Chapter 21

The supply of a fleet is of high importance in both peace time and time of war. Even in peace it sometimes causes an admiral to pass a sleepless night. The arrangements which it necessitates are often intricate, and success in completing them occasionally seems far off. The work involved in devising suitable plans is too much like drudgery to be welcome to those who undertake it. All the same it has to be done: and surely no one will care to deny that the fleet which has practised in quiet years the system that must be followed in war will start with a great advantage on its side when it is at last confronted with the stern realities of naval warfare.

POSTSCRIPT

The question of 'Communications,' if fully dealt with in the foregoing paper, would have made it so long that its hearers might have been tired out before its end was reached. The following summary of the points that might have been enlarged upon, had time allowed, may interest many officers:--

In time of war we must keep open our lines of communication.

If we cannot, the war will have gone against us.

Open communications mean that we can prevent the enemy from carrying out decisive and sustained operations against them and along their line.

To keep communications open it is not necessary to secure every friendly ship traversing the line against attacks by the enemy. All that is necessary is to restrict the enemy's activity so far that he can inflict only such a moderate percentage of loss on the friendly vessels that, as a whole, they will not cease to run.

Keeping communications open will not secure a friendly place against every form of attack. It will, however, secure a place against attacks with large forces sustained for a considerable length of time. If he can make attacks of this latter kind, it is clear that the enemy controls the communications and that we have failed to keep them open.

If communications are open for the passage of vessels of the friendly mercantile marine, it follows that the relatively much smaller number of supply-vessels can traverse the line.

As regards supply-vessels, a percentage of loss caused by the enemy must be allowed for. If we put this at 10 per cent.--which, taken absolutely, is probably sufficient--it means that _on_the_ _average_ out of ten supply-vessels sent we expect nine to reach their destination.

We cannot, however, arrange that an equal loss will fall on every group of ten vessels. Two such groups may arrive intact, whilst a third may lose three vessels. Yet the 10 per cent. average would be maintained.

This condition has to be allowed for. Investigations some years ago led to the conclusion that it would be prudent to send five carriers for every four wanted.

The word 'group' has been used above only in a descriptive sense. Supply-carriers will often be safer if they proceed to their destination separately. This, however, depends on circumstances.

INDEX

Adventure, voyages of Agincourt, battle of Alcester, Lord Alexander the Great Alexandria, bombardment of American War of Independence; Sir Henry Maine on ---- War of Secession; raids in ---- War with Spain Ammunition, supply of; alleged shortage at the defeat of the Armada Army co-operation Athenian Navy; at the battle of Syracuse Australian Fleet, localisation of Austro-Prussian War

Baehr, C. F Balaclava, capture of Bantry Bay, French invasion of Battleships, merits of; coal consumption of Beer, for the Navy Benedek, General Blockades Bounty for recruits Brassey, Lord Bright, Rev. J. F. Brougham, Lord Brunswick-Oels, Duke of Burchett, quoted Burleigh, Lord Byng, Admiral (_see_under_ Torrington, Earl of).

Cadiz, Expedition Camperdown, battle of Camperdown, Lord Cardigan Bay, French invasion of Carnot, President Carrying trade, of the colonies; of the world Carthaginian Navy; fall of Cawdor, Lord Centralisation, evils of Charles II, King 'Chatham Chest' Chevalier, Captain; quoted Chino-Japanese War Chioggia, battle of Coal, allowance of; bases for; cost of Coast defence (_see_also_under_ Invasion) Collingwood, Admiral, at Trafalgar Colomb, Vice-Admiral P. H.; on the Chino-Japanese War; on the command of the sea; on Nelson's tactics at Trafalgar Colonies, naval bases in the; contributions by the; and terms of service in the navy Command of the sea; and the claim to a salute; in the Crimean War; local and temporary; and the French invasion; land fortification and; in war; and our food supply; essential to the Empire Commerce, protection of naval; destruction of; at the time of Trafalgar Communications, in war; control of; with naval bases; of a fleet Corbett, Mr. Julian; on Nelson Cornwallis, Admiral Crécy, battle of Crimean War; command of the sea in; mortality in Cromwell, Oliver Cruisers, necessity for; their equivalent at Trafalgar; coal consumption of; duties of Crusades

