British Channel Fleet
E59078
The British Channel Fleet was a principal Royal Navy formation tasked with defending the English Channel and projecting British naval power in European waters, notably during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Observed surface forms (1)
| Surface form | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Royal Navy Channel Fleet | 1 |
Statements (44)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf | Royal Navy fleet ⓘ |
| activePeriod |
18th century
ⓘ
19th century ⓘ |
| allegiance |
Kingdom of Great Britain
ⓘ
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland ⓘ |
| associatedWithEvent |
Mutiny at the Nore
ⓘ
surface form:
Spithead mutiny of 1797
|
| basedAt |
Portsmouth Harbour
ⓘ
surface form:
Spithead anchorage
Torbay anchorage ⓘ |
| commandStructure | commanded by a Commander‑in‑Chief, Channel Fleet ⓘ |
| composition |
frigates
ⓘ
ships of the line ⓘ smaller cruisers and support vessels ⓘ |
| country | United Kingdom ⓘ |
| doctrine | close blockade of enemy coasts ⓘ |
| garrison |
Plymouth
ⓘ
Portsmouth ⓘ |
| languageOfCommand | English ⓘ |
| notableCommander |
Admiral Augustus Keppel
ⓘ
Admiral Lord Howe ⓘ Admiral Sir Charles Napier ⓘ Admiral Sir John Jervis ⓘ Admiral Samuel Hood ⓘ
surface form:
Admiral Sir Samuel Hood
Admiral Sir William Cornwallis ⓘ |
| notableConflict |
French Revolutionary Wars
ⓘ
Napoleonic Wars ⓘ |
| opponent |
French Navy
ⓘ
Spanish Navy ⓘ |
| partOf | Home commands of the Royal Navy ⓘ |
| peacetimeRole | fleet exercises and readiness in home waters ⓘ |
| primaryRole |
defence of the English Channel
ⓘ
projection of British naval power in European waters ⓘ |
| serviceBranch | Royal Navy ⓘ |
| status | disbanded as a distinct command in the early 20th century ⓘ |
| strategicImportance |
key element of British maritime supremacy in European waters
ⓘ
principal seagoing force for the defence of the British Isles from the south ⓘ |
| tasking |
blockade of enemy ports in the Channel and Bay of Biscay
ⓘ
cover for cross‑Channel communications and transport ⓘ protection of British trade routes in the Channel ⓘ support of amphibious operations on the European coast ⓘ |
| theatreOfOperations |
English Channel
ⓘ
North Sea ⓘ Western Approaches ⓘ |
| typeOfUnit | blue‑water fleet formation ⓘ |
| wartimeRole | front‑line battle fleet against European naval coalitions ⓘ |
Referenced by (2)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
this entity surface form:
Royal Navy Channel Fleet