Over the 70 years spanned by the reign of Queen Elizabeth II the Royal Navy has changed out of all recognition. Its status as a superpower navy with worldwide bases and operations has been eclipsed but it remains a powerful force because of its potency if not its size. Author Paul Brown takes us through each decade in turn, outlining the key events and developments, and charting the changes to the size, structure and capabilities of the Navy. This is complemented by a stunning visual record of the ships and operations that featured most prominently in that decade.
The first four decades were dominated by the Cold War, whilst the wars and conflicts figuring in the whole seventy-year period included the Korean War, the Suez invasion, the Malaysia/Indonesia confrontation, Cod Wars, the Falklands War, two Gulf Wars and the Libya crisis.
In 1952 the Royal Navy still operated a large number of warships (328 of frigate or submarine size or above, of which 147 were in reserve) with squadrons distributed amongst five overseas fleets and stations, as well as in home waters. The home dockyards of Chatham, Devonport, Portsmouth, Rosyth and Sheerness were augmented by the overseas dockyards in Malta, Singapore and Simonstown and bases at Portland, the Clyde, Londonderry, Trincomalee and Hong Kong. By 2022 the fleet had reduced to 31 warships of frigate or submarine size or above, which included two large strike aircraft carriers and the strategic nuclear deterrent of four Trident-armed submarines. As well as its NATO role in the Eastern Atlantic the Navy retains the capability to operate in overseas theatres such as the Middle East, Far East and the South Atlantic.
