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123-538: The islands were discovered in 1797 and named Îlots Africains by Admiral Willaumez commanding the frigate La Régénérée . North Island had for a couple of months a guano mining camp. The African Banks lie about 230 km west of the city of Victoria on the main Seychelles island of Mahé , close to the edge of the Amirantes Bank . The nearest island is Remire Island , lying 27 km south. The group

246-639: A 17-day port call in São Salvador da Bahia , Willaumez set sail for Cayenne. There, he divided his squadron into three divisions, which he dispersed from Cayenne to the 9th parallel south ; however, this tactic yielded disappointing results, and Willaumez regrouped his ships. He then decided to raid Barbados , and adverse winds and storms forced him to renounce and shelter in Martinique , where he arrived on 20 June. He replenished his water and food, and raided Montserrat . On 3 July his squadron captured

369-475: A 750-hectare (1,900-acre) Important Bird Area (IBA), identified as such by BirdLife International because it supports populations of black-naped (10 breeding pairs) and sooty terns (5000–10,000 pairs), and brown noddies (2000–5900 pairs). green and hawksbill sea turtles nest there. African Banks are surrounded by coral rim (the eastern side) and waters rich in fish, especially mackerel , tuna and sharks . This Seychelles location article

492-488: A British schooner that the French took into service as Villaret . Three days later, on 6 July, off Saint Thomas , Willaumez spotted a British squadron comprising five ships of the line and seven frigates and corvettes, which sailed away with the advantage of the wind. He was then informed of the arrival of a squadron under Admiral Warren , and another under Admiral Strachan ; without marines to attack British colonies in

615-534: A British squadron and forced to beach herself to avoid capture; Éole and Valeureuse had been sold for scrap in Annapolis; Vétéran had found an unlikely shelter in Concarneau, normally far too shallow to harbour a ship of the line, where she was blockaded; Patriote later reached Brest, and Cassard , Lorient. The damage to British shipping was evaluated to 12 to 15 million francs. In May 1808, Willaumez

738-463: A Royal Navy captain, has been responsible for the former duty whilst Commander Task Force Iraqi Maritime, a Royal Navy commodore, was responsible for the latter. The mission ended in May 2011. The financial costs attached to nuclear deterrence, including Trident missile upgrades and replacements, have become an increasingly significant issue for the navy. HMS  Raleigh at Torpoint, Cornwall ,

861-689: A catastrophic defeat at the Battle of the Basque Roads and falling out of favour with Napoleon . After the Napoelonic Wars, Willaumez served at the Council of Naval Constructions and was made a member of the peerage of France . He authored a dictionary of naval terms, sponsored a collection of ship models and commissioned the Roux family to paint portraits of all the ships on which he had served,

984-551: A collection known as the Album de Willaumez . Willaumez was born to an infantry captain who died without fortune at the age of 68, leaving six orphan children. Jean-Baptiste being the older, he took upon himself to teach his younger brothers, all of whom would die in the service of the French Navy. In 1777, at the age of 14, he enlisted as an apprentice pilot boy on the 74-gun Bien-Aimé , under Captain de Bougainville , in

1107-649: A competent sailor. Having risen to the rank of pilot , he started studying navigation, attracting the attention of his superiors up to Louis XVI himself. Willaumez eventually became an officer and served under Antoine Bruni d'Entrecasteaux in his expedition to rescue Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse and explore the Indian Ocean and Oceania . After the French Revolution , Willaumez rose in rank and served in Saint-Domingue during

1230-606: A comprehensive transformation, brought about by steam propulsion , metal ship construction, and explosive munitions. Despite having to completely replace its war fleet, the Navy managed to maintain its overwhelming advantage over all potential rivals. Owing to British leadership in the Industrial Revolution , the country enjoyed unparalleled shipbuilding capacity and financial resources, which ensured that no rival could take advantage of these revolutionary changes to negate

1353-438: A devastating broadside at her stern. The damage and confusion on Hercule were such that, probably fearing to run aground, she effectively dropped out of action, allowing Poursuivante to reach the safety of Môle-Saint-Nicolas . Goliath captured Mignonne after a brief chase and the exchange of a few token shots. Poursuivante had ten men killed and fifteen wounded. Her hull had sustained several shots and her rigging

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1476-630: A four-month stay in Havana, Willaumez departed for Chesapeake Bay to rejoin Patriote , Éole and Valeureuse , which had taken refuge there after the hurricane. Adverse weather prevented him, and Willaumez instead sailed back to France, arriving in Brest in February 1807. The division had returned dispersed and lost several ships: Impétueux had managed to build a jury rudder, but had been intercepted by

1599-478: A gradual decline in its fleet size in accordance with the changed strategic environment it operated in. While new and more capable ships are continually brought into service, such as the Queen Elizabeth -class aircraft carriers , Astute -class submarines , and Type 45 destroyers , the total number of ships and submarines operated has continued to steadily reduce. This has caused considerable debate about

1722-475: A heavy reliance upon impressed labour. This would result in problems countering large, well-armed United States Navy frigates which outgunned Royal Naval vessels in single-opponent actions, as well as United States privateers, when the American War of 1812 broke out concurrent with the war against Napoleonic France and its allies. The Royal Navy still enjoyed a numerical advantage over the former colonists on

1845-599: A key part in establishing and defending the British Empire , and four Imperial fortress colonies and a string of imperial bases and coaling stations secured the Royal Navy's ability to assert naval superiority. Following World War I , it was significantly reduced in size. During the Cold War , the Royal Navy transformed into a primarily anti-submarine force , hunting for Soviet submarines and mostly active in

1968-862: A national institution and not a possession of the Crown as it had been before. Following the Glorious Revolution of 1688, England joined the War of the Grand Alliance which marked the end of France 's brief pre-eminence at sea and the beginning of an enduring British supremacy which would help with the creation of the British Empire. In 1707, the Scottish navy was united with the English Royal Navy. On Scottish men-of-war,

