In this article, I will explore the several specialised vessels available to a naval commander in ETW. I will look at the Steamship, Bomb Ketch, Rocket Ship and Galley. This is my 3rd article and 2nd exploring naval combat in N/ETW.
Steamship
These vessels are only available later in the campaign game and, actually, are inadequate as ships of the line. They have a paltry 34 guns, the engine taking up much room in the hull, and their hull has the strength of a 48 gun 5th rate. We must look a little deeper into this to see where this ship will be best used. This vessel should be used as one would use a Brig or 6th Rate earlier in the game; that is, as a fast ship to dodge between the foe, giving fire and chasing fleeing ships, forcing them to surrender. Its steam engine makes it very fast and quite nimble for a fairly big boat and can keep the ship moving even if all the masts are shot away by chain shot. Whereas the sails do give more speed, it is still a fast vessel without any sails, making it perfect for sailing straight into the wind, rather than having to tack, which slows it down as it zig-zags in the water. It, for a frigate with 30-50 guns, carries a large crew, useful for boarding actions, which ties into the skill it has at chasing down ships to capture them by increasing the men attacking, and thus, the chances of success.
Bomb Ketch
This ship is armed with 2 mortars, and this is the sole reason why you could want one. It has a small crew (45), rubbish for boarding and defending the ship from boarders, and only 12 cannon, only really good in fights with other little ships like Sloops. The hull is very weak, 3 broadsides from a 4th Rate would cripple it. So, keep it away from the foe budding Admirals! But, the effect of a mortar round landing on an enemy ship outweighs any disadvantages. Imagine a bomb going off in a crowd, because that is what it does, even a burst above the target may damage the sails and kill one or two sailors on the boat. A direct hit on the sides may write off a dozen cannons, while one hitting the top deck will knock out a dozen cannon and kill up to 30 crew, 30 marines that can’t fight when you board or man the guns in a brutal fire-fight. They are fairly accurate, with about 1 in 6 causing major damage and about 1 in 2 causing slight damage (1 or 2 killed, a couple of holes in the sails), this slight damage is caused by shrapnel from when it goes off.
Rocket Ship
This ship has a rocket battery that fires four rockets when it fires at the target. It only has 2 guns, both pointing astern and has a tiny crew (21), as well as a weak hull. The rockets it fires are unlikely to cause casualties; however, they often start fires, making crew fight the blaze instead of you. If they don’t fight the blaze, the ship will catch fire and sink, but this deprives you of a prize to use in your fleet or sell for prize money. In battle, they should be used in a similar manner to Bomb Ketches.
Galley
This is a vessel of Greco-Roman origins, but updated. It has the advantage of rowers making sails quite useless, and carries 69 crew who are not gunners, and primarily marines. This makes it good for boarding small, fast vessels, as its speed is almost unmatched. Its hull is low and difficult to hit as to cause damage, but the marines on top are exposed to fire. It only has 4 guns, all of them are Bow-Chasers, but these should only be used to slow down the target for boarding. The marines are vulnerable to fire, even round shot will take a heavy toll on them, with mortar rounds and grape shot causing serious damage. If you will use these, they need to be protected from fire like this, because as soon as the marines are crippled, the vessel loses it’s only use.
But I won't go to England due to the prescence of scruffy in shottingham. - Scenter102
This is Scruff we are talking about. I can't think of anything I don't see Scruff doing just for the hell of it. - Agrippa 271
The cake was made by Scruffy and it was... a rude shape. - Liam
monkey in a suit on a cycle - Scenter102 describing Scruffy
Steamship
These vessels are only available later in the campaign game and, actually, are inadequate as ships of the line. They have a paltry 34 guns, the engine taking up much room in the hull, and their hull has the strength of a 48 gun 5th rate. We must look a little deeper into this to see where this ship will be best used. This vessel should be used as one would use a Brig or 6th Rate earlier in the game; that is, as a fast ship to dodge between the foe, giving fire and chasing fleeing ships, forcing them to surrender. Its steam engine makes it very fast and quite nimble for a fairly big boat and can keep the ship moving even if all the masts are shot away by chain shot. Whereas the sails do give more speed, it is still a fast vessel without any sails, making it perfect for sailing straight into the wind, rather than having to tack, which slows it down as it zig-zags in the water. It, for a frigate with 30-50 guns, carries a large crew, useful for boarding actions, which ties into the skill it has at chasing down ships to capture them by increasing the men attacking, and thus, the chances of success.
Bomb Ketch
This ship is armed with 2 mortars, and this is the sole reason why you could want one. It has a small crew (45), rubbish for boarding and defending the ship from boarders, and only 12 cannon, only really good in fights with other little ships like Sloops. The hull is very weak, 3 broadsides from a 4th Rate would cripple it. So, keep it away from the foe budding Admirals! But, the effect of a mortar round landing on an enemy ship outweighs any disadvantages. Imagine a bomb going off in a crowd, because that is what it does, even a burst above the target may damage the sails and kill one or two sailors on the boat. A direct hit on the sides may write off a dozen cannons, while one hitting the top deck will knock out a dozen cannon and kill up to 30 crew, 30 marines that can’t fight when you board or man the guns in a brutal fire-fight. They are fairly accurate, with about 1 in 6 causing major damage and about 1 in 2 causing slight damage (1 or 2 killed, a couple of holes in the sails), this slight damage is caused by shrapnel from when it goes off.
Rocket Ship
This ship has a rocket battery that fires four rockets when it fires at the target. It only has 2 guns, both pointing astern and has a tiny crew (21), as well as a weak hull. The rockets it fires are unlikely to cause casualties; however, they often start fires, making crew fight the blaze instead of you. If they don’t fight the blaze, the ship will catch fire and sink, but this deprives you of a prize to use in your fleet or sell for prize money. In battle, they should be used in a similar manner to Bomb Ketches.
Galley
This is a vessel of Greco-Roman origins, but updated. It has the advantage of rowers making sails quite useless, and carries 69 crew who are not gunners, and primarily marines. This makes it good for boarding small, fast vessels, as its speed is almost unmatched. Its hull is low and difficult to hit as to cause damage, but the marines on top are exposed to fire. It only has 4 guns, all of them are Bow-Chasers, but these should only be used to slow down the target for boarding. The marines are vulnerable to fire, even round shot will take a heavy toll on them, with mortar rounds and grape shot causing serious damage. If you will use these, they need to be protected from fire like this, because as soon as the marines are crippled, the vessel loses it’s only use.
This is Scruff we are talking about. I can't think of anything I don't see Scruff doing just for the hell of it. - Agrippa 271
The cake was made by Scruffy and it was... a rude shape. - Liam
monkey in a suit on a cycle - Scenter102 describing Scruffy