Navy

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Navy

A navy is the branch of a nation's military

Military

A military is an organization authorized by its nation to use force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or Threat of force ....
forces principally designated for naval warfare

Naval warfare

Naval warfare is combat in and on seas, oceans, or any other major bodies of water such as large lakes and wide rivers....
and amphibious warfare; namely, lake

Lake

A lake is a terrain feature , a body of liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the bottom of basin and moves slowly if it moves at all....
- or ocean

Ocean

An ocean is a major body of Seawater, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a World Ocean that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas....
-borne combat

Combat

Combat, or fighting, is purposeful violence conflict intended to establish dominance over the opposition.The term "combat" typically refers to armed conflict between military forces in warfare, whereas the more general term "fighting" can refer to any violent conflict....
operations and related functions. It includes anything conducted by surface

Surface

In mathematics, specifically in topology, a surface is a two-dimensional topological manifold. The most familiar examples are those that arise as the boundaries of solid objects in ordinary three-dimensional Euclidean space E3....
ships, amphibious

Amphibious warfare

Amphibious warfare is the utilization of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain....
ships, submarine

Submarine

A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below water. It differs from a submersible, which has only limited underwater capability....
s, and seaborne aviation

Naval aviation

Naval Aviation is the application of manned military air power by navies. Maritime Aviation is the operation of aircraft in a maritime role under the command of land based forces such as RAF Coastal Command or United States Coast Guard....
, as well as ancillary support, communications, training, and other fields; recent developments have included space

Outer space

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Etymology

"Navy" came via Old French from Latin navigium = "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

Cannon

A cannon is any tubular piece of artillery, that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellants to launch a projectile over a distance....
and ships with sufficient capacity to carry the large guns, navy warfare primarily involved ramming and boarding actions. In the time of ancient Greece

Ancient Greece

The term Ancient Greece refers to the period of History of Greece lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca. 1100 BC and the Dorian invasion, to 146 BC and the Roman Republic conquest of Greece after the Battle of Corinth ....
and the Roman Empire

Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the Roman Republic phase of the Ancient Rome, characterised by an autocracy form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, naval warfare centered on long, narrow vessels powered by banks of oarsmen

Watercraft rowing

Watercraft rowing is the act of propelling a boat using the motion of oars in the water. The difference between watercraft paddling and rowing is that with rowing the oars have a mechanical connection with the boat whereas with paddling the paddles are hand-held with no mechanical connection....
(such as trireme

Trireme

File:Romtrireme.jpgThe trireme is a class of warships used by the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean, especially the Phoenicians, ancient Greece and ancient Rome....
s and quinquereme

Quinquereme

A quinquereme or penteres is a type of ancient oar-propelled warship that was used by the Greeks of the Hellenistic period and later by the Carthaginians and Ancient Rome, from the 4th century BC to the 1st century....
s) designed to ram and sink enemy vessels or come alongside the enemy Nublets so its occupants could be attacked hand-to-hand. Naval warfare continued in this vein through the Middle Ages

Middle Ages

File:Karl 1 mit papst gelasius gregor1 sacramentar v karl d kahlen.jpgThe Middle Ages of European history are a period in history which lasted for roughly a millennium, commonly dated from the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century to the beginning of the Early Modern Period in the 16th century, marked by the division of Western Christi...
until cannon became commonplace and capable of being reloaded quickly enough to be reused in the same battle. The Chola Dynasty

Chola Dynasty

The Chola Dynasty was a Tamil people dynasty that ruled primarily in southern India until the 13th century. The dynasty originated in the fertile valley of the Kaveri River....
of medieval India

India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
was known as a one of the greatest naval powers of its time in the Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering about 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by Asia ; on the west by Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and Australia; and on the south by the Southern Ocean ....
. In ancient China, large naval battles were known since the Qin Dynasty

Qin Dynasty

The Qin Dynasty was preceded by the feudal Zhou Dynasty and followed by the Han Dynasty in China. The unification of China in 221 BCE under the Qin Shi Huang marked the beginning of Imperial China, a period which lasted until the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912 CE....
(also see Battle of Red Cliffs

Battle of Red Cliffs

The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, was a decisive battle at the end of the Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three Kingdoms in China....
, 208), employing the war junk

