A
navy is the branch of a nation's
armed forces principally designated for
naval warfare and amphibious warfare;
namely,
lake- or
ocean-borne
combat operations
and related functions. It includes anything conducted by
surface ships,
amphibious ships,
submarines, and seaborne
aviation, as well as ancillary support,
communications, training, and other fields; recent developments
have included
space related operations.
The strategic offensive role of a navy is projection of force into
areas beyond a country's shores (for example, to protect sea-lanes,
ferry troops, or attack other navies, ports, or shore
installations). The strategic defensive purpose of a navy is to
frustrate seaborne projection-of-force by enemies. The strategic
task of the navy also may incorporate nuclear deterrence by use of
nuclear missiles.
Etymology
"Navy" came via Old French from Latin
navigiom = "fleet of
ships" from
navis = "ship" and
agere = "to drive"
(as in driving a herd of animals) or "to get something done".
"Naval" came from Latin
navalis = "pertaining to ship"
(which it means in the biological name
Teredo navalis), but due to resemblance
became changed to "pertaining to navy".
History
Naval warfare developed when humans first fought from water-borne
vessels. Prior to the introduction of the
cannon and ships with sufficient capacity to carry
the large guns, navy warfare primarily involved ramming and
boarding actions. In the time of
ancient
Greece and the
Roman Empire, naval
warfare centered on long, narrow vessels powered by banks of
oarsmen (such as
triremes and
quinqueremes) designed to ram and sink enemy
vessels or come alongside the enemy vessel so its occupants could
be attacked hand-to-hand. Naval warfare continued in this vein
through the
Middle Ages until the cannon
became commonplace and capable of being reloaded quickly enough to
be reused in the same battle.
The Chola
Dynasty of medieval India
was known as
a one of the greatest naval powers of its time in the Indian Ocean
. Further down South, ancient Sri Lanka
has shown its naval might from time to time.
The
Sinhalese Navy conducted military expeditions to
South East Asia and amphibious raids into neighbouring India.
In
ancient China, large naval battles
were known since the Qin Dynasty
(also see Battle of Red Cliffs
, 208), employing the war junk during the Han
Dynasty. However, China's first official standing navy
was not established until the
Southern Song
Dynasty in the 12th century, a time when
gunpowder was a revolutionary new application to
warfare.
The mass and
deck space required to
carry a large number of cannon made oar-based propulsion impossible
and ships came to rely primarily on
sails.
Warships were designed to carry increasing numbers of cannon and
naval tactics
evolved to bring a ship's firepower to bear in a
broadside, with
ships-of-the-line arranged in a
line of battle.
The
development of large capacity, sail-powered ships carrying cannon
led to a rapid expansion of European navies,
especially the Spanish
and Portuguese
navies which dominated in the 16th and early 17th
centuries, and ultimately helped propel the age of exploration and colonialism.The repulsion of the Spanish Armada (1588) by the English fleet
revolutionized naval warfare by the success of a guns-only strategy
and caused a major overhaul of the Spanish
Navy, partly along English
lines, which
resulted in even greater dominance by the Spanish. From the
beginning of the 17th century the Dutch cannibalized the
Portuguese Empire in the
East and, with the immense wealth gained,
challenged Spanish
hegemony at sea. From
the 1620s, Dutch raiders seriously troubled Spanish shipping and,
after a number of battles which went both ways, the
Dutch Navy finally broke the long dominance of
the
Spanish Navy in the
Battle of the Downs (1639).
England emerged as a
major naval power in the mid-17th century in the first Anglo-Dutch war with a technical victory
but successive decisive Dutch victories in the second and third
Anglo-Dutch Wars confirmed the
Dutch mastery of the seas during the Dutch Golden Age, financed by the expansion
of the Dutch Empire. The
French Navy won some important victories
near the end of the 17th century but a focus upon land forces led
to the French Navy's relative neglect, which allowed the
Royal Navy to emerge with an ever-growing
advantage in size and quality, especially in tactics and
experience, from 1695.
Throughout the 18th century the Royal Navy
gradually gained ascendancy over the French Navy, with victories in
the War of Spanish
Succession (1701-1714), inconclusive battles in the War of Austrian Succession
(1740-1748), victories in the Seven
Years' War (1754-1763), a partial reversal during the American War of Independence
(1775-1783), and consolidation into uncontested supremacy during
the 19th century from the Battle of Trafalgar
in 1805. These conflicts saw the development
and refinement of
tactics which came to be
called the
line of battle.
