The Royal Navy was formally established in 1546 under Henry VIII, though the Kingdom of England had maintained less organized naval forces for centuries before that. It defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588 and grew into the world's dominant naval power over the following two centuries. Its most celebrated single engagement came at Trafalgar in 1805, where a fleet under Horatio Nelson defeated a combined French and Spanish force during the Napoleonic Wars, securing British naval supremacy for the following century. The Royal Navy maintained the Grand Fleet against Germany in the First World War, fighting the largest fleet action of that war at Jutland in 1916, and in the Second World War covered the Dunkirk evacuation and fought the Battle of the Atlantic against German U-boats to keep Britain's supply lines open. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Force TypePermanent state navy: sailing warship fleet, later steam, steel and carrier battlefleet 1 Founded Year CountryKingdom of England (subsequently United Kingdom) 1 Force Type
Force Type (category) Connections
Associated With
Source Wikipedia: Cutlass
Source Wikipedia: Fleet in Being
Fought In
The Royal Navy fought the Dutch Republic's fleets across the four Anglo-Dutch Wars between 1652 and 1784
The Royal Navy defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588 during the 1585-1604 Anglo-Spanish War
The Royal Navy's task force retook the Falkland Islands from Argentina in 1982
Source Wikipedia: Royal Navy
Operation Atalanta, the EU NAVFOR anti-piracy operation launched in 2008 off Somalia, has drawn the Royal Navy as one of its leading and founding contributing forces (a multinational EU operation, not a single-nation force)
Source Wikipedia: Operation Atalanta
Operation Chariot rammed the dock gate with the obsolete destroyer HMS Campbeltown of the Royal Navy
Source Wikipedia: Operation Chariot
Operation Dynamo was conducted by the Royal Navy, backed by the flotilla of civilian little ships
Source Wikipedia: Operation Dynamo
Operation Frankton was launched by Royal Marines from the submarine HMS Tuna of the Royal Navy
Source Wikipedia: Operation Frankton
Operation Mincemeat placed its planted corpse into the sea from the submarine HMS Seraph of the Royal Navy
Source Wikipedia: Operation Mincemeat
The Royal Navy's gunboats and warships carried Britain's military effort in the Opium Wars against Qing China
Source Wikipedia: Opium Wars
The Royal Navy carried Britain's war effort against Spain in the 1739-48 War of Jenkins' Ear, including the assault on Cartagena de Indias
Has Member
Derived from entity-description (backfill w-bfill-g2-0924): "British Royal Navy officer"
Operates
Source Wikipedia: Aster (missile family)
Source Astute-class submarine, Wikipedia
Source Wikipedia: BL 9.2-inch Mk IX, X naval gun
Source Wikipedia: Cutlass
Source Wikipedia: De Havilland Firestreak
Source Wikipedia: de Havilland Mosquito
Source Wikipedia: Depth charge
Source Wikipedia: F-35 Lightning II
Source Wikipedia: Flamethrower
Source Wikipedia: FN Minimi
Source Wikipedia: Ikara (missile)
Source Wikipedia: Lanchester submachine gun
Source Wikipedia: M1911 pistol
Source Wikipedia: M2 Browning
Source British 21-inch torpedo, Wikipedia
Source Wikipedia: Nordenfelt gun
Source Wikipedia: QF 4.5-inch Mk I - V naval gun
Source Wikipedia: QF 4.7-inch Mk IX & XII naval gun
Source Wikipedia: Remington Rolling Block rifle
Source Wikipedia: Sea Skua
Source Wikipedia: Seacat (missile)
Source Spearfish torpedo - Wikipedia
Source Wikipedia: Stratus (missile family)
Source Tigerfish (torpedo) (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia: Tomahawk (missile)
Source Wikipedia: Torpedo
Source Wikipedia: UGM-133 Trident II
Source Wikipedia: UGM-133 Trident II
Source UGM-27 Polaris, Wikipedia
Practices
Derived from entity-description (backfill w-bfill-g2-0924): "commanding an outnumbered Royal Navy squadron"
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Royal Navy
Wikidata: Royal Navy
Wikidata Q172771, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
Wikipedia: Cutlass
WikipediaAssociated With: Cutlass, Modern history section
In 1936, the British Royal Navy announced that from then on cutlasses would be carried only for ceremonial duties and not used in landing parties.
