Fleet Tactics in Age of Steam

1. Revival of Ramming. Steam allowed a ship herself to be used as a projectile. Many thought that the use of the ram would revive and the sinking of the Re d’Italia by the Austrians at Battle of Lissa[i] in 1866 seemed to support the idea. However, Battle of Yalu[ii] in 1894 saw the end of Ram tactics.[iii] The Chinese fought in line abreast with intention of ramming but it failed. The Japanese stayed in two columns and literally circled around the Chinese.

2. Development of Torpedo, Gun and Mine. Towards the end of eighteenth century, development of torpedo and gun was significant. The increased gunnery effective range and torpedo superseded ram. The torpedo was first used in Russo Japanese war and this war also saw the first offensive use of mine.[iv]

3. Crossing the T. Crossing the T was a tactic in which a line of warships crosses in front of a line of enemy ships. This allows them to fire a broadside, bringing more guns to bear while receiving fire only from the forward guns of the enemy. This tactic became obsolete with the introduction of missiles and aircraft. Notable battles in which warships crossed the T include Battle of Lissa (1866), Battle of Tsushima (1905) and Battle of Jutland (1916).[v]

4. Command and Control. Increasing effective range also demanded reconsideration of the positioning of flag ship. The Battles of Yalu and Tsushima brought the conclusion to put flagship in the van so that the commander could manoeuvre with a simple follow me procedure. If Admiral Scheer positioned himself at the head of his column, he might have avoided twice having his T crossed in Jutland.[vi]


5. Cruising Formation. The cruising formation was developed for cohesion, communication and rapid deployment in any direction. Ships used to cruise in a series of short columns while shifting to a single column for battle was a major commitment.

19. The Destroyer Screen. The station for destroyer and flotilla leaders were generally ahead of the van and abaft the rear on the engaged side.

References:
[i] The Battle of Lissa took place on 20 July 1866 in Adriatic Sea near the present day Croatia. It was a decisive victory for an outnumbered Austrian Empire force over a superior Italian force. It was one of the last battle to involve deliberate ramming.
[ii] The Battle of Yalu' (Battle of the Yellow Sea) took place on 17 September 1894. It involved the Japanese and the Chinese navies, and was the largest naval engagement of the First Sino-Japanese War.
[iii] Captain Wayne P. Hughes Jr, USN (retd), Fleet Tactics and Coastal Combat. Second edition, U. S. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland, 2000, p 66.
[iv] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_tactics_in_the_Age_of_Steam#The_Russo-Japanese_War
[v] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_tactics_in_the_Age_of_Steam
[vi] Hughes, op cit, p 79.

FLEET TACTICS IN THE AGE OF SAIL

Fleet tactics in the age of sail were used from early 1600s until 1860s when steam powered warships came into being. Such tactics were primarily determined by the sailing and fighting qualities. Due to limited weapon range, tactics in the age of sail were always dominated by ship on ship combat. The Commanded line was invented in the 1650s to achieve coordination and cooperation. Ramming became obsolete during this period. Here are some tactics which were used during the age of sail:

1. Line of Battle Tactics. The line of battle tactic was the primary tactic in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns. Effective range was within three hundred yards and firing arcs of broadside were limited to about twenty five degrees. Training of gun was slow, therefore, guns were trained by manoeuvring the ship.

2. The Column as Means of Control. The column itself was a means of controlling the force and effective concentration of firepower. Cohesion, control and firepower were valued more than speed.

3. Doubling. It was a tactics to split a column into two and move on either side of enemy’s single line of ships to envelope them. Nelson successfully doubled on the French at the Battle of Nile (1798).

4. Fighting at Anchor. A number of battles took place at anchor. Such battles tended to be decisive, as a wind which was fair to allow the attackers to enter a harbour would let neither side out again.

Evolution of Fleet/Naval Tactics in Naval Warafre

“War is a matter of vital importance to the state; a matter of life and death, the road to survival or to ruin. Hence, it is imperative that it be thoroughly studied”
- Sun Tzu

Any Naval officer and anyone having general interest in the maritime warafare will find this research on the fleet/naval tactics a very useful one.

I have done the elaborate research and shall unveil all my findings gradually for you. Just to give you a glimpse, i shall highlight the followings:

1. Fleet/naval tactics in the age of Galley

2. Fleet/naval tactics in the age of Sail

3. Fleet/naval tactics in the age of Steam

4. Fleet/naval tactics in World War I

5. Fleet/naval tactics in World War II

6. Fleet/naval tactics in post World War

I shall also cover the followings for your better understanding:

7. The trends, constants and the variables of fleet/naval tactics

8. Modern fleet.naval tactics

All these writes up will be duly supported by giving various references, maps and figures.

Assessing your replies and interest, i shal further go into the details of analysis and finally shall draw some conclusions and recommendations for your naval career.

As for today............let me give you all an idea of what we are going to talk about, why and how. So, here comes the INTRODUCTION.

INTRODUCTION

1. The etymological root of the word tactics is the Greek “taktika”, meaning “matters pertaining to arrangement.” The traditional definition of tactics is “the art or science of disposing of or manoeuvring forces in relation to each other and the enemy, and employing them in battle.”[1] Categorically, tactics refers to the handling of forces in battle. The phrase fleet tactics, synonymous with naval tactics in many studies deals with the operations involving coordination between multi ships and aircraft. Fleet tactics is the collective name for employment of force, methods of engaging and defeating an enemy fleet in battle at sea.[2] It concerns combat in which maritime issues are at stake.

2. Fleet tactics has significantly evolved since the age of sail. It is no more limited to the manoeuvre only but has evolved greatly since the First World War. Position and range of enemy are vital tactical ingredients and manoeuvring is the tool of command in establishing the position for effective attack. The effective fleet tactics are closely knitted with the rapid development of technology. Hence a prerequisite for developing good tactics is sound knowledge of naval technology and how weapon works. Sound tactics are aimed to achieve the full potentials of forces.

3. A through understanding of the evolution of fleet tactics needs a careful study of the history, technology, analytical methods and expertise. History is the best means in comprehending the chronological development of tactics. Besides, operational analysis is also required to formulate the best tactics for a battle. As for the analytical methods, they must be both qualitative and quantitative. The trends, constants and the variables of fleet tactics are to be studied carefully for the qualitative analysis. These are essential to understand the dynamics of the naval warfare. Geometry and the mathematics are also to be clearly understood for the quantitative analysis. History, technology and analysis are the tools of theory. To apply them in the fleet, they have to be combined with three other ingredients; operational skills, exercises and the knowledge of a battle’s immediate goal. The execution of tactics on the battlefield is matter of leadership that captures the hearts and minds of seamen. The leadership blends the tactical doctrine, human resources, technology and comprehends the essence of central maxim of naval combat; attack effectively first. Leadership, doctrine, tactical and technological know how and attacking first are the cornerstones of fleet tactics. Today, as in Nelson’s time, all these elements must be integrated to fight as a cohesive team. Sound tactics, extensive training, and careful planning will win a great victory when they are accompanied by an unwavering determination to inflict and accept losses.[3] Therefore, a foundation of tactical theory is essential. The historical lessons then can be used to understand the key process of naval battle; firepower, manoeuvre, scouting and command and control.

References:
[1] Captain Wayne P. Hughes Jr, USN (retd), Fleet Tactics and Coastal Combat. Second edition, U. S. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland, 2000. p 7.
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_tactics, February 2008.
[3] Hughes, op cit, p 25.

A careful study of naval history can provide understanding of the trends, constants and the variables of naval tactics

Naval Tactics

Having a comprehensive knowledge on the evolution of naval tactics is essential for every naval officer.