2091-651: A navy, this meant the French landed at Sandwich unopposed in April 1216. John's flight to Winchester and his death later that year left the Earl of Pembroke as regent, and he was able to marshal ships to fight the French in the Battle of Sandwich in 1217 – one of the first major English battles at sea. The outbreak of the Hundred Years War emphasised the need for an English fleet. French plans for an invasion of England failed when Edward III of England destroyed

2214-751: A number of prizes, before making a two-day port call at the Canary Islands to replenish its food. Willaumez detached Volontaire to ferry his prisoners to Santa Cruz de Tenerife . Arrived at the Cape of Good Hope, Willaumez learnt from the captain of a captured ship that Cape Town had been seized by the British in the Battle of Blaauwberg , in January 1806. With food supplies now unavailable and many of his men suffering from scurvy, Willaumez set sail for Brazil, where he arrived in early April 1806. After

2337-551: A peak of efficiency, dominating the navies of all Britain's adversaries, which spent most of the war blockaded in port. Under Lord Nelson , the navy defeated the combined Franco-Spanish fleet at Trafalgar (1805). Ships of the line and even frigates, as well as manpower, were prioritised for the naval war in Europe, however, leaving only smaller vessels on the North America Station and other less active stations, and

2460-497: A range of vessels, including so-called "motherships" planned for procurement by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The Hunt-class vessels combine the separate roles of the traditional minesweeper and the active minehunter in one hull. If required, the vessels can take on the role of offshore patrol vessels. A fleet of eight River-class offshore patrol vessels are in service with the Royal Navy. The three Batch 1 ships of

2583-473: A single force. During the early 17th century, England's relative naval power deteriorated until Charles I undertook a major programme of shipbuilding. His methods of financing the fleet contributed to the outbreak of the English Civil War , and the abolition of the monarchy . The Commonwealth of England replaced many names and symbols in the new Commonwealth Navy, associated with royalty and

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2706-448: A small permanent core of warships in peacetime. England's naval organisation was haphazard and the mobilisation of fleets when war broke out was slow. Control of the sea only became critical to Anglo-Saxon kings in the 10th century. In the 11th century, Aethelred II had a large fleet built by a national levy. During the period of Danish rule in the 11th century, authorities maintained a standing fleet by taxation, and this continued for

2829-814: A time under Edward the Confessor , who frequently commanded fleets in person. After the Norman Conquest , English naval power waned and England suffered large naval raids from the Vikings. In 1069, this allowed for the invasion and ravaging of England by Jarl Osborn, brother of King Svein Estridsson , and his sons. The lack of an organised navy came to a head during the First Barons' War , in which Prince Louis of France invaded England in support of northern barons. With King John unable to organise

2952-409: Is a pseudo-atoll , has two small islands, which are gradually undergoing coastal erosion , and appear as just small sandstone ridges exposed only at low tide. The underwater banks extend over 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) north-south and 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) east-west and occupy a total area of about 10 square kilometres (3.9 square miles). With a shallow coral ring, it appears as an incomplete atoll. To

3075-480: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Jean-Baptiste Philibert Willaumez Jean-Baptiste Philibert Willaumez ( French pronunciation: [ʒɑ̃ batist filibɛʁ wilome] ; 7 August 1763 – 17 May 1845) was a French Navy officer and nobleman who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars . Willaumez joined the French navy at the age of 14, and proved to be

3198-569: Is one of the largest ships in the Navy. As of 2018, the newly commissioned HMS  Magpie also undertakes survey duties at sea. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary plans to introduce two new Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ships , in part to protect undersea cables and gas pipelines and partly to compensate for the withdrawal of all ocean-going survey vessels from Royal Navy service. The first of these vessels, RFA Proteus , entered service in October 2023. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) provides support to

3321-574: Is primarily designed for anti-aircraft and anti-missile warfare and the Royal Navy describe the destroyer's mission as "to shield the Fleet from air attack". They are equipped with the PAAMS (also known as Sea Viper) integrated anti-aircraft warfare system which incorporates the sophisticated SAMPSON and S1850M long range radars and the Aster 15 and 30 missiles. Sixteen Type 23 frigates were delivered to

3444-523: Is significant as a nesting site for terns , the colonies of which are subject to frequent exploitation and disturbance by poachers . South Island ( fr. Île du Sud ) is a small and flat island with an area of 0.6 hectares (1.5 acres). It lies 3.1 kilometres (1.9 miles) south of North Island. It has a small ruin of a poachers hut. HMS Spitfire was wrecked on South Island in August 1801. The islands, with an associated tract of coastal marine habitat, form

3567-759: Is the submarine based element of the Royal Navy. It is sometimes referred to as the " Silent Service ", as the submarines are generally required to operate undetected. Founded in 1901, the service made history in 1982 when, during the Falklands War, HMS  Conqueror became the first nuclear-powered submarine to sink a surface ship, ARA  General Belgrano . Today, all of the Royal Navy's submarines are nuclear-powered . The Royal Navy operates four Vanguard -class ballistic missile submarines displacing nearly 16,000 tonnes and equipped with Trident II missiles (armed with nuclear weapons ) and heavyweight Spearfish torpedoes , to carry out Operation Relentless,

3690-766: Is the basic training facility for newly enlisted ratings. Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, Devon is the initial officer training establishment for the Royal Navy. Personnel are divided into a warfare branch , which includes Warfare Officers (previously named seamen officers) and Naval Aviators , as well other branches including the Royal Naval Engineers , Royal Navy Medical Branch , and Logistics Officers (previously named Supply Officers ). Present-day officers and ratings have several different uniforms ; some are designed to be worn aboard ship, others ashore or in ceremonial duties. Women began to join

3813-468: Is the traditional workhorse of the Navy. As of May 2024 there are six Type 45 destroyers and 9 Type 23 frigates in commission. Among their primary roles is to provide escort for the larger capital ships—protecting them from air, surface and subsurface threats. Other duties include undertaking the Royal Navy's standing deployments across the globe, which often consists of: counter-narcotics, anti-piracy missions and providing humanitarian aid. The Type 45

