Q&A · 2:29:02-2:29:13

Royal Navy numbers in the age of sail and 1914

Prewar expansion is offered as the reason the Royal Navy probably had more ships at the start of World War I.

Age Of Sail Force Structure Royal Navy World War I

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Question

Did the Royal Navy have more ships during the age of sail or at the start of World War I?

Short answer

Probably at the start of World War I, because the navy had built up its force before war began.

Notes

The Royal Navy probably had more ships at the start of World War I. Its buildup before the war provides the basis for that estimate. No comparative ship totals accompany it.