Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 41677-h.htm or 41677-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41677/41677-h/41677-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41677/41677-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See http://archive.org/details/britishnavybook00fiel THE BRITISH NAVY BOOK * * * * * _Uniform with this volume_ THE BRITISH ARMY BOOK BY PAUL DANBY AND LIEUT.-COL. CYRIL FIELD, R.M.L.I. "It is full of great deeds sure to fire the imagination of any boy."--_Times._ "Gives a better and more readable account of our army than any book we can think of."--_Graphic._ "A most stirring, as well as informative book."--_Scotsman._ "A glorious story, told in fine racy style."--_Sheffield Daily Telegraph._ LONDON: BLACKIE & SON. LTD., 50 OLD BAILEY, E.C. * * * * * [Illustration: "BRITAIN'S SURE SHIELD"] THE BRITISH NAVY BOOK by LIEUT.-COL. AND BREVET COL. CYRIL FIELD, R.M.L.I. With Full-page Illustrations in Colour and in Black-and-White and Numerous Illustrations in the Text Blackie and Son Limited London Glasgow and Bombay Contents CHAP. Page PROLOGUE: THE COMMAND OF THE SEA (A.D. 1915) 9 I. A LESSON FROM CÆSAR 19 II. ANCIENT WAR-SHIPS 28 III. FIGHTING-SHIPS OF THE MIDDLE AGES 38 IV. MARINERS OF OTHER DAYS 54 V. SOME MEDIÆVAL SEA-FIGHTS 60 VI. THE NAVY IN TUDOR TIMES 67 VII. FROM ELIZABETH TO VICTORIA 81 VIII. THE "TURKS" IN THE CHANNEL 99 IX. THE HONOUR OF THE FLAG 115 X. THE EVOLUTION OF NAVAL GUNNERY 125 XI. EVOLUTION OF THE IRONCLAD BATTLESHIP 146 XII. THE EVOLUTION OF THE SUBMARINE AND SUBMARINE MINE 167 XIII. NAVAL BRIGADES 187 XIV. WAR-SHIPS OF ALL SORTS 204 XV. THE MANNING OF A SHIP 223 XVI. BEGINNING OF THE WAR AFLOAT 242 XVII. OPERATIONS IN THE NORTH SEA AND CHANNEL 254 XVIII. IN THE OUTER SEAS 261 XIX. A REVERSE AND A VICTORY 272 XX. GERMAN RAIDS AND THEIR SIGNAL PUNISHMENT 285 XXI. THE ROYAL NAVAL AIR SERVICE 292 CONCLUSION 307 Illustrations