The next stage in the evolution of naval warfare was the
introduction of
metal plating along the hull
sides. The increased mass required steam-powered engines, resulting
in an arms race between armor and weapon thickness and firepower.
The first
armored vessels, the French FS
Gloire and British HMS Warrior
, made wooden vessels obsolete. Another
significant improvement came with the invention of the rotating
turrets, which allowed the guns to be aimed independently of ship
movement. The battle between the
CSS
Virginia and the
USS
Monitor during the
American Civil War (1861-1865) is often
cited as the beginning of this age of maritime conflict. The
Russian Navy was considered the third
strongest in the world on the eve of the Russo-Japanese War, which
turned to be a catastrophe for the Russian military in general and
the Russian Navy in particular. Although neither party lacked
courage, the Russians were defeated by the Japanese in the Battle
of Port Arthur, which was the first time in warfare that mines were
used for offensive purposes. The warships of the Baltic Fleet sent
to the Far East were lost in the Battle of Tsushima. A further step
change in naval firepower occurred when the United Kingdom launched
HMS Dreadnought
(1906), but
naval
tactics still emphasized the line of battle.
The first practical military
submarines
were developed in the late 19th century and by the end of
World War I had proven to be a powerful arm of
naval warfare. During
World War II, the
German Navy's submarine fleet of
U-boats almost starved the United Kingdom
into submission and inflicted
tremendous losses on U.S. coastal
shipping.
The German battleship
Tirpitz
, a sister ship of the Bismarck
, was almost put out of action by miniature
submarines known as X-Craft. The X-Craft severely
damaged her and kept her in port for some months.
A major paradigm shift in naval warfare occurred with the
introduction of the
aircraft
carrier.
First at Taranto
in 1940 and then at Pearl Harbor
in 1941, the carrier demonstrated its ability to
strike decisively at enemy ships out of sight and range of surface
vessels. The Battle of Leyte Gulf
(1944) was arguably the largest naval battle in
history; it was also the last battle in which battleships
played a significant role. By the end of
World War II, the carrier had become the
dominant force of naval warfare.
World War
II also saw the United
States
become by far the largest Naval power in the world,
with over 70% of the world's total numbers and total tonnage of
naval vessels of 1,000 tons or greater. Weighing the US
Navy Defense & Security Analysis, Volume 17, Issue December
3, 2001 , pages 259 - 265 Throughout the rest of the 20th
century, the
United States Navy
would maintain a tonnage greater than that of the next 17 largest
navies combined.Work, Robert O.
"Winning the Race:A Naval Fleet Platform
Architecture for Enduring Maritime Supremacy".
Center for
Strategic and Budgetary Assessments Online. Accessed April 8,
2006.
Operations
Historically a national navy operates from one or more bases that
are maintained by the country or an ally. The
base is a
port that is
specialized in naval operations, and often includes housing for
off-shore crew, an
arsenal depot for
munitions, docks for the vessels, and various repair facilities.
During times of war temporary bases may be constructed in closer
proximity to strategic locations, as it is advantageous in terms of
patrols and station-keeping. Nations with historically strong naval
forces have found it advantageous to obtain basing rights in areas
of strategic interest.
Navy ships can operate independently or with a group, which may be
a small
squadron of comparable ships, or a
larger
naval fleet of various
specialized ships. The commander of a fleet travels in the
flag ship, which is usually the most powerful
vessel in the group. Prior to the invention of radio, commands from
the flag ship were communicated by means of flags. At night signal
lamps could be used for a similar purpose. Later these were
replaced by the radio transmitter, or the flashing light when radio
silence was needed.
A "
blue water navy" is designed to
operate far from the coastal waters of its home nation. These are
ships capable of maintaining station for long periods of time in
deep ocean, and will have a long logistical tail for their support.
Many are also nuclear powered to save having to refuel. By contrast
a "
brown water navy" operates in
the coastal periphery and along inland waterways, where larger
ocean-going naval vessels can not readily enter. Regional powers
may maintain a "
green water navy"
as a means of localized force projection. Blue water fleets may
require specialized vessels, such as
mine sweepers, when operating in the
littoral regions along the coast.
