Rufus Excalibur
Active member
Taking all things into account who has had the most powerful Navy and in which era?
Even in 1939 the Royal Navy had the largest fleet in the world and had 900+ ships in 1945.
The RN remained very powerful up until the early 1970's and in the 60's had a major Carrier force 2 over 50,000 tonnes, 1 at 35,000 and 4 at 28,000 tonnes, cruisers, destroyers, frigates and a large submarine force
The USN became number one in the 1950's and was on a parallel with the RN through the latter war years and late 1940's.
Today the USN is streaks ahead of any rival, rather like the RN in the 19th century, but the Sub capability of the Soviets from the 50's onwards must also be taken into account.
The Royal Navy in 1914 was awesome over 30 modern battleships and Battlecruisers but the German High Seas Fleet was very vewry strong and the RN did not have the supremacy of the 19th C or as the US has today although in terms of visual effect 35 Battleships/Battlecruisers in battle formation must have been a sight never to be equalled even if you put 12-14 US Carrier behemoths in a row.
Then their is the Spanish fleet in the 16th Century,
France and england in the late 18th and early 19th, The Dutch in the 17th and so on.
I would rank it Royal Navy 1850-1906
USN 1990 onwards
Royal Navy 1914
Spanish Navy 1540
USN 1950-1990
Royal Navy 1941
US Navy 1944
Japanese Navy 1941
Soviet Navy 1970
Even in 1939 the Royal Navy had the largest fleet in the world and had 900+ ships in 1945.
The RN remained very powerful up until the early 1970's and in the 60's had a major Carrier force 2 over 50,000 tonnes, 1 at 35,000 and 4 at 28,000 tonnes, cruisers, destroyers, frigates and a large submarine force
The USN became number one in the 1950's and was on a parallel with the RN through the latter war years and late 1940's.
Today the USN is streaks ahead of any rival, rather like the RN in the 19th century, but the Sub capability of the Soviets from the 50's onwards must also be taken into account.
The Royal Navy in 1914 was awesome over 30 modern battleships and Battlecruisers but the German High Seas Fleet was very vewry strong and the RN did not have the supremacy of the 19th C or as the US has today although in terms of visual effect 35 Battleships/Battlecruisers in battle formation must have been a sight never to be equalled even if you put 12-14 US Carrier behemoths in a row.
Then their is the Spanish fleet in the 16th Century,
France and england in the late 18th and early 19th, The Dutch in the 17th and so on.
I would rank it Royal Navy 1850-1906
USN 1990 onwards
Royal Navy 1914
Spanish Navy 1540
USN 1950-1990
Royal Navy 1941
US Navy 1944
Japanese Navy 1941
Soviet Navy 1970