Junk (ship)

A junk is a Chinese sailing vessel. The English name comes from the Fujian#Culture word , jun ?, meaning "ship" or "large vessel." Junks were originally developed during the Han Dynasty and further evolved to represent one of the most successful ship types in history....
during the Han Dynasty

Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. The Han Dynasty was ruled by the family known as the Liu clan who had peasant origins....
. However, China's first official standing navy was not established until the Southern Song Dynasty

Song Dynasty

The Song Dynasty was a ruling Chinese dynasty in China between 960–1279 AD; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty....
in the 12th century, a time when gunpowder

Gunpowder

Gunpowder, also called black powder, is an explosive mixture of sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate, KNO3 that burns rapidly, producing volumes of hot solids and gases which can be used as a propellant in firearms and as a pyrotechnic composition in fireworks....
was a revolutionary new application to warfare

The mass and deck

Deck (ship)

A deck is a permanent covering over a compartment or a hull of a ship. On a deck #Glossary or deck #Glossary, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the 'roof' for the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface....
space required to carry a large number of cannon made oar-based propulsion impossible and ships came to rely primarily on sail

Sail

A sail is any type of surface intended to generate thrust by being placed in a wind—in essence a vertically-oriented wing. Sails are used in sailing....
s. Warships were designed to carry increasing numbers of cannon and naval tactics

Naval tactics in the Age of Sail

Naval tactics in the Age of Sail were used from the early 1600s onward when sailing ships replaced oared galleys. These were used until the 1860s when steam power ironclad warships rendered sailing line of battle ships obsolete....
evolved to bring a ship's firepower to bear in a broadside

Broadside

A broadside is the side of a ship; the artillery battery of cannon on one side of a warship; or their simultaneous fire in naval warfare....
, with ships-of-the-line

Ship of the line

A ship-of-the-line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th century through the mid-19th century, to take part in the Naval tactics in the Age of Sail known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would maneuver to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear....
arranged in a line of battle

Line of battle

In naval warfare, the line of battle is a Military tactic in which the ships of the fleet form a line, end-to-end. Its origins are traditionally ascribed to the navy of the Commonwealth of England, especially to General at Sea Robert Blake who wrote the Sailing and Fighting Instructions of 1653....
.

The development of large capacity, sail-powered ships carrying cannon led to a rapid expansion of Europe

Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
an navies, especially the Spanish

Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
and Portuguese

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Located in southwestern Europe, Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east....
navies which dominated in the 16th and early 17th centuries, and ultimately helped propel the age of exploration and colonialism

Colonialism

Colonialism is the extension of a nation's sovereignty over Territory beyond its borders by the establishment of either settler or exploitation colony in which Indigenous people populations are direct rule, Population transfers, or Genocide....
.The repulsion of the Spanish Armada

Spanish Armada

The Spanish Armada was the Habsburg Spain fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Alonso de Guzm?n El Bueno, 7th Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, leading to the Drake-Norris Expedition of 1589, also known as the English 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

Spanish Navy

The Spanish Armada is the maritime arm of the Military of Spain, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of America, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path from the Far East to America ....
, partly along English

England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
lines, which resulted in even greater dominance by the Spanish. From the beginning of the 17th century the Dutch cannibalized the Portuguese Empire

Portuguese Empire

The Portuguese Empire was the first global empire in history and also the earliest and longest lived of the modern European Colonialism empires, spanning almost six centuries, from the capture of Ceuta in 1415 to the handover of Macau in 1999....
in the East

Eastern Hemisphere

The Eastern Hemisphere, also Eastern hemisphere or eastern hemisphere, is a geography term for the half of the Earth that is east of the Prime Meridian and west of 180? longitude....
and, with the immense wealth gained, challenged Spanish hegemony

Hegemony

Hegemony first denoted the dominance of a Greek city-state over other city-states, then denoted the dominance of one nation over others. The political scientist Antonio Gramsci developed the former conceptions to identify the dominance of one social class over the other social classes in a society by means of cultural 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

Spanish Navy

Battle of the Downs

The naval Battle of the Downs took place on 31 October 1639 , during the Eighty Years' War and was a decisive defeat of the Spanish Empire, commanded by Admiral Antonio de Oquendo, by the Dutch Republic, commanded by Lieutenant-Admiral Maarten Tromp....
(1639).