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3936-468: Is to conduct amphibious warfare, they have also been deployed for humanitarian aid missions. Both vessels were in reserve as of 2024 and in November 2024, the newly elected Labour government indicated that they would in fact be retired from service completely by March 2025. While second-line amphibious capabilities remained within the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, the future of the navy's amphibious capability

4059-592: The 1806 Great Coastal hurricane damaged and dispersed his squadron, which was either sunk or limped back to France. In May 1808, Willaumez attempted to regroup warships scattered in Brest , Lorient and Rochefort into an eighteen-ship squadron to defend the French West Indies ; adverse weather and the poor state of the squadron thwarted the plan and he ended up being blockaded in Rochefort, leading to

4182-777: The Admiralty Board , chaired by the Secretary of State for Defence . The Royal Navy operates from three bases in Britain where commissioned ships and submarines are based: Portsmouth , Clyde and Devonport , the last being the largest operational naval base in Western Europe, as well as two naval air stations, RNAS Yeovilton and RNAS Culdrose where maritime aircraft are based. The Royal Navy stated its six major roles in umbrella terms in 2017 as. The Royal Navy protects British interests at home and abroad, executing

4305-527: The American War of Independence . The United States was allied to France , and the Netherlands and Spain were also at war with Britain. In the Battle of the Chesapeake , the British fleet failed to lift the French blockade, resulting in the surrender of an entire British army at Yorktown . The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (1793–1801, 1803–1814 & 1815) saw the Royal Navy reach

4428-647: The Battle of Britain in order to neutralise the Home Fleet , but faced stiff resistance from the Royal Air Force . The Luftwaffe bombing offensive during the Kanalkampf phase of the battle targeted naval convoys and bases in order to lure large concentrations of RAF fighters into attrition warfare . At Taranto , Admiral Cunningham commanded a fleet that launched the first all-aircraft naval attack in history. The Royal Navy suffered heavy losses in

4551-526: The GIUK gap . Following the collapse of the Soviet Union , its focus has returned to expeditionary operations around the world and it remains one of the world's foremost blue-water navies . The Royal Navy maintains a fleet of technologically sophisticated ships, submarines, and aircraft, including 2 aircraft carriers , 2 amphibious transport docks , 4 ballistic missile submarines (which maintain

4674-676: The Haitian Revolution , where he commanded the frigate Poursuivante against the Royal Navy during the action of 28 June 1803 . In 1806, Willaumez led a French squadron in the Atlantic campaign of 1806 , sailing to Brazil and the West Indies and attacking British merchant shipping. However, the insubordination of Prince Jérôme Bonaparte led to Willaumez missing the chance to attack a valuable British convoy. Eventually,

4797-735: The Invergordon Mutiny took place in the Atlantic Fleet over the National Government 's proposed 25% pay cut, which was eventually reduced to 10%. International tensions increased in the mid-1930s and the re-armament of the Royal Navy was well under way by 1938. In addition to new construction, several existing old battleships , battlecruisers and heavy cruisers were reconstructed, and anti-aircraft weaponry reinforced, while new technologies, such as ASDIC , Huff-Duff and hydrophones , were developed. At

4920-697: The Kingdom of England had possessed less-organised naval forces for centuries prior to this. The Royal Scots Navy (or Old Scots Navy) had its origins in the Middle Ages until its merger with the English Royal Navy per the Acts of Union 1707 . During much of the medieval period, fleets or "king's ships" were often established or gathered for specific campaigns or actions, and these would disperse afterwards. These were generally merchant ships enlisted into service. Unlike some European states, England did not maintain

5043-514: The Merchant Navy available to the RFA under a private finance initiative , while the civilian Marine Services operate auxiliary vessels which further support the Royal Navy in various capacities. The RFA replenishes Royal Navy warships at sea, and augments the Royal Navy's amphibious warfare capabilities through its three Bay-class landing ship vessels. It also works as a force multiplier for

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5166-596: The Middle East , especially Iraq . The Royal Navy played an historic role in several great global explorations of science and discovery. Beginning in the 18th century many great voyages were commissioned often in co-operation with the Royal Society , such as the Northwest Passage expedition of 1741 . James Cook led three great voyages, with goals such as discovering Terra Australis , observing

5289-462: The Ministry of Defence published figures showing that the Royal Navy and Royal Marines had 29,090 full-time trained personnel compared with a target of 30,600. In 2023, it was reported that the Royal Navy was experiencing significant recruiting challenges with a net drop of some 1,600 personnel (4 percent of the force) from mid-2022 to mid-2023. This was posing a significant problem in the ability of

5412-765: The North America and West Indies Station . After the First World War, this formation assumed responsibility for the eastern Pacific Ocean and the western South Atlantic and was known as the America and West Indies Station until 1956. In 1921, due to the ambitions of Imperial Japan and the threat of the Imperial Japanese Navy , it was decided to construct the Singapore Naval Base . During this period, naval warfare underwent

5535-568: The Transit of Venus and searching for the elusive North-West Passage , these voyages are considered to have contributed to world knowledge and science. In the late 18th century, during a four year voyage Captain George Vancouver made detailed maps of the western coastline of North America . In the 19th century, Charles Darwin made further contributions to science during the second voyage of HMS Beagle . The Ross expedition to

5658-709: The Type 26 Frigate , with the incremental retirement of the remaining Type 23s commencing in 2021. The Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 reduced the procurement of Type 26 to eight with five Type 31e frigates also to be procured. There are two classes of MCMVs in the Royal Navy: one Sandown -class minehunter and six Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessels . All the Sandown-class vessels are to be withdrawn from service by 2025 and are being replaced by autonomous systems that are planned to operate from

5781-438: The War of the Spanish Succession (1702–1714) granted Britain Gibraltar and Menorca , providing the Navy with Mediterranean bases. The expansion of the Royal Navy would encourage the British colonisation of the Americas , with British (North) America becoming a vital source of timber for the Royal Navy. There was a defeat during the frustrated siege of Cartagena de Indias in 1741. A new French attempt to invade Britain