Traditions
A basic tradition is that all ships commissioned in a navy are
referred to as ships rather than vessels, with the exception of
submarines, which are known as boats. The
prefix on a ship's name indicates that it is a commissioned ship.
For example,USS is an acronym which expands to United States Ship;
in the Royal Navy, HMS expands to Her Majesty's Ship (or when a
King reigns, His Majesty's Ship), and so forth.
An important tradition on board British naval vessels (and later
those of the U.S. and other nations) has been the
ship's bell. This was historically used to mark
the passage of time on board a vessel, including the duration of
four-hour watches. They were also employed as warning devices in
heavy fog, and for alarms and ceremonies. The bell was originally
kept polished first by the ship's cook, then later by a person
belonging to that division of the ship's personnel.
Another important tradition is that of Piping someone aboard the
ship. This was originally used to give orders on warships when
shouted orders could not have been heard. The piping was done by
the ship's boatswain and therefore the instrument is known as the
boatswain's Pipe. The two tones it gives and the number of blasts
given off, signify the order given. It is also used in a ceremonial
way, i.e., to "pipe" someone aboard the ship — usually
captains, including the ship's captain, and more senior
officers.
In the United States, in a tradition that dates back to the
Revolutionary War, the
First Navy Jack is a flag that has the
words, "Don't Tread on Me" on the flag.
By English tradition, ships have been referred to as a "she".
However, it was long considered bad luck to permit women to sail on
board naval vessels. To do so would invite a terrible storm that
would wreck the ship. The only women that were welcomed on board
were
figureheads mounted on the prow of
the ship. In spite of these views, some women did serve on board
naval vessels, usually as wives of crewmembers.
Even today, despite their acceptance in many areas of naval
service, women are still not permitted to serve on board U.S.
submarines. The major reasons cited by the
U.S. Navy are the extended duty tours and close conditions which
afford almost no privacy. The United Kingdom's Royal Navy has
similar restrictions. Australia, Canada, Norway, and Spain have
opened submarine service to women sailors, however.
The custom of
firing cannon salutes
originated in the British
Royal Navy.
When a cannon is fired, it partially disarms the ship, so firing a
cannon for no combat reason showed respect and trust. The British,
as the dominant naval power, compelled the ships of weaker nations
to make the first salute. As the tradition evolved, the number of
cannon fired became an indication of the rank of the official being
saluted.
Naval organization
Ships
Ships of the multinational fleet
Combined Task Force-150
.jpg/250px-HMCS_Vancouver_(FFH_331).jpg)
HMCS
Vancouver and USS
John C Stennis
Historically, navy ships were primarily intended for warfare. They
were designed to withstand damage and to inflict the same, but only
carried munitions and supplies for the voyage (rather than merchant
cargo). Often, other ships which were not built specifically for
warfare, such as the
galleon or the armed
merchant ships in
World War II, did
carry armaments. In more recent times, navy ships have become more
specialized and have included supply ships, troop transports,
repair ships, oil tankers and other logistics support ships as well
as combat ships. So long as they are commissioned, however, they
are all "ships"...
Modern navy combat ships are generally divided into seven main
categories:
aircraft carriers,
cruisers,
destroyers,
frigates,
corvettes,
submarines, and
amphibious assault ships. There are
also support and auxiliary ships, including the
oiler,
minesweeper,
patrol boat, hydrographic and oceanographic
survey ship and
tender. During the
age
of sail, the ship categories were divided into the
ship of the line,
frigate, and
sloop-of-war.
Naval ship names are typically prefixed by an abbreviation
indicating the national navy in which they serve. For a list of the
prefixes used with ship names (
HMS,
USS, etc.) see
ship prefix.
Today ships are significantly faster than in former times, thanks
to much improved propulsion systems. Also, the efficiency of the
engines has improved a lot, in terms of fuel, and of how many
sailors it takes to operate them. In World War II, ships needed to
refuel very often. However, today ships can go on very long
journeys without refueling. Also, in World War II, the engine room
needed about a dozen sailors to work the many engines, however,
today, only about 4–5 are needed (depending on the class of the
ship). Today, naval strike groups on longer missions are always
followed by a range of support and replenishment ships supplying
them with anything from fuel and munitions, to medical treatment
and postal services. This allows strike groups and combat ships to
remain at sea for several months at a time.