England

England

Anglo-Dutch Wars

The Anglo-Dutch Wars were fought in the 17th and 18th centuries between Kingdom of England and the Republic of the Seven United Provinces of the Netherlands for control over the seas and trade routes....
with a technical victory but successive decisive Dutch victories in the second and third Anglo-Dutch Wars

Anglo-Dutch Wars

The Anglo-Dutch Wars were fought in the 17th and 18th centuries between Kingdom of England and the Republic of the Seven United Provinces of the Netherlands for control over the seas and trade routes....
confirmed the Dutch mastery of the seas during the Dutch Golden Age

Dutch Golden Age

The Golden Age was a period in Netherlands history, roughly spanning the 17th century, in which Dutch trade, science, and art were among the most acclaimed in the world....
, financed by the expansion of the Dutch Empire

Dutch Empire

The Dutch Empire consisted of the overseas territories controlled by the Netherlands from the 17th to the 20th century. The Dutch followed Portuguese Empire and Spanish Empire in establishing an overseas colonial empire, aided by their skills in shipping and trade and the surge of nationalism accompanying the struggle for independence from S...
. The French Navy

French Navy

The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale , is the maritime arm of the French military. It consists of a full range of vessels, from patrol boats to guided missile frigates, and includes one nuclear aircraft carrier and ten nuclear submarines ....
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

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British Armed Forces . From the mid-18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early 1940s....
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

Seven Years' War

The Seven Years' War lasted between 1756?1763 and involved all of the major European powers of the period. The war pitted Kingdom of Prussia and Kingdom of Great Britain and a coalition of smaller German states against an alliance consisting of Archduchy of Austria, Early Modern France, Russian Empire, Kingdom of Sweden, and Electorate of Sa...
(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

Battle of Trafalgar

The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the United Kingdom Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy , during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
in 1805. These conflicts saw the development and refinement of tactics

Naval tactics in the Age of Sail

Line of battle

In naval warfare, the line of battle is a Military tactic in which the ships of the fleet form a line, end-to-end. Its origins are traditionally ascribed to the navy of the Commonwealth of England, especially to General at Sea Robert Blake who wrote the Sailing and Fighting Instructions of 1653....
.

The next stage in the evolution of naval warfare was the introduction of metal plating

Armour

Armour or armor is protective covering used to prevent damage from being inflicted to an individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact weapons or projectiles, usually during combat....
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

HMS Warrior (1860)

HMS Warrior was the first iron-hulled, armour-plated warship, built for the Royal Navy in response to the first ironclad warship, the French La Gloire, launched a year earlier....
, 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

CSS Virginia

CSS Virginia was a steam-powered Floating battery design ironclad warship of the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War .She was one of the participants in the Battle of Hampton Roads in March, 1862 opposite the USS Monitor....
and the USS Monitor

USS Monitor

USS Monitor was the first ironclad warship warship commissioned by the United States Navy. She is most famous for her participation in the first-ever naval battle between two ironclad warships, the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862 during the American Civil War, in which Monitor fought the ironclad CSS Virginia of the Confedera...
during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
is often cited as the beginning of this age of maritime conflict. A further step change in naval firepower occurred when the United Kingdom launched HMS Dreadnought

HMS Dreadnought (1906)

The sixth HMS Dreadnought of the Royal Navy was a battleship that revolutionised naval power when she entered service in 1906. Dreadnought represented such a marked advance in naval technology that her name came to be associated with an entire generation of battleships, the "dreadnoughts", as well as the class of ships named af...
, but naval tactics

Naval tactics in the Age of Steam

The development of the steam power ironclad firing explosive shell in the mid 19th century rendered sailing tactics obsolete. New tactics were developed for the big-gun HMS Dreadnought battleship....
still emphasized the line of battle.