5904-412: The high church , and expanded it to become the most powerful in the world. The fleet was quickly tested in the First Anglo-Dutch War (1652–1654) and the Anglo-Spanish War (1654–1660) , which saw the British conquest of Jamaica and successful attacks on Spanish treasure fleets . The 1660 Restoration saw Charles II rename the Royal Navy again, and started use of the prefix HMS . The Navy remained

6027-459: The increasing cost of weapons systems . In 1981, Defence Secretary John Nott had advocated and initiated a series of cutbacks to the Navy . The Falklands War however proved a need for the Royal Navy to regain an expeditionary and littoral capability which, with its resources and structure at the time, would prove difficult. At the beginning of the 1980s, the Royal Navy was a force focused on blue-water anti-submarine warfare . Its purpose

6150-405: The nuclear deterrent ), 6 nuclear fleet submarines , 6 guided missile destroyers , 9 frigates , 7 mine-countermeasure vessels and 26 patrol vessels . As of May 2024, there are 66 commissioned ships (including submarines as well as one historic ship, HMS  Victory ) in the Royal Navy, plus 13 ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). There are also four Point-class sealift ships from

6273-579: The 28-gun HMS Brilliant , under Henry Blackwood . At 6, the French frigates put to sail and started firing on Brilliant ; Régénérée was closing in to her opponent when Vertu , which had sailed large, touched the wind; Régénérée imitated her manoeuver, but lost her mizzen and bowsprit, allowing Brilliant to flee. Vertu gave chase, but could not overhaul her opponent and returned to Tenerife. There, Régénérée replaced her rigging, and both frigates eventually arrived in Rochefort on 5 September. Promoted to Chef de Division in January 1799, Willaumez

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6396-448: The 700-ton merchantman Tharon , on which he made two trips to Saint Domingue. On the second time, he saved his ship, which was in danger of being wrecked at the entrance of the Loire. The year after, he returned to the French Royal Navy and embarked as first pilot on the aviso Sylphe ; there again, he saved his ship when she sprang a leak after sailing off harbour, and sailed her to Rochefort. In Rochefort, Willaumez transferred on

6519-485: The 74-gun HMS Hercules , Cumberland and Goliath , which detached and set a course to intercept. At eight, the 74-gun HMS Hercules came in range, hoisted the British flag, prompting Poursuivante to hoist the French colours, and opened fire at nine. After two hours of mutual cannonade, the ships were close to shore and at eleven, the wind fell, favouring the shallower and more manoeuvrable frigate, which quickly came in position to rake Hercule and delivered

6642-405: The 80-gun flagship Foudroyant , the 74-gun Vétéran , Cassard , Impétueux , Éole and Patriote , and the 40-gun frigates Valeureuse and Volontaire . Its mission was to sail to the Cape of Good Hope, replenish its water and provisions, harass British interests wherever opportune, and return no later than 15 months after. In the first days of the cruise, the division captured

6765-418: The Antarctic made several important discoveries in biology and zoology . Several of the Royal Navy's voyages ended in disaster such as those of Franklin and Scott . Between 1872 and 1876 HMS  Challenger undertook the first global marine research expedition, the Challenger expedition . During World War I , the Royal Navy's strength was mostly deployed at home in the Grand Fleet , confronting

6888-422: The Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Control of military forces in Nova Scotia passed to the new Government of Canada after the 1867 Confederation of Canada and control of the naval dockyard in Halifax, Nova Scotia was transferred to the Government of Canada in 1905, five years prior to the establishment of the Royal Canadian Navy . Prior to the 1920s, it was presumed that the only navies that could challenge

7011-436: The Atlantic, and from its base in Bermuda it blockaded the Atlantic seaboard of the United States throughout the war and carried out (with Royal Marines, Colonial Marines , British Army , and Board of Ordnance military corps units) various amphibious operations, most notably the Chesapeake campaign . On the Great Lakes , however, the United States Navy established an advantage. In 1860, Albert, Prince Consort , wrote to

7134-491: The British Army and the Board of Ordnance military corps were cutback, weakening garrisons around the Empire, the Militia became a paper tiger, and the Volunteer Force and Fencible units disbanded, though the Yeomanry was maintained as a back-up to the police). Britain relied, throughout the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, on imperial fortress colonies (originally Bermuda , Gibraltar, Halifax (Nova Scotia) , and Malta ). These areas permitted Britain to control

7257-694: The British advantage in ship numbers. In 1889, Parliament passed the Naval Defence Act , which formally adopted the 'two-power standard', which stipulated that the Royal Navy should maintain a number of battleships at least equal to the combined strength of the next two largest navies. The end of the 19th century saw structural changes and older vessels were scrapped or placed into reserve, making funds and manpower available for newer ships. The launch of HMS  Dreadnought in 1906 rendered all existing battleships obsolete. The transition at this time from coal to fuel-oil for boiler firing would encourage Britain to expand their foothold in former Ottoman territories in

7380-407: The Caribbean and reckoning that no convoy would depart for Europe as long as he would be known to lurk in the area, Willaumez decided to position his forces to intercept the convoy from Jamaica. However, in the night of 1 August, the 74-gun Vétéran , under Prince Jérôme Bonaparte , disappeared. Willaumez fruitlessly searched the missing ship in several directions until he became certain that she

7503-475: The Foreign Secretary John Russell, 1st Earl Russell with his concern about "a perfect disgrace to our country, and particularly to the Admiralty ". The stated shipbuilding policy of the British monarchy was to take advantage of technological change and so be able to deploy a new weapons system that could defend British interests before other national and imperial resources are reasonably mobilized. Nevertheless, British taxpayers scrutinized progress in modernizing

