Convoys: The British Struggle Against Napoleonic Europe and America

by Roger Knight

Overview

The first account of Britain’s convoys during the Napoleonic Wars—showing how the protection of trade played a decisive role in victory
 
During the Napoleonic Wars thousands of merchant ships crisscrossed narrow seas and wide oceans, protected by Britain’s warships. These were wars of attrition and raw materials had to reach their shores continuously: timber and hemp from the Baltic, sulfur from Sicily, and saltpeter from Bengal. Britain’s fate rested on the strength of its economy—and convoys played a vital role in securing victory.
 
Leading naval historian Roger Knight examines how convoys ensured the protection of trade and transport of troops, allowing Britain to take the upper hand. Detailing the many hardships these ships faced, from the shortage of seaman to the vicissitudes of the weather, Knight sheds light on the innovation and seamanship skills that made convoys such an invaluable tool in Britain’s arsenal. The convoy system laid the foundation for Britain’s narrow victory over Napoleon and his allies in 1815 and, in doing so, established its naval and mercantile power at sea for a hundred years.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780300246971
Publisher:	Yale University Press
Publication date:	10/11/2022
Pages:	416
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Roger Knight is curator emeritus at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. He is author of several books, including the prize—winning The Pursuit of Victory and Britain against Napoleon.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations ix

Acknowledgements xii

Note on Conventions xvii

Maps xix

Prologue 1

Introduction 6

1 Convoying Before 1803 11

2 The Admiralty and Trade Protection, 1803-1815 25

3 Warships and Merchantmen 53

4 Coastal Waters and the Western Approaches, 1803-1814 81

5 North Sea Convoys: Two Commanders, 1804-1812 103

6 Escorting the Troops: Europe and the Overseas Garrisons, 1803-1816 134

7 The Mediterranean: Fruit, Sulphur and Soldiers, 1803-1814 162

8 The East and West Indies: Two Sources of National Wealth, 1803-1814 181

9 The Battle for the Baltic: Timber, Hemp and Wheat, 1807-1812 214

10 The North Atlantic: War on Two Fronts, 1812-1815 244

Conclusion 273

Epilogue: The Second World War 284

Appendix: Losses of Small Warships by Station, 1803-1815 293

Timeline 1803-1815 319

Glossary 329

Notes 338

Bibliography 356

Index 375

Editorial Reviews

Naval history at its best. A challenging text that examines the critical role of the British convoy system in the Napoleonic era, a partnership that bound the state, trade, the Royal Navy and the insurance industry, and foreshadowed the better-known, but no less vital convoy systems of the World Wars of the twentieth century.”—Andrew Lambert, author of Nelson: Britannia's God of War

Andrew Lambert

Outstanding. Roger Knight brilliantly tells the forgotten story that underpinned Britain’s survival and ultimate victory in the war against Napoleon. Authoritative and original, this will appeal to all readers with an interest in the Napoleonic Wars.”—Rory Muir, author of Wellington: The Path to Victory 1769-1814

Rory Muir

This is an outstanding study of a vital and too-long neglected element of British power during the Napoleonic War. Knight takes us into the daily lives of those who worked on these dangerous missions, explodes many old myths and makes an important contribution to developing our understanding of life at sea in this period.”—Richard Harding, author of Naval Leadership in the Atlantic World

Richard Harding

A delightful book. . . . Knight describes the nature of life on the convoys in intricate detail, but always in simple, accessible prose. Points are made through delightfully allegorical anecdotes, rather than cumbersome argument. We feel the waves, smell the sea, rub shoulders with long—suffering seamen.”—Gerard DeGroot, Times (UK)

“Thoroughly researched and splendidly written.”—B. M. Gough, Choice

“Convoys is not just a highly lucid and enjoyable read: it is also an important book that adds immensely to our understanding of the operations of the Royal Navy and their contribution to the war effort in this period.”—Martin Robson, Journal of Modern History

Winner of the Anderson Medal 2023 

“Naval history at its best. A challenging text that examines the critical role of the British convoy system in the Napoleonic era, a partnership that bound the state, trade, the Royal Navy and the insurance industry, and foreshadowed the better—known but no less vital convoy systems of the World Wars of the twentieth century.”—Andrew Lambert, author of Nelson: Britannia’s God of War

“This is an outstanding study of a vital and too—long neglected element of British power during the Napoleonic War. Knight takes us into the daily lives of those who worked on these dangerous missions, explodes many old myths and makes an important contribution to developing our understanding of life at sea in this period.”—Richard Harding, author of Naval Leadership in the Atlantic World

“Outstanding. Roger Knight brilliantly tells the forgotten story that underpinned Britain’s survival and ultimate victory in the war against Napoleon. Authoritative and original, this will appeal to all readers with an interest in the Napoleonic Wars.”—Rory Muir, author of Wellington: The Path to Victory 1769–1814

From the Publisher