Naval tactics in the Age of Steam

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The development of the steam ironclad firing explosive shells in the mid-19th century rendered sailing ship tactics obsolete.

New tactics were developed for the big-gun Dreadnought battleships. The mine, torpedo, submarine and aircraft posed new threats, each of which had to be countered, leading to tactical developments such as anti-submarine warfare and the use of dazzle camouflage. By the end of the steam age, aircraft carriers had replaced battleships as the principal unit of the fleet.