The first practical military submarine

Submarine

A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below water. It differs from a submersible, which has only limited underwater capability....
s were developed in the late 19th century and by the end of World War I

World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
had proven to be a powerful arm of naval warfare. During World War II

World War II

Kriegsmarine

The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy between 1935 and 1945, during the Nazi Germany regime, superseding the Reichsmarine, and the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I....
's submarine fleet of U-boat

U-boat

U-boat is the anglicized#Loanwords version of the German language word , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II....
s almost starved the United Kingdom into submission and inflicted tremendous losses on US coastal shipping

Second happy time

The Second Happy Time was the informal name for a phase in the Second Battle of the Atlantic during which Axis Powers submarines attacked merchant shipping along the east coast of North America....
. The German battleship Tirpitz

German battleship Tirpitz

Tirpitz was the second Bismarck class battleship battleship of the Germany Kriegsmarine, sister ship of German battleship Bismarck, named after Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz....
, a sister ship of the Bismarck

German battleship Bismarck

Hide header=|Header caption=|Ship class=|Ship displacement=41,700 tonnes standard 50,900 tonnes full load|Ship length= overall waterline...
, was almost put out of action by miniature submarines known as X-Craft

X class submarine

The X class was a World War II midget submarine class built for the Royal Navy during 1943–44.Known individually as X-Craft, the vessels were designed to be towed to their intended area of operations by a full-size 'mother' submarine - - with a passage crew on board, the operational crew being transferred from the towing su...
. 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

Aircraft carrier

An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a navy force to project air power great distances without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations....
. First at Taranto

Battle of Taranto

The naval Battle of Taranto took place on the night of 11 November 1940 – 12 November 1940 during World War II. The Royal Navy launched the first all-aircraft naval attack in history, flying a small number of aircraft from an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea and attacking the Italy fleet at harbour in Taranto....
in 1940 and then in Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor is a harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu, Hawaii. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base....
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

Battle of Leyte Gulf

The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the "Battles for Leyte Gulf", and formerly as the "Second Battle of the Philippine Sea", is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and also, by some criteria, the largest naval battle in history....
(1944) was arguably the largest naval battle in history

Largest naval battle in history

The title of "largest naval battle in history" may be conferred according to criteria which might include the numbers of personnel and/or vessels involved in the battle, the total tonnage of the vessels involved, the damage sustained, or the casualties inflicted....
; it was also the last battle in which battleships played a significant role. By the end of World War II

World War II

United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
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. Throughout the rest of the 20th century The United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the navy of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy currently has approximately 331,682 personnel on active duty as of 31 December 2008 and 124,000 in the United States Navy Reserve....
would maintain a tonnage greater than that of the next 17 largest navies combined.

Operations

Historically a national navy operates from one or more bases that are maintained by the country or an ally. The base

Military base

A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations....
is a port

Port

||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|}A port is a facility for receiving ships and transferring cargo. They are usually found at the edge of an ocean, sea, river, or lake....
that is specialized in naval operations, and often includes housing for off-shore crew, an arsenal

Arsenal

An arsenal is an establishment for the construction, repair, storage and issue of weapons and ammunition. The word arsenal appears in various forms in Romance languages , i.e....
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

Squadron

A squadron is a small military unit or formation of cavalry, Armoured forces, aircraft , or warships....
of comparable ships, or a larger naval fleet

Naval fleet

A fleet, or naval fleet, is a large formation of warships, and the largest formation in any navy. A fleet at sea is the direct equivalent of an army on land....
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 sweeper

Minesweeper (ship)

A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations....
s, when operating in the littoral

Littoral

In coastal environments and biomes, the littoral zone extends from the high water mark, which is rarely inundated, to shoreline areas that are permanently submerged....
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

Ship's bells

A Ship's Bell is usually made of brass, and has the ship's name engraved on it.Strikes of a ship's bell are used to indicate the time aboard a ship and thereby to regulate the sailors' duty Watch systemes....
. 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

First Navy Jack

File:Naval Jack of the United States.svgThe First Navy Jack is the current Jack of the United States authorized by the United States Navy. The design is traditionally regarded as that of first U.S....
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 figurehead

Figurehead

A figurehead is a carved wooden decoration, often female or bestial, found at the prow of ships largely made between the 16th and 19th century....
s 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. submarine

Submarine

A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below water. It differs from a submersible, which has only limited underwater capability....
s. The major reasons cited by the U.S. Navy are the extended duty tours and close conditions which afford almost no privacy. The UK Royal Navy has similar restrictions. Australia, Canada, Spain and Norway have opened submarine service to women sailors, however.