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7626-441: The French fleet in the Battle of Sluys in 1340. England's naval forces could not prevent frequent raids on the south-coast ports by the French and their allies. Such raids halted only with the occupation of northern France by Henry V . A Scottish fleet existed by the reign of William the Lion . In the early 13th century there was a resurgence of Viking naval power in the region. The Vikings clashed with Scotland over control of

7749-413: The German High Seas Fleet across the North Sea. Several inconclusive clashes took place between them, chiefly the Battle of Jutland in 1916. The British fighting advantage proved insurmountable, leading the High Seas Fleet to abandon any attempt to challenge British dominance. The Royal Navy under John Jellicoe also tried to avoid combat and remained in port at Scapa Flow for much of the war. This

7872-473: The Indian Ocean. During the campaign, she captured nineteen of the 23 prizes captured by the squadron and took part in the action of 8 September 1796 , where she suffered two killed and six wounded. With dwindling support from the colony of Mauritius, Sercey had to send Régénérée and Vertu , under Captain Magon , back to France. The frigates departed the Indian Ocean theatre in September sailing from Mauritius to Rochefort and escorting two merchantmen of

7995-543: The Legion of Honour in February. He was promoted to Officer in June, and congratulated by Navy minister Decrès. In August 1804, Willaumez was appointed to command the 74-gun Algésiras . Departing from Lorient in December bound for Rochefort, Algésiras suffered a gust of wind that broke her tops. Willaumez nevertheless pursued and safely reached Rochefort, despite a British division blockading Quiberon and another anchored at Basque Roads . In March 1805, Willaumez had been promoted to Rear-Admiral, and he took command of

8118-434: The Pacific and had begun building large, modern fleets which went to war with each other in 1904. Britain's reliance on Malta, via the Suez Canal, as the nearest Imperial fortress was improved, relying on amity and common interests that developed between Britain and the United States during and after World War I, by the completion of the Panama Canal in 1914, allowing the cruisers based in Bermuda to more easily and rapidly reach

8241-407: The Queen's ships in highly profitable raids against Spanish commerce and colonies. The Royal Navy was then used in 1588 to repulse the Spanish Armada , but the English Armada was lost the next year. In 1603, the Union of the Crowns created a personal union between England and Scotland. While the two remained distinct sovereign states for a further century, the two navies increasingly fought as

8364-475: The Royal Navy at sea in several capacities. For fleet replenishment, it deploys one Fleet Solid Support Ship and six fleet tankers (three of which are maintained in reserve). The RFA also has one aviation training and casualty reception vessel, which also operates as a Littoral Strike Ship . Three amphibious transport docks are also incorporated within its fleet. These are known as the Bay-class landing ships, of which four were introduced in 2006–2007, but one

8487-430: The Royal Navy belonged to nations on the Atlantic Ocean or its connected seas, despite the growth of the Imperial Russian and United States Pacific fleets during the latter half of the 19th Century. Britain relied on Malta, in the Mediterranean Sea, to project power to the Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean via the Suez Canal after its completion in 1869. It relied on friendship and common interests between Britain and

8610-418: The Royal Navy in 1917 with the formation of the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS), which was disbanded after the end of the First World War in 1919. It was revived in 1939, and the WRNS continued until disbandment in 1993, as a result of the decision to fully integrate women into the structures of the Royal Navy. Women now serve in all sections of the Royal Navy including the Royal Marines . In August 2019,

8733-417: The Royal Navy so as to ensure, that taypayers' money is not wasted. Between 1815 and 1914, the Royal Navy saw little serious action, owing to the absence of any opponent strong enough to challenge its dominance, though it did not suffer the drastic cutbacks the various military forces underwent in the period of economic austerity that followed the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the American War of 1812 (when

8856-716: The Royal Navy, often doing patrols that frigates used to do. The Royal Navy is part of His Majesty's Naval Service, which also includes the Royal Marines and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The professional head of the Naval Service is the First Sea Lord who is an admiral and member of the Defence Council of the United Kingdom . The Defence Council delegates management of the Naval Service to

8979-540: The Royal Navy, with the final vessel, HMS  St Albans , commissioned in June 2002. However, the 2004 Delivering Security in a Changing World review announced that three frigates would be paid off as part of a cost-cutting exercise, and these were subsequently sold to the Chilean Navy . The 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review announced that the remaining 13 Type 23 frigates would eventually be replaced by

9102-632: The Royal Navy. In December 2019, the modified Batch 1 River-class vessel, HMS  Clyde , was decommissioned, with the Batch 2 HMS  Forth taking over duties as the Falkland Islands patrol ship. HMS  Protector is a dedicated Antarctica patrol ship that fulfils the nation's mandate to provide support to the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). HMS  Scott is an ocean survey vessel and at 13,500 tonnes

9225-852: The STOVL variant of the F-35 Lightning II . Queen Elizabeth began sea trials in June 2017, was commissioned later that year, and entered service in 2020, while the second, HMS  Prince of Wales , began sea trials on 22 September 2019, was commissioned in December 2019 and was declared operational as of October 2021. The aircraft carriers form a central part of the UK Carrier Strike Group alongside escorts and support ships. Amphibious warfare ships in current service include two landing platform docks ( HMS  Albion and HMS  Bulwark ). While their primary role

9348-614: The Spanish Royal Company of the Philippines to Europe. En route, the two frigates and two merchantmen stopped at Îles de Los to effect repair and gather water; they anchored at Tamara, Vertu disassembling her masts and yards to restore her rigging, while Régénérée sailed to the nearby island of Factori. On 24 April, the 32-gun HMS Pearl , under Captain James Ballard, attacked Vertu ; one hour into

9471-739: The United States (which controlled transit through the Panama Canal , completed in 1914) during and after the First World War, and on Bermuda, to project power the length of the western Atlantic, including the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. The area controlled from Bermuda (and Halifax until 1905) had been part of the North America Station, until the 1820s, which then absorbed the Jamaica Station to become