Boats
Many people make the mistake of calling a ship a "boat".The term
"boat" refers to small craft limited in their use by size and
usually not capable of making independent voyages of any length on
the high seas. The old navy adage to differentiate between ships
and boats is that boats are capable of being carried by ships.
(Submarines by this rule are ships rather than boats, but are
customarily referred to as boats reflecting their previous smaller
size.)Navies use many types of boat, ranging from dinghies to
landing craft. They are powered by either diesels, out-board
gasoline motors, or waterjets. Most boats are built of aluminum,
fiberglass, or steel.
Standard BoatsA standard boat is a small craft
carried aboard a ship to perform various tasks and
evolutions.
Landing CraftThese
boats, carried by various amphibious ships, are designed to carry
troops, vehicles, or cargo from ship to shore under combat
conditions, to unload, to retract from beach, and to return to the
ship. They are especially rugged, with powerful engines, and they
are armed. They are usually referred to by their designations such
as LCPL (landing craft, personnel) LCM (landing craft mechanized)
or LCU (landing craft, utility) rather than by full name. The most
common in today's Navy are the LCMs. there are two types of LCMs.
Both types have a power operated bow ramp, a cargo well, twin
engines, and after structures that house enginerooms, pilot houses,
and stowage compartments. The larger version, designated LCM-8 and
often called "mike 8", is long, has a beam, and is capable of
carrying a heavy tank or 60 tons of cargo. The LCM-6 ("mike
6") is long, has a beam and a cargo capacity of 34 tons.
Landing Craft, Air
CushionedKnown as LCAC also most commonly called a
hover craft. Floats on a cushion of air that allows travel over
water and land. It can deliver troops, equipment, and supplies.
They are long and carry a load more than 70 tons. Powered by
four gas turbine engines, they are capable of speeds as high as
.
Work Boats (WB)There are two types of WBs, the and
the 15 meter (or 50-foot). The WB is a twin screw craft with a
forward cargo well and a bow ramp. The WB is normally carried on
board salvage ships and is used to assist ships in salvage
operations, underwater exploration,coastal survey, repair of other
craft, and cargo transport between ship to shore. A portable "A
frame" is used to assist with cargo handling.The 15-meter
(50 ft) WB is a twin screw craft with steel hull construction
and is a shallow draft craft cargo carrier. The 15-meter
(50 ft) WB is intended for general purpose missions and
transportation of cargo. the craft has a pilot house aft and
forward cargo well deck.
Rigid hull
Inflatable BoatsKnown as the RHIB they are versatile
boats designed for service as a standard ship's boat. The seven
meter (24 ft) RHIB is a turbocharged, diesel powered craft
with a glass reinforced plastic (GRP) hull. The hull form is a
combination of a rigid planing hull with an inflatable tube. The
craft are manned by three man crew and are provided with a canvas
canopy forward.
Personnel Boats (PE)These are fast, V bottomed,
diesel powered boats with enclosed spaces specifically designed to
transport officers, although smaller types are used for shore party
boats, lifeboats, and mail boats. They come in 8,10, and
12 meter (26,33, and 40-foot) lengths. The 8 meter
(26 ft) boats have one enclosed cabin. The 10 and
12 meter (33 and 40-foot) boats have enclosed cabins forward
and aft, and open cockpits amidships where coxswains steer by
wheel. Those designed for officers are painted haze gray with white
cabins.
Those used by the commanding officers of major warships, chiefs of
staff (to admirals), and squadron, patrol, group, wing or division
commanders (also known as commodores) are called gigs and have a
red stripe added just above the waterline. Personnel boats assigned
to flag officers (admirals) are called barges. They have black
hulls and a white stripes just above the waterline.
Utility BoatsThese boats, varying in length from
to 15 meters (50 ft) are mainly cargo and personnel
carrier or heavy duty work boats. Many have been modified for
survey work, tending divers, and minesweeping operations. In ideal
weather, a 15-meter (50 ft) UB will carry 146 people, plus
crew. Utility boats are open boats, though many of the larger ones
are provided with canvas canopies. The smaller utility boats are
powered by outboard engines. The larger boats have diesel
engines.
PuntsThese are open
square enders, long. They are either rowed or sculled, and are
generally used in port by side cleaners.
Special BoatsThese boats, used by shore stations
and for special missions, are not normally carried aboard ships as
are the standard boats discussed above. They include line handling
boats, buoy boats, aircraft rescue boats, torpedo retrievers,
explosive ordnance disposal craft, utility boats, dive boats,
targets, and various patrol boats. Many standard boats have been
modified for special service.
