The year 1839 must be viewed as a turning-point in the the British navy. Twenty-four years of peace had thrown the memory of warlike achievements into the background; and the house of commons had insisted on the lessening of those estimates which provide for armies and navies. It was now found, however, that both Russia and France had accumulated formidable navies. From that year to the present, the B. N., in common with the navies of other powers, has been undergoing a series of "reconstructions." First, ships of larger size, and carrying heavier guns, were built. These ships were of immense power in the days of wooden broadsides, but are now use less for purposes of war. The next stage, from about 1853 to 1859, was the conversion of our force from a sailing to a steam navy. This became the era of great steam frigates of about 5000 tons, and of heavy armaments in a few great guns, of which the Mersey, 36 guns, may be taken as a leading specimen. With the introduction of rifled guns, of force hitherto undreamt of. came the necessity for armor-plated sides. The fighting part of the navy (i.e., the line of battle) changed once more after 1860 to low sided vessels, clad in thousands of tons of iron plates. The Warrior was the first ship so built in England, and she was followed by a whole squadron similarly protected. Guns, however, went on increasing, in offensive power; and whereas 5-inch plates were at first thought sufficient, now 10-m., 12-in., 14-in., and even 22-in. plates are necessary
to exclude shot. Such a vast weight of armor all over a ship would sink any vessel of moderate dimensions. The principle of turret-ships is therefore becoming predominant, in which the greater part of the vessel, clad in comparatively light armor, is under water, or only just visible above the surface. The earliest formidable turret-ship was. the ill-fated Captain, which, in 1870, capsized in the bay of Biscay, and entombed 600 brave seamen, with the inventor, capt. Coles. Ships of analogous construction, with lower freeboard, have been since built; and now the Inflexible, of 11,165 tons, carrying 4 guns of 81 tons, is probably the most powerful war-ship that ever floated.
The expenditure on the B. N. greatly increased between 1839 and 1875, on account of the changes just adverted to. In 1839, the number of men and boys voted was little over 25,000; in 1878, it was about 60.000. Even as late as 1852, the expenditure was only £6,500,000, against £10,589,984 in 1879-80.
The B. N. is at present composed of 61 ironclads, about 300 steam-vessels, and 170 sailing-vessels. In the beginning of 1879, there were in commission 255 vessels. The unarmored ships comprise cruisers, dispatch vessels, gun-boats, several large old-fash ioned two-deckers, troop-ships for India, tugs, old wooden vessels for harbor service.
All matters about ships, seamen, etc., will be found under their proper headings. SCC TURRET-SIIIP; also ARMOR-PLATES and WAR-SERVICES.
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