The Dear Surprise

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The Strategic Failure of French Privateering

Clearly French privateering during the Revolutionary period failed in its perceived strategy: to cripple British marine trade.
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Impressment and the British Merchant Service

An explanation to the discussion of the potential effects of the Impress on the skilled labor force of the British merchant marine.
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British Naval Supremacy: Some Factors Newly Considered

“As for a man-of-war, it is either an autocracy or it is nothing, nothing at all – mere nonsense. You saw what happened to the poor French navy at the beginning of the Revolutionary War…” – Jack Aubrey to Stephen Maturin, The Yellow Admiral British Naval Supremacy: Some Factors Newly Considered By Mitch Williamson Strategic [...]
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A Brief History of Royal Navy Uniforms

Officers’ Uniforms The British Royal Navy adopted a dark blue officers’ uniforms in 1748. This uniform would be the basis for of most of the world’ naval dress. The British were the main maritime power their uniforms influenced those adopted in other countries. [Broderick] The enlisted unform would also prove very influential, but it would [...]
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Survival At Sea 2/2: Surviving Sharks, Finding Land and Other Useful Tips

As many times as Jack, Stephen and their various crews were shipwrecked and marooned, they managed to survive not just because they knew how to take care of the basics (food, water, etc.) but because they knew how to survive everything and anything the ocean might throw at them, allowing them to live long enough [...]
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Survival At Sea 1/2: Weather, Food, Water, Medical

Throughout the course of our beloved series, our stalwart heroes find themselves in many perilous situations that aren’t always directly related to combat (stranded on a tiny island during a storm, adrift on the open ocean without a raft, shipwrecked at least twice, etc.). Luckily, they have the survival skills to carry them through these [...]
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The 1778 Act for the Relief of Sick and Disabled Seamen and its Present-Day Implications

This article is somewhat different from what is usually posted here. It’s a political piece discussing current events, but it definitely relates back to our era and our areas of focus. Full disclosure: I’m of a liberal bent, and I think the following article makes a lot of sense. But I’m not posting it to [...]
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Three Insanely Advanced (Naval) Weapons History Somehow Forgot About

As I’ve mentioned a few times (here and here), I’m a huge fan of Cracked.com. I love them because they’re hilarious, but also because they seem to have three or four people on staff dedicated solely to writing historically themed articles, and those three or four people always manage to inform me about things I [...]
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Logistical Challenges of Sea Power in the Age of Sail

A naval force usually does not possess the ability to accomplish to the satisfaction of its commanders all of its wartime tasks. Whether the conflict is in home waters or across an ocean, naval commanders are confronted by a broad spectrum of potential responsibilities. They can include fleet-on-fleet battle, blockade, convoy escort, coastal patrol, and amphibious operations, conducted [...]
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Horatio Hornblower Miniseries Pt. 2: The Examination For Lieutenant

Still serving aboard the HMS Indefatigable, Horatio Hornblower has been promoted to acting Lieutenant. Neutral Spain has concluded a peace treaty with France and the British now have another enemy to face. They soon come across a sunken British supply ship and rescue its Captain, ‘Dreadnought’ Foster, a man with a reputation for bravery that [...]
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