Naval crown, in Roman antiquity, a crown conferred, among the Romans, on persons who, in sea engagements, distinguished themselves. A. Gellius says, in general, the naval crown was adorned with prows of ships. Lipsius distinguishes two kinds; the first he supposes plain, and given to the common soldiers; the other rostrated, and only given to generals or admirals, who had gained some important victory at sea.
Naval officers, are admirals, captains, lieutenants, masters, boatswains, midshipmen, gunners, &c.
Naval engagement, implies, in general, either a sea-fight between single ships, or whole fleets of men of war, or gallies, &c.
Naval Tactics, or the art of war carried on by ships at sea; this being limited to the possibilities of navigation, is therefore much less susceptible of that variety of stratagem which belongs to the hostility of armies on land, and comprehends beside the knowlege of military operation, that of the movement of ships under all circumstances of wind, weather, and also of the structure of ships and rigging.
The tactics of the ancients consisted in the formation of position by which they could bear down upon and pierce the sides, or board vessels, and decide the conflict hand to hand; the invention of gunpowder has had the same effect upon naval as upon land tactics, that they can fight without coming to close quarters.
The Dutch, French, and British have been most distinguished for naval tactics; but they have been principally reduced to fixed rules like the armies of modern times, by the French and English. M. Morogues is the most copious author on the subject in modern times. M. Bourde de Villehuet, in his work called La Manœuvrier, has also published a most valuable treatise. M. Girmoard has treated of the subject as a science.
A Treatise has been published in English by Mr. Clerk, who was not a professional seaman, in which new principles were introduced, and those of the French adopted. The battles of April 1782, and of the Nile and Trafalgar were fought upon the new principles.
NAVE, in gun-carriages, that part of a wheel in which the arms of the axletree move, and in which the spokes are driven and supported. See [Wheel].
Nave-hoops, are flat iron rings to bind the nave: there are generally three on each nave.
Nave-boxes, were formerly made of brass; but experience has shewn that those of cast iron cause less friction, and are much cheaper: there are two, one at each end, to diminish the friction of the axletree against the nave.