Spoiler. Boarding actions

kaid wrote:One thing I was curious about with the taking of the dreadnaught is why merlin and co not send in a remote since they clearly were watching the fight to ignite the magazines. All the crew was dead and I don't think anybody on the opposing side would have been shocked if an unseen scuttling charge went off after the chaos of the boarding action.

That's been discussed and the theory that using the SNARCs to do that might be picked up by the OBS or something in the Temple, has been bandied about as the reason why not. But I personally don't buy that, and can't figure out a good reason why it was not done, unless they really didn't care as much as they all sounded like they did afterward. Which in practical terms, I don't see where it is actually a disaster that Dohlar took the ship, it does not give them any decisive advantages that can be used in time to do them any good. Will make defeating them harder and cost more but won't change the outcome in the end.

Merlin mused upon the fantasy of using a few of the SNARC's remotes to go into Prince Hector of Corisande's ear canal and using their auto destruct to kill him, back before the invasion of Corisande. He rejected it because the healers who examined Prince Hector would be able to tell it was nothing they'd ever seen before and quite obviously demonic in nature, plus not liking to assassinate out of hand anyone he didn't have to. No mention of anything else being able to detect the use of that small a bit of tech was made as a reason not to do it though.

With charges already laid in the ironclad just needing a small spark to set them off, I really don't see why that wasn't possible, nobody fighting was likely to notice too much or question it, unlike using the remotes to take out Hector.

I would agree you would not want to go to crazy with remotes blowing things up or assassinating people but in a confused boarding action against a ship already setup and ready with scuttling charges it seems like if there was any time you would use that trick that would have been the time. That said it may be merlin wanting to stoke as much innovation as possible and its not like the church would be able to duplicate much of what they find on the dreadnaught any time soon.

Henry Brown wrote:

Expert snuggler wrote:OP asked about a "major warship", which these days would have to be an ironclad.

Do fights between armored ships with HE shells more likely end with ships out of action but still having buoyancy reserve, or with ships going to the bottom?

It really depends on the design of the ship and on how big a shell they are hit with and exactly where they are hit. For example, during WWII HMS Hood suffered a hit rather early in a battle. The shell penetrated to the magazine and she blew up and sank quickly with large loss of life.

On the other hand, there is the case of the German battleship Bismarck. Bismarck took an unbelievable pounding by both British torpedo planes and battleships. First a airplane launched torpedo crippled her steering. Once unable to steer, Royal Navy battleships moved in and engaged. Estimates indicate that the ship was hit 400 times by shells. Despite this, the ship was still afloat (although completely disabled) until her crew set scuttling charges and abandoned ship.

Beg to differ on Bismarck, according to the damage survey conducted by James Cameron. The Bismarck suffered IIRC 8 or 9 16in hit and 7 14in hit plus at least 2 torpedo hits but it wasn't enough to sink it and was likely scuttled. This not out of the realm of possibility either when Washington engaged Kirashima, Kirashima suffered 9 16in and 40 5in hits. In ship to ship duels the winner is usually the one who get the most critical hits first.

Stormy wrote:

kaid wrote:One thing I was curious about with the taking of the dreadnaught is why merlin and co not send in a remote since they clearly were watching the fight to ignite the magazines. All the crew was dead and I don't think anybody on the opposing side would have been shocked if an unseen scuttling charge went off after the chaos of the boarding action.

That's been discussed and the theory that using the SNARCs to do that might be picked up by the OBS or something in the Temple, has been bandied about as the reason why not. But I personally don't buy that, and can't figure out a good reason why it was not done, unless they really didn't care as much as they all sounded like they did afterward. Which in practical terms, I don't see where it is actually a disaster that Dohlar took the ship, it does not give them any decisive advantages that can be used in time to do them any good. Will make defeating them harder and cost more but won't change the outcome in the end.

Merlin mused upon the fantasy of using a few of the SNARC's remotes to go into Prince Hector of Corisande's ear canal and using their auto destruct to kill him, back before the invasion of Corisande. He rejected it because the healers who examined Prince Hector would be able to tell it was nothing they'd ever seen before and quite obviously demonic in nature, plus not liking to assassinate out of hand anyone he didn't have to. No mention of anything else being able to detect the use of that small a bit of tech was made as a reason not to do it though.

With charges already laid in the ironclad just needing a small spark to set them off, I really don't see why that wasn't possible, nobody fighting was likely to notice too much or question it, unlike using the remotes to take out Hector.

I think it has to simply that the capture of dreadnought was annoying but aside from the loss of its crew not really that much of an issue given that a River class could take it out let alone a King harold, when they are finally finished.

plus the amount of work they'd have to do make shells for its guns mean it is unlikely to return to sea before the king harolds depoly. and has been said many times when the KHVII deploy then bye bye just about anything afloat.