By ancient tradition, corpses on board naval vessels were buried at sea

Burial at sea

Burial at sea describes the procedure of disposing of body in the ocean, normally from a ship or boat....
. In the past this involved sewing the body up in a shroud that had a weight at one end, often a cannonball

Round shot

Round shot is an obsolete solid projectile without explosive charge fired from small arms or cannons. As the name implies, round shot is sphere; its diameter is slightly less than the Caliber of the gun it is fired from....
. (During the age of sail, the final stitch was placed through the nose of the victim, just to make sure they were really dead.) The body was then placed on a pivoting table attached to the outer hull, and shrouded by a national ensign. After a solemn ceremony, the board was tilted and the body dropped into the deep. Later ceremonies employed the casket or crematory urn.

The custom of firing cannon salutes

Salute

A salute is a gesture or other action used to display respect. Salutes are primarily associated with armed forces, but other organizations also use salutes....
originated in the British Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British Armed Forces . From the mid-18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early 1940s....
. 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

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

Galleon

A galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship used primarily by the nations of Europe from the 16th to 18th centuries. Whether used for war or commerce, they were generally armed with demi-culverin....
or the armed merchant ships in World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
, 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 carrier

Aircraft carrier

Cruiser

A cruiser is a large type of warship, which had its prime period from the late 19th century to the end of the Cold War. The first cruisers were intended for individual raiding and protection missions on the seas....
s, destroyer

Destroyer

In navy terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a Naval fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range but powerful attackers ....
s, frigate

Frigate

A frigate is a warship. The term has been used for warships of many sizes and roles over the past few centuries.In the 18th century, the term referred to ships which were as long as a ship-of-the-line and were square rig on all three masts , but were faster and with lighter armament, used for patrolling and escort....
s, corvette

Corvette

A corvette is a small, manoeuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a offshore patrol vessel, although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role....
s, submarine

Submarine

A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below water. It differs from a submersible, which has only limited underwater capability....
s, and amphibious assault ship

Amphibious assault ship

An amphibious assault ship is a type of helicopter carrier employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory by an Amphibious warfare....
s. There are also support and auxiliary ships, including the minesweeper

Minesweeper (ship)

Patrol boat

A patrol boat is a small naval ship generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuary or river environments....
, hydrographic and oceanographic survey ship

Research vessel

A research vessel is a ship designed and equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel, others require a dedicated vessel....
and tender

Ship's tender

A ship's tender, usually referred to as a tender, is a boat, or a larger ship used to service a ship, generally by transporting people and/or supplies to and from shore or another ship....
. During the age of sail

Age of Sail

The Age of Sail was the period in which international trade and naval warfare were dominated by sailing ships, lasting from the 16th to the mid 19th century....
, the ship categories were divided into the ship of the line

Ship of the line

Frigate

Sloop-of-war

In the 18th and the earlier part of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a small sailing warship with a single gun deck that carried anything up to eighteen cannon....
.

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

Her Majesty's Ship

His or Her Majesty's Ship is the ship prefix used for ships of the navy in some monarchies, either formally or informally....
, USS

United States Navy

Ship prefix

A ship prefix is a combination of letters, usually abbreviations, used in front of the name of a civilian or naval ship.Prefixes for civilian vessels may either identify the type of propulsion, such as "SS" for steamship, or purpose, such as "RV" for research vessel....
.

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.) The Navy uses thousands of boats, 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. Newer Navy boats are designed and built using the International System of units (also known as SI or metric), but older craft were designed using the English units system (feet, inches etc.)

Standard Boats A standard boat is a small craft carried aboard a ship to perform various tasks and evolutions.

Landing Craft
Landing craft

Landing craft are boats and seagoing vehicles used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an Amphibious warfare. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands during World War II....
These 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 Cushioned
LCAC

The Landing Craft, Air Cushioned is a class of Air-cushioned landing craft/hovercraft used as landing craft by the United States Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ....
Known 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 Boats
Rigid-hulled inflatable boat

A rigid-inflatable boat or rigid-hulled inflatable boat, is a light-weight but high performance and high capacity boat constructed with a solid, shaped hull and flexible tubes at the gunwale....
Known 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 Boats These 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.