Dacres, Rear-Admiral De Burgh, Hubert De Galles, Admiral Morard De Grasse, Admiral De la Gravière, Admiral De Ruyter, Admiral Defence, of naval commerce; against invasion; offensive; inefficiency of localised; against raids Desbrière, Capt. Destroyers, origin of Dewey, Admiral 'Dictionary of National Biography' Dockyards, fortification of Dornberg, Colonel Drake, Sir Francis Drury Lane Pantomime Dryden, quoted Duncan, Lord; Life of; quoted Dundonald, Lord Duro, Captain Dutch East India Co. ---- Navy ---- War

Economy and Efficiency Edward III, King Egypt, French Expedition to Ekins, Sir Charles Elizabeth (Queen) and her seamen Empire, the defence of; and control of ocean communications English Channel, command of the Exploration, voyages of

Fishguard, French invasion of Fleet, positions in war for the; duties of the; and the defence of Empire; supply and communications of the 'Fleet in being' Food supply and control of the sea Foods, preservation of Foreign seamen, in our merchant service; their exemption from impressment Franco-German War Froude's History Fulton, quoted

Gardiner, Dr. S. R., quoted Genoese Navy German Navy, in the Baltic Gibbon, quoted Gibraltar; siege of Gravelines, battle of Greek Navy Green, J. R., quoted Grierson, Colonel B. H. Grouchy, Admiral Gutteridge, Mr.

Hall, Mr. Hubert Hammond, Dr. W. A. 'Handy man' evolution of the Hannay, Mr. D. Hannibal Hawke, Lord Hawkins, Sir J. Herodotus, quoted History, influence of naval campaigns on; of war Hoche, General Holm, Adolf Hood, Lord; and Nelson Hosier, Admiral Howard of Effingham, Lord; quoted Howe, Lord; at Gibraltar; his tactics Hughes, Sir Edward Humbert's Bxpedition

_Illustrious_ Training School Impressment; exemption of foreigners from; inefficiency of; legalised forcible; popular misconceptions of; exemptions from (_see_also_under_ Press gang) Indian Mutiny International law, and the sea; and the sale of bad food Invasion, prevention of; of British Isles; over sea and land raids; land defence against; as a means of war Ireland, French invasion of

Jamaica, seizure of James, quoted Japan and China war Jena, battle of Jessopp, Dr. A. Joyeuse, Admiral Villaret

Keith, Lord Killigrew, Vice-Admiral Kinglake, quoted

La Hogue, battle of Laughton, Professor Sir J. K.; 'Defeat of the Armada,'; on Nelson Lepanto, battle of Lindsay, W. S. Local defence, inefficiency of; of naval bases Lyons, Admiral Lord

Mahan, Captain A. T.; on the Roman Navy; on sea commerce; on early naval warfare; on the naval 'calling'; on the American War of Independence; influence of his teaching; on the Spanish-American War; on control of the sea; on impressment; on Nelson at Trafalgar Malaga, battle of Manoeuvres Marathon, battle of Marines and impressment Martin, Admiral Sir T. Byam Medina-Sidonia, Duke of Mediterranean, command of the Mends, Dr. Stilon ---- Admiral Sir W. Merchant Service, foreign seamen in our; historical relations of the navy with the; its exemption from impressment (_see_ _also_under_ Commerce) Minorca Mischenko, General Mortality from disease in war Motley, quoted Mutiny at the Nore

