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Eventually, planks were installed along the gunwales-the upper edges of a boat’s side-to protect the rowers. Early Egyptian galleys had elevated decks fore and aft for archers and spear throwers. They were broader in relation to their length than galleys in order to hold as much cargo as possible. Commercial ships of the ancient world were called round ships. Galleys also carried sails for cruising, but oarsmen were needed to power the ships in battle for speed and the ability to change direction quickly. The warship of the time was the galley, a long seagoing vessel propelled by oars. It lasted from about 3000 bc until the Battle of Lepanto in ad 1571, more than 4,500 years. The longest period in the history of navies was the age of the galley.

The long history of navies may be divided into three periods: the age of the galley, the age of sail, and the age of steam and steel (including nuclear power). As technology has changed, so too have the tactics navies use to win battles. Changes include the way ships are built, how they are powered, and the use of firepower. Naval warfare has been a history of technological change from 3000 bc to the present. Major navies of the world are similar in command structure, though officer titles may vary from country to country.

The enormous technological complexities of 20th-century warfare served to create many highly specialized functions. As naval warfare became more complex, onboard responsibilities were divided among officers and seamen of various ranks. There was normally a contingent of marines kept in reserve for hand-to-hand combat when an enemy ship was boarded. An expert seaman guided the ship, and banks of rowers powered it. Such early navies as those of Greece and Rome were rather simply run. The command structure of modern navies evolved slowly over the centuries. It was also a main factor in Britain’s defeat of France during the Napoleonic Wars (about 1799–1815) and in the victory of the Allies over Germany, Italy, and Japan in World War II (1939–45).

The reason for the loss can be blamed partly on inadequate naval power in the face of an alliance of the young United States with France and Spain.Ĭommand of the seas was a primary ingredient in the Greek defeat of the Persians during the Persian Wars in the 5th century bc and in Rome’s defeat of Carthage during the Punic Wars in the 3rd and 2nd centuries bc. During that time Britain lost only one major conflict: the American Revolution (1775–83). The book was one of the most influential military studies and had a strong influence on the naval buildup in Europe prior to World War I.įor nearly four centuries Great Britain’s Royal Navy commanded the sea lanes of the world. In it Mahan states that a country needs a strong industrial base and a powerful navy in order to achieve military supremacy and to extend its commerce around the world. His book, The Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660–1783 (1890), is a survey of British naval power. “In all history,” said British general Bernard Law Montgomery, “the nation which has had control of the seas has, in the end, prevailed.” This statement supports American naval officer Alfred T. A navy may also maintain naval bases and ports as well as a vast organization for the administration and upkeep of the warships. These craft may include aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, frigates, submarines, minesweepers and minelayers, gunboats, and various types of support, supply, and repair ships. It includes warships and craft of every kind used for fighting on, under, or over the sea. NavyĪ navy is the seagoing arm of a country’s military forces. Department of Defense photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Dusty Howell, U.S.