Mark V Special
operations craft This craft is also used for insertion
and extraction of special warfare personnel. The craft is long, and
has twain diesel engines driving waterjets. The craft is capable of
speeds in excess of and is air deployable.
Patrol Boats,
River This is a , , twin diesel boats with a
fiberglass hull and waterjet pump propulsion that permits it to
operate in of water. The PBR is highly maneuverable and can reverse
course in its own length. It carries radar, communications
equipment, and machine guns
Units
Naval forces are typically arranged into units based on the number
of ships included, a single ship being the smallest operational
unit. Ships may be combined into
squadrons or
flotillas, which may be formed into
fleets. The largest unit size may be the whole
Navy or
Admiralty.
Ranks
A navy will typically have two sets of ranks, one for
enlisted personnel and one for
officers.
Typical ranks for commissioned officers include the following, in
ascending order (
Commonwealth ranks are listed first
on each line; USA ranks are listed second in those instances where
they differ from Commonwealth ranks):
"Flag officers" include any rank that includes the word "admiral"
(or commodore in services other than the US Navy), and are
generally in command of a
battle group,
strike group or similar flotilla of ships, rather than a single
ship or aspect of a ship. However, commodores can also be temporary
or honorary positions. For example, during World War II, a Navy
captain was assigned duty as a convoy commodore, which meant that
he was still a captain, but in charge of all the merchant vessels
in the convoy. Today, the U.S. Navy uses the term "commodore" for
captains in command of multiple vessels (destroyer squadrons,
submarine squadrons, riverine squadron), multiple aviation
squadrons (air wing or air group) or other units (i.e., special
warfare group, etc.). The exception to this rule is carrier air
wing commanders who are known as "CAG" from their former title as
Commander, Carrier Air Group.
The most senior rank employed by a navy will tend to vary depending
on the size of the navy and whether it is wartime or peacetime, for
example, few people have ever held the rank of Fleet Admiral in the
U.S. Navy, the chief of the
Royal
Australian Navy holds the rank of Vice Admiral, and the chief
of the
Irish Naval Service holds
the rank of Commodore.
Coast Guards will typically employ naval ranks. For example, the
U.S. Coast Guard uses the same officer rank
titles as the
U.S. Navy with the exception of Fleet Admiral.
Marine Infantry
During the era of the
Roman empire, the
naval forces included
legionaries for
boarding actions. These were
troops primarily trained in land warfare, and did not need to be
skilled at handling a ship. Much later during the age of sail, a
component of
marines served
a similar role, being ship-borne soldiers who were used either
during boarding actions, as sharp-shooters, or in raids along the
shore.
The Spanish
Infantería de
Marina was formed in 1537, making it the oldest current marine
corps in the world.
The British
Royal Marines combine
both being a ship-based force and also being specially-trained in
commando-style operations and tactics,
operating in some cases completely separate from the rest of the
Naval Service. The Royal Marines
also have their own special forces, the SBS (Special Boat
Service
); similar to the US Navy SEALs and the Boat Troops
of the SAS. The
United
States Marine Corps has taken this concept of independence
further and the USMC has become a separate arm in the United States
military, with their own equipment.
Additional reading
- Non-fiction:
- Combat Fleets of the World: Their Ships, Aircraft and
Systems - Naval Institute Press. Published annually.
Comprehensive.
- Braudel, Fernand, The
Mediterranean in the Ancient World
- Corbett, Sir Julian, Some
Principles of Maritime Strategy, 1911.
- Hughes, Jr., Wayne P., Fleet Tactics and Coastal
Combat, 1999, Naval Institute Press, ISBN 1-55750-392-3
- Mahan, Alfred Thayer,
The
Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660-1783, 1918,
Little Brown, Boston.
- Starr, Chester G., The Influence of Sea Power on Ancient
History, 1989, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-505666-3
.
- Tangredi, Sam, "Globalization and Maritime Power", 2002 -
National Defense University, ISBN 1-57906-060-9
- Trafalgar 200 Through the Lens, ISBN 0-9553004-0-1
See also
References
-
http://www.csmonitor.com/atcsmonitor/specials/women/work/work012800.html
- http://www.nato.int/docu/review/2001/0102-09.htm
External links
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