A naval officer from a generation that could spend an average of between 250 and 300 days a year at sea, Sir Cyprian Bridge (1839–1924) used this extensive experience and the knowledge he gained from wide reading to become a highly respected commander, firm in his beliefs and unafraid to voice them. In retirement he became a vocal critic of the drive to build bigger ships, believing that hardware should be subordinate to tactics. A regular contributor to newspapers, he wrote articles on naval history, tactics and strategy. This collection of articles was published in 1910, and includes his well-known paper, first delivered in 1902, setting out the difficulties in maintaining supplies and communications with a fleet based far from home. This work remains relevant to naval historians, and to those interested in how Britain maintained her maritime supremacy into the twentieth century.
Contents
Preface; 1. Sea-power; 2. The command of the sea; 3. War and its chief lessons; 4. The historical relations between the navy and the merchant service; 5. Facts and fancies about the press-gang; 6. Projected invasions of the British Isles; 7. Over-seas raids and raids on land; 8. Queen Elizabeth and her seamen; 9. Nelson: the centenary of Trafalgar; 10. The share of the fleet in the defence of the Empire; 11. Naval strategy and tactics at the time of Trafalgar; 12. The supply and communications of a fleet; Index.
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