A bases naval is a place where a naval force can shelter, to supply itself, to carry out repairs. It is in the general information of the cases, a port.
The naval basic concept is as old as the Navy. To take again the formula of the Admiral Mahan: " It is useless to arm with the Bateau X if they do not have bases on which they can appuyer". The naval bases are the fulcrums of the fleets of war of a country. If the current conditions of the technique, authorizing an important autonomy for the ships, make it possible to limit the number of the naval bases, it in was not always thus. XVIIe century at the beginning of XXe, it was important for each country with maritime vocation to have many fulcrums.
Paradoxically, the passage of the navy with veil with the navy with vapor was a strategic regression, by noticing that: " the dependence of the fleets with regard to their bases increased much because of need for frequent supplies in combustible."
This situation changed with the appearance of the nuclear propulsion and the development of the support for the sea of the fleets of combat.
A naval base can be specialized. It will be the case of the Bases of submarines (also called, by abuse language, underwater Base).
A naval base can be associated with a arsenal, a shipyard or to a Air base, in this last case, one says that it is about a base Aéronavale.
A bases naval station will be satisfied to offer a shelter to a naval force, in the area which she claims to observe or control.
History & Naval bases
One will find hereafter the description summary of some naval bases having held a role in the History of the war on sea.- Antiquity
-
During the 2 world wars.
- Scapa Flow
- Pearl Harbor
- Sébastopol
- Military port of Toulon
- Kronstadt
- the base of submarines of Saint-Nazaire.
- At present
Networks of naval bases: the British example
The development of the conquest of the seas and the trade led the British to develop a world network of naval bases. One will compare the situations at the beginning of the last two centuries.At the beginning of the XIXe century
(this section will detail the world network of the British naval bases in the neighborhoods of 1805)- the protection of the British Isles.
- the control of the the Mediterranean.
- the control of the Atlantic .
- the control of the Indian Ocean.
At the beginning of the XXe century
(this section will detail the world network of the British naval bases in the neighborhoods of 1910)
Description of naval bases
Hereafter a description detailed of two great naval bases, their organization, their operation will be found.Plymouth (XVIIIe)
Seas El Kébir (XXe)
Notes & References