Punts
Punt (boat)

This article concentrates on the history and development of punts and punting in England, for other usages see Norfolk punt and the general disambiguation pages at punt and punter....
These are open square enders, long. They are either rowed or sculled, and are generally used in port by side cleaners.

Special Boats These 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 (SOC) 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 (PBR)
Patrol Boat, River

Patrol Boat, River , or PBR, is the US Navy designation for a type of rigid-Hull ed patrol boat used in the Vietnam War from March 1966 until the end of 1971....
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 squadron

Squadron (naval)

A squadron, or naval squadron, is a unit of 3-4 major warships, transport ships, submarines, or sometimes small craft that may be part of a larger task force or a Naval fleet....
s or flotilla

Flotilla

A flotilla , or naval flotilla, is a Tactical formation of small warships that may be part of a larger Naval fleet. A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same ship class of warship, such as destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, gunboats or Minesweeper ....
s, which may be formed into fleet

Naval fleet

A fleet, or naval fleet, is a large formation of warships, and the largest formation in any navy. A fleet at sea is the direct equivalent of an army on land....
s. The largest unit size may be the whole Navy or Admiralty

Admiralty

The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. Originally exercised by a single person, the office of Lord High Admiral was from the 18th century onward almost invariably put "in commission", and was exercised by a Board of Admiralty....
.

Ranks

A navy will typically have two sets of ranks, one for enlisted personnel and one for officer

Officer (armed forces)

An officer is a member of an Armed forces who holds a position of authority.Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereignty power and, as such, hold a Letters patent charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position....
s.

Typical ranks for commissioned officers include the following, in ascending order (Commonwealth

Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations, also known as the Commonwealth or the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organization of fifty-three independent member states....
ranks are listed first on each line; USA ranks are listed second in those instances where they differ from Commonwealth ranks):

Acting Sub-Lieutenant / Ensign
Ensign (rank)

Ensign is a junior rank of Officer #Commissioned officers in the militaries of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign, the rank itself acquired the name....
/ Corvette Lieutenant
Corvette Lieutenant

Corvette Lieutenant is a rank in some navies, especially those of Spain and Latin America, roughly equivalent to a Royal Navy Acting Sub-Lieutenant or a US Navy Ensign ....
Sub Lieutenant / Lieutenant Junior Grade / Frigate Lieutenant
Frigate Lieutenant

Frigate Lieutenant is a rank in some navies, especially those of Spain and Latin America, roughly equivalent to a Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Navy or a Lieutenant Junior Grade in the US Navy....
Lieutenant
Lieutenant

Lieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service, emergency medical services or police commissioned officer military rank.Lieutenant may also appear as part of a title used in various other organisations with a codified command structure....
(Commonwealth & USA)/ Ship-of-the-Line Lieutenant
Ship-of-the-Line Lieutenant

Ship-of-the-Line Lieutenant is a common naval rank, equivalent to the naval rank of Lieutenant in the UK, Commonwealth and US.The name of the rank derives from the name of the largest class of warship, the Ship-of-the-Line, as opposed to smaller types of warship ....
/ Captain Lieutenant
Captain Lieutenant

Captain Lieutenant or Captain-Lieutenant is a military rank.In particular, the term Captain Lieutenant may refer to a rank in the Russian Navy, Red Fleet/Soviet Navy and previously Imperial Russian Navy, a rank in the German Navy, and a former rank in the British army....
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander

Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer military rank in many navy superior to a Lieutenant and subordinate to a Commander. The corresponding rank in most army, and air forces is Major, and in the Royal Air Force and other Commonwealth of Nations air forces is Squadron Leader also....
(Commonwealth & USA)/ Corvette Captain
Corvette Captain

Corvette Captain is a rank in many navies which theoretically corresponds to command of a corvette . The equivalent rank in the UK, Commonwealth of Nations and USA is Lieutenant-Commander....
Commander
Commander

