The Baltic fleet lying in Spithead prior to departure

As the likelihood of war with Russia increased during 1853, the Admiralty was faced with the problem of assembling two battle fleets to meet its operational needs, not only in the Baltic but in the Black Sea. The Allied Fleet containing both British and French warships was able to converge upon the Black Sea at the turn of the year but the Baltic Squadron took longer to prepare and was not ready to sail until the spring of 1854. The Queen herself travelled down to Portsmouth to bid it farewell and the Royal Yacht Fairy led the fleet out of Spithead in grand style on 11 March. It was to prove a successful campaign and one in which the steam-powered warship came of age in the shape of the highly manoeuverable paddle frigates which ushered in the new era of speed at sea.