A brief explanation of some content in the book.
I. The classification of naval warships.
This was basically based on the classification system established by British Admiralty secretary Samuel Pepys at the end of the 17th century, later revised many times:
First-rate Ship of the Line: 100–132 guns (three gun decks), over 900 crewmen, displacement of 2,500–3,500 tons.
Second-rate Ship of the Line: 86–98 guns (three gun decks), 750 crewmen, displacement of over 2,200 tons.
Third-rate Battleship: 74–80 guns (two gun decks), 500–700 crewmen, displacement of 1,500–1,800 tons.
Fourth-rate Battleship: 50–60 guns (two gun decks), 320–420 crewmen, displacement of 900–1,200 tons.
Fifth-rate Cruiser: 32–44 guns (one gun deck), 250 crewmen, displacement of 600–800 tons.
Sixth-rate Frigate: 20–28 guns (one gun deck), 180 crewmen, displacement of 400–500 tons.
Sloop: no real standard.
By the end of the 18th century, First-rate and Second-rate Ships of the Line had already become largely symbolic. Though they could carry a great many guns, they were relatively cumbersome, and because the uppermost of their three gun decks sat too high above the center of gravity, it could only mount light guns, which were of little use in battleship duels.
Both decks of a Third-rate Battleship could mount heavy guns, so its firepower was not much inferior to that of First-rate or Second-rate Ships of the Line. At the same time, its two-deck layout had a lower center of gravity, giving it better seaworthiness than First-rate and Second-rate Ships of the Line.
Most importantly, third-rate ships cost far less to build than first-rate and second-rate ships—only half the cost of a first-rate ship and sixty percent of a second-rate ship, while possessing 85% of a first-rate ship's combat power.
Thus, after the standard 74-gun Third-rate Ship came into being, the mainstay of European navies became large numbers