Commander is a military rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the military, particularly in police and law enforcement....
(Commonwealth & USA)/ Frigate Captain
Frigate Captain

Frigate Captain is a naval rank in the navy of several contries.It is, usually, equivalent to the Royal Navy / Commonwealth / US Navy rank of Commander....
Captain
Captain (naval)

Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navy to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The Naval officer ranks#NATO Rank Codes is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
(Commonwealth & USA)/ Ship-of-the-Line Captain
Ship-of-the-Line Captain

Ship of the line Captain is a rank that appears in several navies. The name of the rank derives from the fact the rank corresponded to command of one a ship of the largest class of warship, the Ship-of-the-Line, as opposed to smaller types of warship ....
Commodore
Commodore (rank)

Commodore is a military rank used in many navy for officers whose position exceeds that of a navy Captain , but is less than that of a rear admiral....
/ Flotilla Admiral
Flotilla Admiral

Flotilla Admiral is the lowest flag rank, a rank above Captain , in the modern navies of Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany and Sweden. It corresponds to the ranks of Commodore or Rear Admiral ....
(in USA only: Rear Admiral (lower half))
Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral

Rear Admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a Commodore and Captain , and below that of a Vice Admiral. It is the lowest form of Admiral....
(in USA only: Rear Admiral (upper half))
Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral

Vice Admiral is a naval rank equivalent to Lieutenant General in seniority. A Vice Admiral is typically senior to a Rear Admiral and junior to an Admiral....
(Commonwealth & USA)
Admiral
Admiral

Admiral is the military rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above Vice Admiral and below Admiral of the Fleet/Fleet Admiral....
(Commonwealth & USA)
Fleet Admiral (Commonwealth & USA) or Admiral of the Fleet
Admiral of the Fleet

An Admiral of the Fleet or Fleet Admiral is a military naval officer of the highest rank. In many nations the rank is reserved for wartime or ceremonial appointments....
or Grand Admiral
Grand Admiral

Grand Admiral is an historic navy rank, generally being the highest such rank present in any particular country. Its most notable use is in Germany — the German language word is Gro?admiral....

"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

Battle group

Battle group may refer to:* Carrier battle group, an aircraft carrier and its escorts, examples of which are:** the Abraham Lincoln 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 honrary 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

Royal Australian Navy

The Royal Australian Navy is the navy of the Australian Defence Force. Established in 1901, the RAN was formed out of the Commonwealth Naval Forces to become the small navy of Australia after federation, consisting of the former colonial navies of the new Australian states....
holds the rank of Vice Admiral, and the chief of the Irish Naval Service

Irish Naval Service

The Irish Naval Service is the navy of Republic of Ireland and is one of the three standing branches of the Irish Defence Forces . Its main base is in Haulbowline, County Cork....
holds the rank of Commodore.

Coast Guards will typicall 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 troops

During the era of the Roman empire

Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the Roman Republic phase of the Ancient Rome, characterised by an autocracy form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, the naval forces included legionaries for boarding actions

Boarding (attack)

Boarding, in its simplest sense, refers to the insertion onto a ship's deck of people. However, when it is classified as an attack, in most contexts, it refers to the insertion of personnel that are not members of the crew by another party....
. 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

Infanteria de Marina

The Infanter?a de Marina or Spanish Navy Marines is a corps within the Spanish Navy responsible for providing amphibious warfare from the sea utilizing naval platforms and resources....
was formed in 1537, making it the oldest current marine corps in the world. The United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing Military power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver Marine Air-Ground Task Force....
became a separate arm in the United States military, with their own equipment. However, the U.S. Navy SEALs and the British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
Royal Marines

Royal Marines

The Royal Marines are the marine and amphibious warfare infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service....
now serve a similar function, being a ship-based force specially-trained in commando

Commando

In military science, the term commando denotes an individual soldier, a military unit, and a raid . Contemporarily, commando identifies ?lite light infantry and special forces units specialised in parachuting, rappelling, and amphibious warfare to conduct and effect attacks....
-style operations and tactics as part of the navy. The Royal Marines also have their own special forces, the SBS (Special Boat Service

Special Boat Service

The Special Boat Service is the special forces unit of the British Royal Navy. The service's motto is "By Strength and Guile". It forms part of the United Kingdom Special Forces group, alongside the Special Air Service , Special Reconnaissance Regiment , Special Forces Support Group and 18 Signal Regiment....
); similar to the US Navy SEALs and the Boat Troops of the SAS.

