The British battle fleet, Vol. 2 (of 2): Its Inception and Growth Throughout the Centuries to the Present Day

About this book

The British Battle Fleet, Volume II is a detailed historical survey of the Royal Navy’s evolution from the late‑19th‑century “Barnaby era” through the Dreadnought revolution, the rise of submarines, naval aviation, and auxiliary forces up to the early twentieth century. The work opens with a transcriber’s note that situates the volume within a two‑part series, then launches into a technical discussion of the Inflexible, the first large ironclad built on Sir Barnaby’s offensive‑first design philosophy. The author, Frederick T. Jane, interweaves specifications, contemporary committee reports, and anecdotal commentary on figures such as Lord Fisher, offering a blend of ship‑by‑ship analysis, design rationale, and broader strategic reflections grounded in the period’s naval literature.

Written in a scholarly yet accessible prose of the early 1900s, the book reflects the author’s background in naval journalism and his penchant for vivid description of engineering details, illustrated with original water‑colour plates and photographs. Readers with a keen interest in maritime history, naval architecture, or the strategic development of Britain’s sea power will appreciate its exhaustive data, period‑appropriate voice, and the way it contextualises each class of warship within the shifting doctrines of offense, defence, and technology.

Opening lines

Transcriber’s Notes This is Volume II of a two-volume set. Volume I is available at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/75616 . Index references to pages within that volume are double-underlined here. Larger versions of most illustrations may be seen by right-clicking them and selecting an option to view them separately, or by double-tapping and/or stretching them. New original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the public domain. It uses the original cover with title and author text added by the Transcriber. Additional notes will be found near the end of this ebook. …

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