Another Spoiler: More new weapons

More from the Glossary

Bombsweeper (Minesweeper, and therefore mines) (marine?)
Sea-bomb (marine mine)
Sea-Kite (Minesweeping paravane)

Hmm. Seems I have dyslexic fingers. Subject should have been SPOILER, nor spioler


Interesting potentials there.

Having water-borne mines raises some interesting questions.

Since there is not another naval power that could threaten Charis, these are not likely to be used at "home ports".

It would be more likely that mines would be used as a blockading device to "block" ships from tempting to depart enemy ports. Deployed at night?

They then also have the ability to clear the area prior to attacking.

CdnGunner wrote:Having water-borne mines raises some interesting questions.

Since there is not another naval power that could threaten Charis, these are not likely to be used at "home ports".

It would be more likely that mines would be used as a blockading device to "block" ships from tempting to depart enemy ports. Deployed at night?

They then also have the ability to clear the area prior to attacking.

I consider it more likely they are introduced by church forces, mines are generally best used defensivly and magnify the power of the weaker navy, there is no reason to introduce them if you are charis.

Silverwall wrote:I consider it more likely they are introduced by church forces, mines are generally best used defensivly and magnify the power of the weaker navy, there is no reason to introduce them if you are charis.

True for the most part. However, ...

Charis has a problem with pirates and commerce raiders along the Desnair coast. Destroying the small shipyards only slowed the problem and a significant ICN presence is required to deal with them. Mining the coast of Desnair would significantly reduce the ICN requirement and free up ships for other theaters.

Weird Harold wrote:

Silverwall wrote:I consider it more likely they are introduced by church forces, mines are generally best used defensivly and magnify the power of the weaker navy, there is no reason to introduce them if you are charis.

True for the most part. However, ...

Charis has a problem with pirates and commerce raiders along the Desnair coast. Destroying the small shipyards only slowed the problem and a significant ICN presence is required to deal with them. Mining the coast of Desnair would significantly reduce the ICN requirement and free up ships for other theaters.

But it also hands the Church forces and idea they might not have otherwise had. Just as they didn't introduce offensive rocket weapons until after the Church thought of them independently.

I suspect that the notion of mines in use on land would eventually lead to the question as to whether or not the same thing can be done at sea regardless of who introduced mines to start with. We know that Charis was the one who first introduced mines.

I think the the suggestion of mining ports in Desnair to render them useless after shipbulding nests for privateers are burned out is a great idea. Belts of mines around offending harbors would probably be beyond Desnair's capability to clear.

Don

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Check the Look Inside on Amazon. Enough comes up to show that the sea-bombs are Dohlaran.

n7axw wrote:I suspect that the notion of mines in use on land would eventually lead to the question as to whether or not the same thing can be done at sea regardless of who introduced mines to start with. We know that Charis was the one who first introduced mines.

I think the the suggestion of mining ports in Desnair to render them useless after shipbulding nests for privateers are burned out is a great idea. Belts of mines around offending harbors would probably be beyond Desnair's capability to clear.

Don

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Silverwall wrote:I consider it more likely they are introduced by church forces, mines are generally best used defensivly and magnify the power of the weaker navy, there is no reason to introduce them if you are charis.

I think I'd agree with you, Silverwall... But if the Church forces deploy them first, it tells me two things:
- It would represent a significant "first adopter" development for the Church forces - one of the first times that they've come up with a new weapon BEFORE the Charisians, and...
- It makes me even happier that the Charisians have access to the SNARC network and the associated remotes so they can see where the minefields are and can potentially avoid the worst of them.

Louis R wrote:Check the Look Inside on Amazon. Enough comes up to show that the sea-bombs are Dohlaran.

n7axw wrote:I suspect that the notion of mines in use on land would eventually lead to the question as to whether or not the same thing can be done at sea regardless of who introduced mines to start with. We know that Charis was the one who first introduced mines.

I think the the suggestion of mining ports in Desnair to render them useless after shipbulding nests for privateers are burned out is a great idea. Belts of mines around offending harbors would probably be beyond Desnair's capability to clear.

Don

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That would confirm my thought that Charis's introducing mines on land would lead to Dohlar's adapting them for use in harbor defense.

Although the implementation is obviously different, the basic thought of emplaced mines is not all that different than the spar torpedo that Dohlar has already introduced.


Don

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The most interesting question is how is the church triggering the? also how are they waterproofing them?

Traditionally these have been the 2 biggest issues in naval mine design, especially in the black poweder era. Are they simialar to the "torpedoes" admiral Farragut was damning in mobile bay? or some other design.

The classic horned sea mine is actually a lead acid battery with the acid released by crushing the horn to complete the circuit. I think we can rule this technique out, especially if the mines are Dholaran.

Other approaches are either mechanical triggering a percussion cap or chemical using acids and suitable substrates such as a sugar perchlorate mix.

I personally lean towards a mechanical trigger as being easiest and avoiding a chemical industry that the church forces are not shown as having.