Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 52:43-53:40

Canadian oil could accelerate Royal Navy oil firing

A major nineteenth-century Canadian oil discovery could move Royal Navy oil firing forward to the Orion era or even Dreadnought.

Fuel OilHMS DreadnoughtNaval LogisticsRoyal NavyWarship Design
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Question

How would major Canadian oil reserves discovered in the 1880s affect Royal Navy logistics and battleship design?

Short answer

The fleet might adopt oil much earlier, possibly beginning with Dreadnought or the Orion generation rather than the Queen Elizabeth class.

Notes

Secure imperial oil would reduce one strategic objection to abandoning coal. The Royal Navy might adopt oil firing with the Orion generation or even with Dreadnought herself. An oil-fired Dreadnought could plausibly gain speed as well as more efficient fueling, making the original all-big-gun battleship an even sharper break with its predecessors. Access to fuel reserves can change machinery choices across an entire battle fleet.