9594-535: The Western and Southern stations, and carried out a number of raids against the Haitian revolutionaries. On 27 June 1803, Poursuivante departed Les Cayes , bound for Cap-Haïtien , in the company of the sixteen-gun corvette Mignonne , under Jean Pierre Bargeau. In the early morning of 28 June 1803, Poursuivante spotted a large convoy of about fifty ships, with three ships of the line for escort; they were

9717-436: The battle, Régénérée , attracted by the cannonade, intervened and forced Pearl to flee. Régénérée chased Pearl for 36 hours before abandoning the pursuit. On 10 May 1798, the ships departed for Europe. Arrived at Tenerife , the merchantmen were put under the care of the governor, as they considerably retarded the travel of the frigates. On 27 July, as the frigates prepared to pursue their journey, they were observed by

9840-574: The beginning of the war without the loss of a single life. The Royal Navy nevertheless remained active in other theatres, most notably in the Mediterranean Sea , where they waged the Dardanelles and Gallipoli campaigns in 1914 and 1915. British cruisers hunted down German commerce raiders across the world's oceans in 1914 and 1915, including the battles of Coronel , Falklands Islands , Cocos , and Rufiji Delta , among others. At

9963-576: The campaign, D'Entrecasteaux promoted him to Lieutenant, and appointed Knight of the Order of Saint Louis . In the course of the exploration, he also named the Willaumez Peninsula after him. D'Entrecasteaux died of scurvy on 21 July 1793 and his ships sailed to Java, where they were interned by the Dutch, who were then at war with France. Willaumez was detained for some time before he

10086-684: The class serve in U.K. waters in a sovereignty and fisheries protection role while the five Batch 2 ships are forward-deployed on a long-term basis to Gibraltar, the Caribbean, the Falkland Islands and the Indo-Pacific region. The vessel MV Grampian Frontier is leased from Scottish-based North Star Shipping for patrol duties around the British Indian Ocean Territory . However, she is not in commission with

10209-485: The concentration of French ships constituted a tempting target for the British. They eventually attacked with fireships at the Battle of the Basque Roads . In 1811, Willaumez was ordered to Holland to command a division in the fleet under Admiral de Winter . However, his declining health forced him to request his transfer back to France after one year. In 1819, after the Bourbon Restoration , Willaumez

10332-667: The cross of St Andrew was replaced with the Union Jack. On English ships, the red, white, or blue ensigns had the St George's Cross of England removed from the canton, and the combined crosses of the Union flag put in its place. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the Royal Navy was the largest maritime force in the world, maintaining superiority in financing, tactics, training, organisation, social cohesion, hygiene, logistical support and warship design. The peace settlement following

10455-535: The destruction by fire of the 120-gun ship Trocadéro . In 1837, he was made a pair de France , and retired. In 1844, Louis-Phillipe made him a Count, a title that Willaumez transmitted to then Captain Bouët , who from then on assumed the name of Bouët-Willaumez. During the Empire, Willaumez advocated the construction of strong, sixty-gun frigates, capable of carrying food for ten months and water for four, mounting

10578-714: The early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against France . The modern Royal Navy traces its origins to the English Navy of the early 16th century; the oldest of the UK's armed services , it is consequently known as the Senior Service . From the 19th century until the Second World War , it was the world's most powerful navy. The Royal Navy played

10701-573: The eastern Pacific Ocean (after the war, the Royal Navy's Bermuda-based North America and West Indies Station was consequently re-designated the America and West Indies station , including a South American division. The rising power and increasing belligerence of the Japanese Empire after World War I, however, resulted in the construction of the Singapore Naval Base , which was completed in 1938, less than four years before hostilities with Japan did commence during World War II . In 1932,

10824-532: The end of World War I, the Royal Navy remained by far the world's most powerful navy, larger than the U.S. Navy and French Navy combined, and over twice as large as the Imperial Japanese Navy and Royal Italian Navy combined. Its former primary competitor, the Imperial German Navy, was destroyed at the end of the war . In the inter-war period , the Royal Navy was stripped of much of its power. The Washington and London Naval Treaties imposed

10947-481: The ensuing battle, Amazon lost her main mast, her foremast, struck her colours with half her crew dead or wounded. On the next day, the French squadron under Vaudreuil appeared and recaptured Amazon . Having stayed alone on the quarterdeck of Amazon , and twice seriously wounded, Willaumez was praised by the Admiral and promoted to first pilot. In 1784, returned to France, Willaumez enlisted as first officer on

11070-401: The entire garrison of Fort Dauphin transferred to Swiftsure and thrown overboard by her crew. Rochambeau then ordered all French ships to carry out such executions; only Willaumez refused, stating that "The officers of the French Navy are not executioners. I will not obey." After 18 months, Willaumez transferred his flag on the frigate Poursuivante , on which he served successively at

11193-458: The first two years of the war. Over 3,000 people were lost when the converted troopship Lancastria was sunk in June 1940, the greatest maritime disaster in Britain's history. The Navy's most critical struggle was the Battle of the Atlantic defending Britain's vital North American commercial supply lines against U-boat attack. A traditional convoy system was instituted from the start of

11316-603: The fluyt Lionne , which sailed to the Caribbean. In 1786, he enlisted on the Forte , and transferred on the frigate Astrée , bound for the Indies. In this period, Willaumez took upon himself to study navigation and astronomy, for which he displayed such passion that the chief of the station, Saint-Riveuil, offered him a sextant and a chronometer. Willaumez also received a Reflecting circle from Louis XVI inscribed " Donné par le roi à M. Willaumez, premier pilote ". Astrée

11439-436: The foreign and defence policies of His Majesty's Government through the exercise of military effect, diplomatic activities and other activities in support of these objectives. It is also a key element of the British contribution to NATO, with a number of ships or aircraft allocated to NATO tasks at any time. In 2007 core capabilities were described as: The English Royal Navy was formally founded in 1546 by Henry VIII , though

