The Deployment of Untried Technology: British Naval Tactics in the Ironclad Era

Abstract

In the ironclad navy there was powerful support for simplified systems of command and control in battle. Nonetheless, the complexity of the formations advocated for the simultaneous deployment of the gun, ram, and torpedo from ironclad battleships prevented a consensus on the appropriate system. So, while tactical doctrine remained a subject of dispute, seagoing admirals retained responsibility for their choice of tactics. Admiralty guidance was used only for training newly mobilized fleets. Tryon subsequently worked within this framework but was able to simplify his action signals because of the re-establishment of the primacy of the gun after the ironclad era.