The moment naval warfare changed forever
by Kapanash
The moment naval warfare changed forever
by Kapanash
8 Comments
Context?
And then we have the first ever ironclad on ironclad engagement where a commenter accurately described it as
>Two drunks fighting with hulk hands
They may not have seen combat until the American Civil War, but surely the knowledge that ironclads were a thing would have been widespread. Proper oceangoing ironclads had been in service for years by that point.
Ironclad warships were the next step from wooden ships, almost-entirely composed of iron/steel and steam-powered. They first appeared in 1859 under the French Royal Navy, with the U.S Civil War being the first notable conflict they were used in (Hampton Roads – 1862 being a notable early instance).
It’s like fighting with a flintlock and seeing someone whip out an an M1911.
Feels like bringing a knife to a gunfight, but worse.
Ok, but imagine if one of them met HMS warrior which was older than both main civil war ironclads…
I doubt seasoned crew would bat an eye lash at an ironclade they would just sail away. Then later ambush the slower vehicle, or worst for the crew just burn it till the ammo blows.
And then there’s Commodore Anton von Petz, whose reaction to facing off against two ironclads with his own wooden ship of the line was to ram one and rake the other with cannon fire (but only because he couldn’t get a bead to ram it as well).
The Battle of Lissa in 1866 was an adventure. All three ships (SMS Kaiser, Re di Portogallo, and Affondatore) even survived.