Operates: Cutlass, Wikipedia article text
The last recorded use of cutlasses by the Royal Navy is often said to be on 16 February 1940 during the boarding action known as the Altmark Incident.
View the Source Wikipedia: Fleet in Being
WikipediaAssociated With: Fleet in Being, History section: term origin sentence (corrected quote)Quote, Associated With: Fleet in Being, History section: term origin sentence (corrected quote)
The term was first used in 1690 when Lord Torrington, commander of the Royal Navy forces in the English Channel, found himself facing a stronger French fleet.
Spearfish torpedo - Wikipedia
Operates: Spearfish Torpedo, infobox used_by/operator field: 'Royal Navy'View the Source Wikipedia: UGM-133 Trident II
WikipediaOperates: Trident II Missile, Infobox, used by and service fields
Infobox lists: Royal Navy
Operates: UGM-133 Trident II, Infobox, used by and service fields
Infobox lists: Royal Navy
View the Source UGM-27 Polaris, Wikipedia
Operates: UGM-27 Polaris Missile, Infobox, used by and service fieldsQuote, Operates: UGM-27 Polaris Missile, Infobox, used by and service fields
Infobox lists: Royal Navy
Tigerfish (torpedo) (Wikipedia)
Operates: Tigerfish Torpedo, Infobox, used by and service fieldsQuote, Operates: Tigerfish Torpedo, Infobox, used by and service fields
Infobox lists: Royal Navy
Wikipedia: WE.177
Operates: WE.177, Infobox, used by and service fieldsQuote, Operates: WE.177, Infobox, used by and service fields
Infobox lists: Royal Navy
Wikipedia: Stratus (missile family)
Operates: Stratus (missile family), Infobox, used by and service fieldsQuote, Operates: Stratus (missile family), Infobox, used by and service fields
Infobox lists: Royal Navy
Wikipedia: Ikara (missile)
Operates: Ikara (missile), Infobox, used by and service fieldsQuote, Operates: Ikara (missile), Infobox, used by and service fields
Infobox lists: Royal Navy
Wikipedia: QF 4.7-inch Mk IX & XII naval gun
Operates: QF 4.7-inch Mk IX & XII naval gun, Infobox, used by and service fieldsQuote, Operates: QF 4.7-inch Mk IX & XII naval gun, Infobox, used by and service fields
Infobox lists: Royal Navy
Wikipedia: BL 9.2-inch Mk IX, X naval gun
Operates: BL 9.2-inch Mk IX, X naval gun, Infobox, used by and service fieldsQuote, Operates: BL 9.2-inch Mk IX, X naval gun, Infobox, used by and service fields
Infobox lists: Royal Navy
Wikipedia: M1911 pistol
WikipediaOperates: M1911 Pistol, Wikipedia article textQuote, Operates: M1911 Pistol, Wikipedia article text
Some Colt M1911s were used by the Royal Navy as sidearms during World War I in .455 Webley Automatic.
Wikipedia: Tomahawk (missile)
WikipediaOperates: Tomahawk (missile), Wikipedia article textQuote, Operates: Tomahawk (missile), Wikipedia article text
The BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) is an American long-range, all-weather, jet-powered, subsonic cruise missile that is used by the United States Navy, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Netherlands Navy and Royal Navy in ship and submarine-based land-attack operations.
Wikipedia: F-35 Lightning II
WikipediaOperates: F-35 Lightning II, Wikipedia article textQuote, Operates: F-35 Lightning II, Wikipedia article text
June 2018; * Royal Air Force and Royal Navy (owned by the RAF but jointly operated), 48 F-35Bs received, of which 47 are operational after the loss of one aircraft in November 2021.
Wikipedia: Torpedo
Operates: Torpedo, Wikipedia article textQuote, Operates: Torpedo, Wikipedia article text
Royal Navy (RN) representatives visited Fiume for a demonstration in late 1869, and in 1870 a batch of torpedoes was ordered.
Wikipedia: Depth charge
Operates: Depth Charge, Wikipedia article textQuote, Operates: Depth Charge, Wikipedia article text
To replace it, the Royal Navy's Mark VII depth charge was modified for aerial use by the addition of a streamlined nose fairing and stabilising fins on the tail; it entered service in 1941 as the Mark VII Airborne DC.
