Editing Line of battle (section)

==Age of Steam and later developments==
[[File:HMS AJAX AT KINGSTOWN.jpg|thumb|[[HMS Ajax (1809)|HMS ''Ajax'']], the first steam ship of the line ([[Maritime Institute of Ireland]])]]
In the years following the defeat of [[Napoleon]] at the [[Battle of Waterloo]] in 1815, the British [[Admiralty (United Kingdom)|Admiralty]] carried out a radical reform of ship design{{snd}}between 1810 and 1840, every detail was altered, and more advances occurred during this period than had happened since the 1660s. There was, however, no change in the principle of the tactic of a line of battle. These alterations were superseded by changes brought about by the advance of steam power and industrially-produced armaments.{{sfn|Lavery|1983|p=154}}

[[Marine steam engine]]s replaced wind power during the 19th century, with [[HMS Ajax (1809)|HMS ''Ajax'']] converted to steam in 1846, becoming the first steam ship of the line. The [[Crimean War]] showed that sailing ships needed to be converted if they were to be of any military use. The introduction of the [[gun turret]], which made it impossible to have [[Full-rigged ship|ships with a full rig]], meant that by the 1870s, sail power had been abandoned. Battleships of the line were still in use in the early 20th century, using steam-driven [[propeller]]s and armed with turrets.{{sfn|Lavery|1983|pp=155{{ndash}}156}} With the introduction of [[ironclad warship]]s, ramming again became a method of attack, as occurred at the [[Battle of Lissa (1866)]], the first ever fleet engagement involving ironclad ships.{{sfn|Hore|2006|p=16}}

When ramming fell out of fashion, the logic of the line of battle tactic returned. It was used in the [[Battle of Tsushima]] (1905),{{sfn|Willmott|2005|p=217}} the [[Battle of Jutland]] (1916),{{sfn|Brooks|2016|p=58}} and{{snd}}for the last time{{snd}}in the [[Battle of Surigao Strait]] (1944).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lippman |first1=David |title=Clash at Surigao Strait: The Last Battle Line |url=https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/issue/wwii-history-october-213-issue/ |access-date=8 December 2022 |work=WWII History |publisher=Warfare History Network |date=2013}}</ref> The development of [[aircraft carrier]]s as well as a wide variety of [[anti-ship missiles]], particularly those that were [[Cruise missile|cruise guided]] and/or had long range, meant that gun engagements were no longer decisive, so that there was no longer any need for a line-of-battle formation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Battle Group – Introduction |url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/navy/batgru-intro.htm |website=Global Security |access-date=10 December 2022}}</ref>{{sfn|Archibald|1971|p=81}}