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Sayurusara 2021 June 65
Major battles comprised hundreds of ships on a If a force has superiority in number of ships,
side. Hundreds of men were onboard as archers or ‘boarders’. they could use other friendly ships to pull alongside an
The correct image of a galley battle would be that of a wild enemy using ropes or hooks and ‘board’ being the main
melee (a confused fight), with oars smashed, hulls crushed, war fighting method by that time out at sea. Meanwhile,
armour-clad soldiers drowned, losses enormous and battles the next step in naval warfare was to obstruct ‘Boarding’
decisive with lasting consequences. by having spikes on the roof of the ship.
Sparta and Athens How a Naval Battle wouldlook like in 5th Century BC
During First Peloponnesian War between (457 BC)
Ancient marines used Arrows with ends on fire The Korean Turtle Ship with Spikes on the Roof;
with oil and straw against enemy. Hitting a ship from a Meant for Anti-Boarding
long distance with a bow is hard and the water means fire
isn’t always easy to start. The solution was to add more The Age of Fighting Sail
archers; dozens of them on the same deck, filled quivers
and braziers for lighting the arrows and they all should fire By the middle of the 17th century guns arrayed
at once, giving the highest chances of hitting something along the sides of fighting ships were the decisive weapon.
important on the enemy ship. Another weapon used in Heavy guns required a gun deck and a short, sturdy hull,
closer encounters was throwing jars or bombs filled with which were at odds with the galley’s requirements of
flammable oil and fuse. This method could cost the deck of lightness and length. Thus, the shift to sail was a victory of
the ship and the skin of its crew by burning. fighting strength over maneuver. Tactically, sailing navies
became victims of the wind’s whim, but strategically
they benefited from nearly limitless range and, greatly
improved the seakeeping compared to the galleys.
The Greek Fire (Byzantine Empire) in Naval Battles Naval Battles Cannon Firing
at the Age of the Sails Onboard Royal Navy Ship
There were some different types of Galleys and
modifications took place over the years. Biremes, Triremes, The column, or line ahead, became the logical
Penteconters, Liburnas, Dromos, Cog and Galleons tactical formation for bringing the most guns to bear. With
were some of those variants. Advanced Galleys could all the ships of a battle line following one another each
accommodate ancient version of artillery used to throw ship separated by a scant 200 or 300 yards, their broadside
stones and fire balls towards enemy from the distance. guns could face the enemy line without obstruction. This
method was called ‘Line of Battle’ and introduced in
Ballista Catapult Trebuchet 16th century. A fleet in the wind side (weather gage) was
advantageous than the fleet positioned in the Leeward side
(leeward gage) yet, they had the privilege of withdrawing
from the fight at will. The major ships used for type of
fighting named as the ‘Ship of the Line’.
Use of Naval Artillery during the Age of Galley Warfare
Major battles comprised hundreds of ships on a If a force has superiority in number of ships,
side. Hundreds of men were onboard as archers or ‘boarders’. they could use other friendly ships to pull alongside an
The correct image of a galley battle would be that of a wild enemy using ropes or hooks and ‘board’ being the main
melee (a confused fight), with oars smashed, hulls crushed, war fighting method by that time out at sea. Meanwhile,
armour-clad soldiers drowned, losses enormous and battles the next step in naval warfare was to obstruct ‘Boarding’
decisive with lasting consequences. by having spikes on the roof of the ship.
Sparta and Athens How a Naval Battle wouldlook like in 5th Century BC
During First Peloponnesian War between (457 BC)
Ancient marines used Arrows with ends on fire The Korean Turtle Ship with Spikes on the Roof;
with oil and straw against enemy. Hitting a ship from a Meant for Anti-Boarding
long distance with a bow is hard and the water means fire
isn’t always easy to start. The solution was to add more The Age of Fighting Sail
archers; dozens of them on the same deck, filled quivers
and braziers for lighting the arrows and they all should fire By the middle of the 17th century guns arrayed
at once, giving the highest chances of hitting something along the sides of fighting ships were the decisive weapon.
important on the enemy ship. Another weapon used in Heavy guns required a gun deck and a short, sturdy hull,
closer encounters was throwing jars or bombs filled with which were at odds with the galley’s requirements of
flammable oil and fuse. This method could cost the deck of lightness and length. Thus, the shift to sail was a victory of
the ship and the skin of its crew by burning. fighting strength over maneuver. Tactically, sailing navies
became victims of the wind’s whim, but strategically
they benefited from nearly limitless range and, greatly
improved the seakeeping compared to the galleys.
The Greek Fire (Byzantine Empire) in Naval Battles Naval Battles Cannon Firing
at the Age of the Sails Onboard Royal Navy Ship
There were some different types of Galleys and
modifications took place over the years. Biremes, Triremes, The column, or line ahead, became the logical
Penteconters, Liburnas, Dromos, Cog and Galleons tactical formation for bringing the most guns to bear. With
were some of those variants. Advanced Galleys could all the ships of a battle line following one another each
accommodate ancient version of artillery used to throw ship separated by a scant 200 or 300 yards, their broadside
stones and fire balls towards enemy from the distance. guns could face the enemy line without obstruction. This
method was called ‘Line of Battle’ and introduced in
Ballista Catapult Trebuchet 16th century. A fleet in the wind side (weather gage) was
advantageous than the fleet positioned in the Leeward side
(leeward gage) yet, they had the privilege of withdrawing
from the fight at will. The major ships used for type of
fighting named as the ‘Ship of the Line’.
Use of Naval Artillery during the Age of Galley Warfare