11562-463: The isles though Alexander III was ultimately successful in asserting Scottish control. The Scottish fleet was of particular import in repulsing English forces in the early 14th century. A standing "Navy Royal", with its own secretariat, dockyards and a permanent core of purpose-built warships, emerged during the reign of Henry VIII. Under Elizabeth I , England became involved in a war with Spain , which saw privately owned vessels combining with

11685-514: The light squadron of the Naval Army in Brest, under Vice-Admiral Ganteaume . Willaumez set is flag on the 74-gun Alexandre . During one sortie of the French fleet, Alexandre had a duel with the 110-gun HMS  Hibernia . In late 1805, eleven ships were readied to set sail in two squadrons, one under Rear-Admiral Leissègues , and the other under Willaumez; the squadrons departed on 13 December and separated on 15. Willaumez' comprised

11808-744: The navy to meet its commitments. In December 2019 the First Sea Lord , Admiral Tony Radakin , outlined a proposal to reduce the number of Rear-Admirals at Navy Command by five. The fighting arms (excluding Commandant General Royal Marines ) would be reduced to commodore (1-star) rank and the surface flotillas would be combined. Training would be concentrated under the Fleet Commander . The Royal Navy has two Queen Elizabeth -class aircraft carriers. Each carrier cost £ 3 billion and displaces 65,000 tonnes (64,000 long tons; 72,000 short tons). The first, HMS  Queen Elizabeth , commenced flight trials in 2018. Both are intended to operate

11931-597: The new 30-pounder long gun rather than the 36- and 24-pounders that dated from before the French Revolution. In 1822, the project was adopted by Jean Tupinier , resulting in the Surveillante -class frigates and similar developments during the Bourbon Restoration . In his Dictionnaire de marine , Willaumez thus defined the term Marine : Sublime art, masterpiece of the courage of mankind, too complex to be entirely submitted to calculation, and that

12054-628: The scrapping of some capital ships and limitations on new construction. The lack of an imperial fortress in the region of Asia , the Indian Ocean , and the Pacific Ocean was always to be a weakness throughout the 19th century as the former North American colonies that had become the United States of America had multiplied towards the Pacific Coast of North America, and the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire both had ports on

12177-411: The size of the Royal Navy. A 2013 report found that the Royal Navy was already too small, and that Britain would have to depend on her allies if her territories were attacked. The Royal Navy was responsible for training the fledgling Iraqi Navy and securing Iraq's oil terminals following the cessation of hostilities in the country. The Iraqi Training and Advisory Mission (Navy) ( Umm Qasr ), headed by

12300-593: The squadron counted six ships of the line, six frigates and two corvettes, and was to ferry 3000 soldiers. Willaumez was given command of the Southern station of Saint-Domingue, and although he had no troops at his disposal there, he managed to maintain order. He also gained the trust of the black population, to the extent that General Laplume entrusted him two millions francs to carry to Port-au-Prince. In November 1802, after General de Rochambeau replaced Charles Leclerc , he started executing blacks by drowning; he had

12423-562: The squadron under Admiral du Chaffault . The year after, he was appointed to the 56-gun Flamand , bound for Mauritius, as an apprentice helmsman. Upon his arrival, he transferred to the coastal schooner Fourmi . When Fourmi was condemned, he transferred to the Louise , on which he was wrecked on the reef off Tamarin . Willaumez eventually returned to France on the corvette Les Amis . Arrived at Lorient, and finding no ship in need for his services, Willaumez went to Brest, where he

12546-464: The squadrons joined forces with his: The Lorient squadron was becalmed and could not depart until after Willaumez had left, leading to the Battle of Les Sables-d'Olonne ; and the Rochefort squadron was too affected by sickness to sail. Displeased with Willaumez' performance, Napoléon removed him from command of the fleet and kept him in subordinate roles from then on. The arrival of a large British squadron blockaded Willaumez himself in Rochefort, where

12669-416: The start of World War II in 1939, the Royal Navy was still the largest in the world, with over 1,400 vessels. The Royal Navy provided critical cover during Operation Dynamo , the British evacuations from Dunkirk , and as the ultimate deterrent to a German invasion of Britain during the following four months. The Luftwaffe under Hermann Göring attempted to gain air supremacy over southern England in

12792-502: The war, but German submarine tactics, based on group attacks by " wolf-packs ", were much more effective than in the previous war, and the threat remained serious for well over three years. After World War II, the decline of the British Empire and the economic hardships in Britain forced the reduction in the size and capability of the Royal Navy. The United States Navy instead took on the role of global naval power. Governments since have faced increasing budgetary pressures, partly due to

12915-447: The west of the coral ring, however, it is 19 to 36 metres (62–118 feet) deep. North Island ( fr. Île du Nord ) is small and flat with an area of 3.3 hectares (8.2 acres). It has a derelict automatic lighthouse on the north point. and is occasionally visited by tourists in charter yachts . It was formed from sandstone, is almost treeless (one coconut tree in 1995), and covered by grass and low-growing vegetation ( shrubland ). It

13038-500: Was able to sail to Mauritius, where he enlisted on the frigate Prudente , under Jean-Marie Renaud . On Prudente , he took part in the Battle of Île Ronde , where he commanded the battery of the frigate and received a hand wound. In recognition of his conduct, the governor of Mauritius granted Willaumez command of the corvette Légère and tasked him to carry the documents of D'Entrecasteaux' expedition to France. Légère anchored in Brest two months later. In March 1795, Willaumez

13161-617: Was acquired in 2023 to act as a mothership for autonomous minehunting systems. The Royal Navy also includes a number of smaller non-commissioned assets such as the Sea-class workboats . On 29 July 2022, the Royal Navy christened a new experimental ship, XV Patrick Blackett , which it aims to use as a testbed for autonomous systems. Whilst the ship flies the Blue Ensign , it is crewed by Royal Navy personnel and will participate in Royal Navy and NATO exercises. The Submarine Service

