ABSTRACT
However, there was no resemblance whatsoever between the warships that had begun the century and those that finished it. Wind power and canvas sails were superseded by steam power, fuelled by coal; the `heart of oak' had given way to iron and steel; and muzzle-loaded bronze cannon had been replaced by a wide array of deadly weapons that struck above, at and below the waterline. New ships needed new construction methods, new sources of raw materials and new technical skills. This chapter illustrates how these advances affected both the weapons of war and the possibilities open to their employment.
