------------------------+--------------------+--------+----------+---------+------- | | Ships | | Sloops | Station | Commander-in-Chief | of the | Frigates | and | Total | | Line | | small | | | | | vessels | ------------------------+--------------------+--------+----------+---------+------- From Shetland to Beachy | | | | | Head | Lord Keith | 10 | 15 | 155 | 180 Channel | Port Admirals | | 1 | 51 | 52 Guernsey and Jersey | Sir J. Saumarez | | 2 | 12 | 14 Off Ushant, etc. | Admiral Cornwallis | 26 | 15 | 20 | 61 Irish | Lord Gardner | | 10 | 14 | 24 Mediterranean | Lord Nelson | 26 | 19 | 24 | 69 In port refitting and | | | | | destined to reinforce | | | | | Lords Nelson and | | 11 | 7 | 17 | 35 Cornwallis | | | | | ------------------------+--------------------+--------+----------+---------+------- In addition to Nelson’s force of 26 capital ships and 19 frigates, the Navy had, therefore, in commission in home waters and the Mediterranean a yet more numerous force of 47 capital ships and 50 frigates. The main portion of this force was with Cornwallis off Ushant, and was watching Brest. Between the Shetlands and Beachy Head we had 155 sloops and small vessels. In 1916, in addition to the Grand Fleet of 39 capital ships (including battle cruisers) and 32 cruisers and light cruisers, we had in commission in home waters and the Mediterranean only 13 capital ships (all of pre-Dreadnought types and, therefore, obsolescent) and 5 light cruisers. Between the Shetlands and Beachy Head we had, exclusive of the Grand Fleet and Harwich force, about 60 destroyers (mostly of old type), 6 P boats, and 33 old torpedo boats. In September, 1805, we had building 32 ships of the line in England, besides 10 under construction in Russia, and 36 frigates. In May, 1916, we had building five capital ships and about nine light cruisers. A consideration of these figures will show that the situation at the two periods under review was very different, in that, in 1805, the force engaged at Trafalgar was only a relatively small portion of the available British Fleet, whilst in 1916 the Grand Fleet included the large majority of the vessels upon which the country had to rely for safety.