13284-510: Was appointed to command a nine-ship, three-frigate and three-corvette squadron. It departed on 21 February 1809, with orders to make its junction with the division of Lorient that was blockaded in its harbour, attach these ships, attack the British squadron blockading Rochefort, attach the Rochefort squadron under Admiral Bergeret and, by then totaling 18 ships, sail to the Caribbean to rescue Martinique and Guadeloupe. Willaumez led his division to Lorient and Rochefort as instructed, but none of

13407-549: Was called back to France, ferrying Antoine Bruni d'Entrecasteaux , governor of Mauritius. When, upon his arrival, Entrecasteaux was appointed to command the Patriote , he took Willaumez with him. When D'Entrecasteaux was tasked to investigate the fate of Lapérouse 's expedition and given command of the Recherche , Willaumez, promoted to Ensign in 1791, followed him, and was tasked with navigation and chronometers . During

13530-656: Was contrary to widespread prewar expectations that in the event of a Continental conflict Britain would primarily provide naval support to the Entente Powers while sending at most only a small ground army. Nevertheless, the Royal Navy played an important role in securing the British Isles and the English Channel , notably ferrying the entire British Expeditionary Force to the Western Front at

13653-602: Was en route for France, and returned to his station; the convoy, however, had already passed. Willaumez lingered a while in the hope that the convoy might still be yet to come, but in the night of 19 to 20 August, his fleet sustained a hurricane that damaged most of the ships. Foudroyant , having lost both her rudder and her masts, managed to limp back to Havana on jury rigging, but was intercepted and attacked by HMS Anson ; as she had retained her full firepower, Foudroyant drove her opponent away within half an hour despite her lack of manoeuvrability, and entered harbour. After

13776-475: Was ever only enriched, and shall ever only be enriched, with the help of the experience and observations of seamen of good judgement. Royal Navy The Royal Navy ( RN ) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom , British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies , and a component of His Majesty's Naval Service . Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from

13899-460: Was forced to make a port call in Baltimore and overhaul his frigate. When ready, he departed the Chesapeake, avoided the British blockade and crossed the Atlantic, reaching Rochefort on 28 May 1804. There, he was intercepted by a British ship of the line, which he battled for thirty minutes before breaking off and finding shelter at Île-d'Aix . Willaumez had been made a Knight of the Order of

14022-492: Was given command of a prize crew and sailed her to Lorient. He then rejoined Amazone , which was escorting a convoy to America. Upon her arrival, Amazone was attached to the fleet of Admiral de Grasse , and took part in the Battle of the Saintes in April 1782. On 29 July, while sailing at the entrance of Chesapeake Bay , Amazone , then under Lieutenant de Moniguyot, met the British frigate HMS Santa Margarita ; in

14145-468: Was much damaged. As Cap-Haïtien lacked the resources to repair the frigate, Willaumez was authorised to sail her back to France. He then left harbour and sailed around the South of Cuba. A few days later, he spotted a British privateer, which he captured and had to scuttle by fire because his lack of food did not allow him to sail her to Charlestown. A gust of wind having dismasted Poursuivante , Willaumez

14268-623: Was now in question. The Royal Navy clearance diving unit, the Fleet Diving Squadron, was reorganised and renamed the Diving and Threat Exploitation Group in 2022. The group consists of five squadrons: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, and Echo. The Royal Navy has a separate unit with divers the special forces unit the Special Boat Service . The escort fleet comprises guided missile destroyers and frigates and

14391-584: Was ordered to Saint-Malo to lead a campaign of his own design with a three-frigate and one-corvette division. However, the expedition could not depart and Willaumez returned to Paris, where, along with Fleurieu , he documented D'Entrecasteaux' expedition. In 1801, at the Peace of Amiens , Willaumez was appointed to command the 74-gun Duguay-Trouin , part of a squadron under Rear-Admiral Latouche-Tréville in Villaret de Joyeuse 's fleet bound for Saint-Domingue;

14514-471: Was promoted to Captain; in May, he was appointed to arm the 74-gun Pluton , on which he perfected techniques of rigging and cargo arrangement. He then ferried the corvette Bergère from Brest to Rochefort, in spite of the British blockade, and took command of the 40-gun frigate Régénérée . Régénérée was part of a two-corvette and four-frigate naval division under Rear-Admiral Sercey , tasked to sail to Mauritius and prey on British merchantmen in

14637-477: Was promoted to Vice-Admiral. In 1825, he published a dictionary of naval terms, and later presided over the Council of Constructions of the Navy. He also commissioned a collection of ship models. He was promoted Grand-Officier of the Order of the Legion of Honour in 1828. In January 1834, Willaumez became the president of the Council of Constructions. In 1836, he led an enquiry, along with Baron Rolland , into

14760-473: Was quickly enlisted as aid-pilot on the 90-gun Ville de Paris , which in late 1780 was being overhauled. Weary of his inactivity during the work on Ville de Paris , Willaumez requested a transfer on a departing ship, and was appointed as a pilot to the frigate Amazone , under La Pérouse , in January 1781. Cruising in the Bay of Biscay , Amazone captured the twelve-gun privateer lugger Pitt ; Willaumez

14883-668: Was sold to the Royal Australian Navy in 2011. In November 2006, the First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Jonathon Band described the Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels as "a major uplift in the Royal Navy's war fighting capability". In February 2023, a commercial vessel was also acquired to act as a Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance (MROS) Ship for the protection of critical seabed infrastructure and other tasks. She entered service as RFA Proteus . An additional vessel, RFA  Stirling Castle ,

15006-460: Was thwarted by the defeat of their escort fleet in the extraordinary Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759, fought in dangerous conditions. In 1762, the resumption of hostilities with Spain led to the British capture of Manila and of Havana , along with a Spanish fleet sheltering there. British naval supremacy could however be challenged still in this period by coalitions of other nations, as seen in

15129-653: Was to search for and destroy Soviet submarines in the North Atlantic, and to operate the nuclear deterrent submarine force. The navy received its first nuclear weapons with the introduction of the first of the Resolution -class submarines armed with the Polaris missile . Following the conclusion of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the Royal Navy began to experience

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