How Many Ships Did The British Navy Have During The Revolutionary War?
During the American Revolutionary War, the British Royal Navy was the most powerful naval force in the entire world.
Do you want to know how many ships did they have during wartime?
It was 270, and by the end of the war, the number increased around two times and became 500.
They increased this number because major external powers (Such as France, Spain, Netherlands) also entered into the war to help American rebels.
[Did You Know? Militarily The Empire of France Entered The Revolutionary War In 1778. Although, Spain & Netherlands Did Not Join Direct Armed Confrontations Against Great Britain. They Helped Revolutionaries By Providing Money, Gunpowder, Food & Other Necessary Supplies]
If we compare this number with modern times, this number is much higher than most modern countries’ naval forces.
But compared to the number of British ships, America had only 27, which was, of course, a very tiny number.
Even by the end of the Revolutionary War, it remained only 20 because the British Naval forces started destructing them.
So, the question is, how did the American continental navy compete with the strong and larger British naval power?
Of course, it would not be possible if they tried alone or without external power’s support.
It became possible for them due to the help of the French Empire and some other enemy countries of Britain (Like Spain, Netherlands, etc).
Especially, the French Empire was already a major enemy of Great Britain and intended to take revenge on them for the defeat of the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763).
I hope now you have got your answer on how many ships the British Royal Navy had during the American Revolutionary War.
Is the Royal Navy Still The Best In The World?
It’s quite true that once British Royal Navy was the world’s most powerful naval force, and this prestige belonged to them till the end of the Second World War.
After the end of World War 2, this prestigious title went into the hands of the United States of American.
Currently, the English Royal Navy comes in 5th place in the world’s ranking.
- United States of America
- Russian Federation
- People’s Republic of China
- Japan
- United Kingdom
A Short History of British Royal Navy
Royal Navy, or United Kingdom’s naval warfare force, was founded by the King of England, Henry VIII in the 1546 century.
Although, before this formal formation, they had been fighting against Vikings for a long time.
They played a very significant role during the ‘Hundred Years’ War’ (1333-1453) against the French forces.
From the mid of the 18th century to the end of the Second World War, the Royal Navy dominated all the oceans worldwide.
However, after WW2, their role significantly reduced.
Some other details:
- Motto: “If you wish for peace, prepare for war”
- Commander In Chief: Queen Elizabeth II (current 2021)