Napoleon, Emperor; and the invasion of England; expedition to Egypt; on losses in War Naval bases; defence of; cost of _Naval_Chronicle_ Naval strategy; in the American War of Independence; the frontier in; and command of the sea; the fleet's position in War; compared with military; and the French Expedition to Egypt; in defence of Empire; for weak navies; at the time of Trafalgar ---- tactics, Nelson's achievements in; at Trafalgar; consideration of cost in ---- warfare, influence on history of; the true objective in (_see_also_under_ War) Navies, costliness of; strength of foreign Navigation Act (1651) Navy, necessity for a strong; and Army co-operation; human element in the; changes in organisation; conditions of service in the; peace training of the; historical relations with the merchant service; impressment in the; records of the; Queen Elizabeth's; victualling the; pay in the; its mobility; and the two-power standard; question of size of ships for the; economy and efficiency in the Navy Records Society Nelson, Lord; on blockades; and the 'Nile'; his strategy; and Trafalgar; his tactics Netley Hospital Newbolt, Mr. H. Nile, battle of the

Oil, ship's allowance of Oppenheim, Mr. M. Oversea raids

Palmer, Six Henry Peace training, and war; of the 'handy man' Pepys, quoted Pericles, quoted Persian Navy Peter the Great Phillip, Rear-Admiral Arthur Phoenician Navy Pitt, William; quoted Piracy Pocock, Rev. Thomas Poitiers, battle of Policing the sea Port Arthur, battle off Ports, fortification of Portuguese Navy Press gang; popular misconceptions of the; facts and fancies about the; in literature and art; operations of the Price, Dr.

Quiberon Bay, battle of

Raiding attacks; prevention of Raids, oversea and on land Raleigh, Sir Walter Recruiting, from the merchant service; by the press gang Recruits, bounty for Rhodes Navy Robinson, Commander Rodney, Lord Rogers, Thorold Roman Navy Rooke, Sir George Roosevelt, Mr. Theodore, quoted Russo-Japanese War ---- Turkish War

St. Vincent, Lord Salamis, battle of Salute, the claim to a Saracen Navy Schill, Colonel Sea, International law and the Sea Power, history and meaning of the term; defined; influence on history of naval campaigns; of the Phoenicians; of Greece and Persia; of Rome and Carthage; in the Middle Ages; of the Saracens; and the Crusades; of Venice, Pisa and Genoa; of the Turks; in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries; of Portugal and Spain; rise in England of; and exploration and adventure; and military co-operation; of the Dutch; and naval strategy; in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries; examples of its efficiency; in recent times; in Crimean War; in American War of Secession; in Russo-Turkish war; in Chino-Japanese War; in Spanish-American War Sebastopol, siege of Seeley, Sir J. R. Seymour, Lord Henry Ships for the navy, question of size of; for supply Sismondi, quoted Sluys, battle of Smith, Sir Sydney Spanish Armada, defeat of the; Records of; Queen Elizabeth and the ---- American War Spanish Indies ---- Navy Spartan Army Stirling, Sir James Stores, reserve of ship's Strategy (_see_under_ Naval Strategy) Stuart, General J. E. B. Suffren, Admiral Supply and communications of a fleet Supply ships, sizes of Syracuse, battle of

Tactics (_see_under_ Naval Tactics) Tate, Colonel Themistocles; and the Greek Navy Thucydides, quoted _Times_, quoted Torpedo boats, defence against Torrington, Earl of Tourville, Admiral Trafalgar, battle of; tactics of; British losses at; the attack; contemporary strategy and tactics Training (_see_under_ Peace Training) Turkish Navy

United States Navy

Venetian Navy Victualling allowances; and modern preserved foods

Walcheren Expedition, mortality in Wales, French invasion of

War, and its chief lessons; human element in; the unexpected in; under modern conditions; how to avoid surprise in; mortality from disease in; methods of making; command of the sea in; compensation for losses in; Napoleon on loss of life in; supplies in (_see_also_under_ Invasion, Naval Warfare, and Raids) Washington, George Water, ship's allowance of Waterloo, battle of Wellington, Duke of William III, King Wilmot, Sir S. Eardley

Xerxes; his highly trained Army

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