Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 4:21:24-4:21:38

Screw propulsion without the steel warship revolution

The counterfactual begins with screw-powered sailing ships that already existed and considers how long their development might continue.

Age Of SailCounterfactual HistoryNaval EngineeringScrew PropulsionWooden Warships
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Question

Would screw-powered wooden warships dominate if steam and steel did not develop into the familiar ironclad era?

Short answer

Yes initially, because screw-powered sailing warships already existed and offered the most obvious line of continued development.

Notes

Screw-powered sailing warships already existed, making continued development plausible if the wider steam-and-steel transition stalled. They are the initial choice in this counterfactual. How long that development path would remain dominant is left uncertain.