Warmatrix

For about two centuries, the British Royal Navy was the most powerful navy in the world. It was instrumental in protecting and expanding British influence over the globe.
Being island states, England, Scotland and Wales maintained some kind of navy since Medieval times. These navies were made up of ships that could either serve as warships or merchant vessels. They were gathered together in times of war; the fleets were broken up afterwards. In the early 16th century CE Henry VII of England established the Navy Royal, which contained dedicated warships together with converted merchant vessels. By the middle of the century it numbered some 60 ships of various sizes. Henry VIII renamed the force to Royal Navy. He had the first naval dock built and established the Navy Board. Elizabeth I used the navy against the Spanish Armada. Her ships were fast galleons that emphasized naval gunnery over boarding, a feature that would remain a trademark of the Royal Navy for centuries.
Despite several notable successes, the English navy was still a semi-professional force. That changed in the second half of the 17th century CE. The navy was expanded several times. It received a professional administration and a regular budget, which were made famous by Samuel Pepys' diary. An officer corps was developed that allowed its men a full professional military career. The navy adopted the ship-of-the-line as its main battleship. The Articles of War regularized the conduct of the men; line battle tactics the operations in battle. Despite an occasional setback, like the humiliating defeat from the Raid on the Medway, the Royal Navy slowly but steadily outclassed its main rivals, the Dutch and French navies.
In 1707 CE England and Scotland joined to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. The merge also joined their fleets, creating the largest navy in the world at the time. In 1751 CE warships began to be rated by size, ranging from 6th rate (less than 32 guns) to 1st rate (over 100 guns). A 28-flag signaling system was introduced in 1782 CE and 13 years later scurvy, the bane of seamen, was overcome by the introduction of lemon juice. During the 18th century the Royal Navy fought mostly to protect Britain's trade and sometimes joined in wars, usually fought over trade interests too. The percentage of heavy warships declined in favor of lighter cruisers. Despite that trend, the navy still fought many wars. It engaged the navies of Spain, the Dutch republic, Russia, Sweden and most often France. Near the end of the century it was involved in American War of Independence, where its power was briefly but decisively checked by an alliance of France, Spain and the Netherlands. During the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars the Royal Navy played an important role, ensuring near-total British dominance at sea, while Britain's allies fought and died against the French army. In these wars the British navy scored its most resounding victories, like those at the Nile and Trafalgar.
Despite of all regulations, training, innovation and other incentives to qualitative improvement, by far the most important factor of the success of the Royal Navy was its size. Between 1575 CE and 1825 CE the total number of seamen increased by a factor of 6 and the tonnage of the ships by a factor of 32. In the years between 1750 CE and 1812 CE the budget tripled. England, later Britain, could sustain this growth because of its growing economy and trade. The primary task of the navy was to protect the country from invasion. Next came guarding trade and fishing, transporting troops, supporting colonies, combating piracy and smuggling, and providing backup for gunboat diplomacy.
After the Napoleonic Wars, the Royal Navy did not fight major battles for a century, because its might deterred all rivals and also because of the tranquility in Europe. However it did not remain static. Britain's lead in the Industrial Revolution allowed it to be the first to replace wooden sailing ships with steam-powered ships and later ironclads. In the late 19th century CE, the Second Industrial Revolution rekindled the arms race. The Naval Defence Act of 1889 CE ordered the navy to become as strong as the two next largest navies combined. In 1905 CE the navy launched the HMS Dreadnought, the first of extremely heavily armed and armored battleships of the Dreadnought class. Submarines and steam turbines were also adopted.
During World War I the Royal Navy was again instrumental in protecting British naval trade, though attacks by German submarines posed a serious threat. Britain suffered heavily during the war and had to cut back on naval expenditure. When World War II broke out in 1939 CE, the Royal Navy was still the largest in the world, but had even more trouble than in World War I in battling submarine attacks. Bombers rendered its battleships largely obsolete and it position as the top navy in the world was overtaken by the U.S. Navy, though it still remains the number three navy in the world.