Additional reading

Non-fiction:

Combat Fleets of the World: Their Ships, Aircraft and Systems - Naval Institute Press. Published annually. Comprehensive.
Braudel, Fernand
Fernand Braudel

Fernand Braudel , was the foremost French historian of the postwar era, and a leader of the Annales School. He organized his scholarship around three great projects, each worth several decades of intense study: "The Mediterranean" , "Civilization and Capitalism" , and the unfinished, "Identity of France" ....
, The Mediterranean in the Ancient World
Corbett, Sir Julian
Julian Corbett

Sir Julian Stafford Corbett was a prominent United Kingdom Naval history and geostrategist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, whose works helped shape the Royal Navy's reforms of that era....
, 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
Alfred Thayer Mahan

Alfred Thayer Mahan was a United States Navy flag officer, Geostrategy, and educator. His ideas on the importance of sea power influenced navies around the world, and helped prompt naval buildups before World War I....
, The Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660-1783
The Influence of Sea Power upon History

The Influence of Sea Power Upon History is an influential treatise on naval warfare written in 1890 by Alfred Thayer Mahan. It details the role of sea power throughout history and discusses the various factors needed to support a strong navy....
, 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 1579060609
Trafalgar 200 Through the Lens, ISBN 0-9553004-0-1

Fiction:

Alan Lewrie
Alan Lewrie

Alan Lewrie is the hero and main character of Dewey Lambdin's naval adventure series of novels....
series by Dewey Lambdin
Dewey Lambdin

Dewey Lambdin is an United States nautical historical novelist. He is best known for his Alan Lewrie naval adventure series, set during the Napoleonic Wars....
Aubrey–Maturin series
Aubrey–Maturin series

The Aubrey?Maturin series is a sequence of historical novels ? 20 completed and one unfinished work ? by Patrick O'Brian, set during the Napoleonic Wars and centering on the friendship between Captain Jack Aubrey of the Royal Navy and his ship's surgeon Stephen Maturin, who is also a physician, natural history, and secret agent....
by Patrick O'Brian
Patrick O'Brian

Patrick O'Brian, Order of the British Empire was an England novelist and translation, best known for his Aubrey?Maturin series of novels set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and centered on the friendship of English Naval Captain Jack Aubrey and the Irish–Catalan physician Stephen Maturin....
Horatio Hornblower
Horatio Hornblower

Admiral of the Fleet Horatio Hornblower, 1st Baron Hornblower, Order of the Bath, is a fictional protagonist of a series of novels by C. S. Forester, and later the subject of films and television programs....
series by C. S. Forester
C. S. Forester

Cecil Scott Forester was the pen name of Cecil Louis Troughton Smith , an England novelist who rose to fame with tales of adventure and military crusades....
Richard Bolitho
Richard Bolitho

Richard Bolitho is a fictional Royal Navy officer who is the main character in a series of novels written by Douglas Reeman . Bolitho was born in 1756 in Falmouth, Cornwall, in the United Kingdom, the second son of a prestigious naval family....
series by Alexander Kent (Pseudonym of Douglas Reeman
Douglas Reeman

Douglas Edward Reeman is a United Kingdom author who has written many historical fiction books on the Royal Navy, mainly set during either World War II or the Napoleonic Wars....
)
Tom Clancy
Tom Clancy

Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. is an United States author, best known for his technically detailed espionage and military science storylines set during and in the aftermath of the Cold War....
, The Hunt for Red October, Red Storm Rising
Red Storm Rising

Red Storm Rising is a 1986 techno-thriller novel by Tom Clancy and Larry Bond about a Third World War in Europe between North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Warsaw Pact forces, set around the mid-1980s, probably in 1986 or 1987....

External links

General

Navy benefits - clip art
of the
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(under construction)
Naval ranks

Navy

Etymology

History

Operations

Traditions

Naval organization

Ships

Boats

Units

Ranks

Marine troops

Additional reading

See also

External links