Naval awesome, as in the British victories against the Armada, and at Trafalgar; and the Japanese victories against the Chinese and Russians near the turn of the century. As a Midwestern land-lubber and infantryman, who has seen the ocean only from the window of a 747, I have never before studied naval tacticality or strategery. But shazam!
Alright, you squids, I guess this navy stuff can be pretty cool, too.
The Armada: Them boys just wandered into a slaughter. Note to Phillip the 2th: with the advent of gun-powder, ships aren't just for troop transport anymore. They are more effective as mobile artillery. Even when the Spanish attempted to run away, many of the ships ran aground, and the sailors were set upon and killed by the Celtic Committee for Christian Hospitality. Also, fire ships are awesome.
Trafalgar: Ouch. They took away Napoleon's bath tub toys. I also found this amusing - French report of their victory against Nelson. Is this thing real?
http://www.napoleonguide.com/sailors_frtraf.htm Also found here:
http://www.nmm.ac.uk/explore/sea-and-ships/facts/faqs/royal-navy-and-battles/who-really-won-the-battle-of-trafalgarFirst Sino-Japanese War: Better, faster ships, sailed by trained sailors, not soldiers as with the Chinese. Just a foretaste of how Japan would later pwn China in a most brutal fashion.
Tsushima: Go ahead, Russia. They just destroyed your Pacific fleet, and they're still hungry. Now send them the Baltic fleet. Too bad the British won't let you use the Suez; you get to take them ships all the way around Africa and up to Japan. Just in time to get wiped out by this little up-start bunch of islanders.