Wikipedia: M2 Browning
WikipediaOperates: M2 Browning Machine Gun, Wikipedia article textQuote, Operates: M2 Browning Machine Gun, Wikipedia article text
The M3M is also the primary machine gun used by the British Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm for helicopter armament on Wildcat and Merlin aircraft.
Wikipedia: Flamethrower
WikipediaOperates: Flammenwerfer, Wikipedia article textQuote, Operates: Flammenwerfer, Wikipedia article text
Two Morriss static flamethrowers were mounted in HMS Vindictive and several Hay portable flamethrowers were deployed by the Royal Navy during the Zeebrugge Raid on 23 April 1918.
Wikipedia: de Havilland Mosquito
WikipediaOperates: de Havilland Mosquito, Wikipedia article textQuote, Operates: de Havilland Mosquito, Wikipedia article text
The Royal Navy also operated the Mosquito TT Mk.39 for target towing.
Wikipedia: FN Minimi
WikipediaOperates: FN Minimi, Wikipedia article textQuote, Operates: FN Minimi, Wikipedia article text
It was also used by the Royal Navy, Royal Marines Commandos and the RAF Regiment.
British 21-inch torpedo, Wikipedia
Operates: Mark VIII Torpedo, Wikipedia article textQuote, Operates: Mark VIII Torpedo, Wikipedia article text
There have been a number of 21-inch (53.3 cm) torpedoes in service with the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom.
Wikipedia: Lanchester submachine gun
Operates: Lanchester submachine gun, Wikipedia article textQuote, Operates: Lanchester submachine gun, Wikipedia article text
It was primarily used by the Royal Navy during the Second World War, and to a lesser extent by the Royal Air Force Regiment for use in their training facilities.
Wikipedia: Aster (missile family)
Operates: Aster (missile family), Wikipedia article textQuote, Operates: Aster (missile family), Wikipedia article text
The Aster is primarily operated by France and Italy, as well as the United Kingdom as an export customer, and is an integrated component of the PAAMS air defence system, known in the Royal Navy as Sea Viper.
Wikipedia: Seacat (missile)
Operates: Seacat (missile), Wikipedia article textQuote, Operates: Seacat (missile), Wikipedia article text
The four systems used by the Royal Navy are described below.
Wikipedia: Nordenfelt gun
Operates: Nordenfelt gun, Wikipedia article textQuote, Operates: Nordenfelt gun, Wikipedia article text
The weapon was adopted by the British Royal Navy, as an addition to their Gatling and Gardner guns.
Wikipedia: Remington Rolling Block rifle
Operates: Remington Rolling Block Rifle, Wikipedia article textQuote, Operates: Remington Rolling Block Rifle, Wikipedia article text
During World War I, the British Royal Navy purchased 4,500 rolling-block rifles in 7mm Mauser from Remington's leftover stock after production had ended, issuing them to the crews of minesweepers and Q-ships.
Wikipedia: De Havilland Firestreak
Operates: De Havilland Firestreak, Wikipedia article textQuote, Operates: De Havilland Firestreak, Wikipedia article text
Firestreak was deployed by the Royal Navy and the RAF in August 1958; it was the first effective British air-to-air missile.
Wikipedia: Sea Skua
Operates: Sea Skua, Wikipedia article textQuote, Operates: Sea Skua, Wikipedia article text
It was primarily used by the Royal Navy on the Westland Lynx.
Wikipedia: QF 4.5-inch Mk I - V naval gun
Operates: QF 4.5-inch Mk I - V naval gun, Wikipedia article textQuote, Operates: QF 4.5-inch Mk I - V naval gun, Wikipedia article text
The QF 4.5 inch gun has been the standard medium-calibre naval gun used by the Royal Navy as a medium-range weapon capable of use against surface, aircraft and shore targets since 1938.
Astute-class submarine, Wikipedia
Operates: Astute-Class Submarine, Wikipedia article textQuote, Operates: Astute-Class Submarine, Wikipedia article text
The Astute class is the latest class of nuclear-powered fleet submarines (SSNs) in service with the Royal Navy.
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