EDEXCEL A LEVEL HISTORY: THE
BRITISH EMPIRE: THE NAVY June 2024
Exam Questions and Answers 100%
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When did Britain achieve naval superiority? - Answer>>At the
end of the 7-Years' War in 1763
When did Britain's supremacy become unchallengeable? -
Answer>>After the battle of Trafalgar in 1805
When was Britain's supremacy challenged? - Answer>>1875
How did naval tactics differ in the Age of Sail from earlier times? -
Answer>>In the medieval times, the main tactic was to pull
alongside the enemy ship so that soldiers carried on the deck
could board it. However, during the Age of Sail, ships had rows of
cannons, which sunk or disabled their enemies by firing a
broadside
What is a broadside? - Answer>>The simultaneous discharge
of large guns mounted along the side of a ship
What were the most important factors in a ship's ability to
manoeuvre? - Answer>>- The speed of the ship's hull
- The skill of the sailors in manipulating its sails
What were the advantages of the 'ship of the line' tactic? -
Answer>>- It enabled sustained bombardment, with each ship
able to fire a broadside as the line passed an enemy
- It avoided friendly ships firing at each other as none of their
broadsides faced each others'
,- It reduced the exposure of vulnerable bows and sterns to enemy
fire, the bow of the leading ship and the stern of the last ship were
the only ones exposed
- It improved the speed and effectiveness of signalling by flags
between the admiral's ship and the rest of the fleet
What were the disadvantages of this technique? - Answer>>- It
relied on wind direction for manoeuvrability
- It only used half the fire power
- It was orthodox
- The communication could be problematic
- Indecisive battles as neither fleet could gain a positional
advantage
What is hyper-aggression? - Answer>>More aggressive naval
techniques developed after Admiral Byng's perceived reticence.
He refused to attack the French fleet at Minorca
What was the 'crossing the t' tactic? - Answer>>An unorthodox
tactic where the ships were in two parallel lines and they would
cut between the enemy's line of ships
What were the advantages and disadvantages of 'crossing the t'?
- Answer>>Advantages:
- It was unorthodox and unexpected by the enemy fleet
- Both sides of the cannon could be used
- The enemy could only fire for a certain amount of times
- It was deceiving - bigger ships were at the front
- Commands were easy to follow
Disadvantages:
- Only a small amount of ships could use their weapons - others
were redundant
- It was more dangerous
, When were some examples of the 'crossing the t' technique? -
Answer>>- Battle of the Nile 1798
- Battle of Trafalgar 1805
The Battle of Minorca
(Date and details) - Answer>>1756
The British and French met at Minorca
Admiral Byng refused to attack the French fleet and he was shot
for it. The French claimed victory
The Battle of Quiberon Bay
(Date and significance) - Answer>>1759
Under Admiral Hawke, the British sailed into unmapped harbour
and the coastline was very dangerous
The French were still defeated, however
The Siege of Gibraltar
(Date and significance) - Answer>>1779-83
Britain resupplied Gibraltar from Plymouth
Britain fought a global war
Gibraltar was blockaded by the Franco-Spanish
Chesapeake Bay and Yorktown
(Date and significance) - Answer>>1781
The British extended their supplies across American colonies
General Cornwallis was forced to surrender
Saintes
(Date and significance) - Answer>>1782
Rodney used copper-bottom ships for the first time
Britain regained territory in the West Indies
As a consequence, the 1783 Treaty of Paris was signed
The Battle of the Nile
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