
- 7,519
7
votes
2
answers
694
views
Did the dramatic improvement in survival rates of scurvy in the Royal Navy significantly affect British port cities?
I've been reading about James Lind and scurvy in the Royal Navy, and how, through the efforts of Lind and others, survival rates improved dramatically after the introduction of orange/lemon juice, ...
- 73
6
votes
1
answer
3k
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What was the size of the British East India fleet at the end of the War of 1812?
There was a recent quote from the television show Taboo, set in 1814, that
"The British East India Company has more ships than the combined fleets of all the nations of the world"
I know that ...
- 169
5
votes
2
answers
1k
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What do we know about the squadron that evacuated Moore's force after Corunna?
Upon being appointed commander of British forces in Iberia, and Napoleon's subsequent invasion with Le Grande Armee, Sir John Moore's retreated to a defensive position near the port of Corunna, in ...
- 72.5k
4
votes
3
answers
393
views
Britain's Vietnam - the US Revolt?
When Great Britain brought its land and naval forces to the American shores to enforce its rule there, before and after the American's declaration of independence, Great Britain's motives seem clear: ...
- 5,238
4
votes
0
answers
544
views
When was Red Sea rig introduced into British Royal Navy?
Red Sea rig is a mess dress uniform variant. It is used by some naval officers in the (UK) Royal Navy and other navies, that inherited its traditions (Canadian, Indian, ...). In general, it is similar ...
- 141
4
votes
1
answer
151
views
Was impressment widespread outside the British Empire and its colonies?
I recently found a source referenced on wikipedia — Hill, J. R. (2002). The Oxford Illustrated History of the Royal Navy. Oxford University Press. pp. 135–137. ISBN 0-19-860527-7. — which allegedly ...
- 899
1
vote
1
answer
283
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Would a commissioned officer in the Royal Navy during the mid-late 18th century ever sail on a vessel other than a man-o-war, ship of the line, etc?
As someone who does not exactly understand how naval commissions worked in the 18th century, I am curious to know if there might have ever been an occasion where a commissioned officer (such as a ...
- 11