fighting men at any desired point. Small squadrons of these
ships could (and did) take over towns, attack fortresses by
surprise, and generally make life miserable for the defense).
-
+
The pre-dreadnought was a battleship with a limited number
(usually 4) of heavy guns, numerous lighter guns ('secondary'
and 'tertiary' armament), and heavy armor on vital portions
The battleship of the 1918-1945 period was faster, and carried
a new AA capacity, especially in the latter years of the period.
-
+
After 1945, the class died out (except for 4 ships)
For our purposes, a battleship 1 is a ship of the line, a
With this (and with the introduction of oil fuel, which made
battleships their equal in speed), they were phased out.
-ASW cruiser These ships came into being in the 1965-present period in
+ASW cruiser These ships came into being in the 1965-present period in
response to a need for a large ASW ship to carry ASW helicopters
and command equipment. It typically carries full ASW armament,
as well as a minor ASuW capability.
The missile frigate and cruiser also serve as SAM ships.
landing craft These ships are relatively unique, being used mainly in the
- 1942-1950 period. Before that, landings were carried out by
+ 1942-1950 period. Before that, landings were carried out by
frigates, ships-of-the-line, light & heavy cruisers, &
pre-dreadnoughts, all of which could land a large number of
men. With the introduction of the concept of beach-defense by
submarine The submarine was originally intended, in the 1900-1910 period,
to fill the same role as the torpedo boat, using stealth to
get to the battleships instead of speed. It was a strictly
- defensive weapon, without much speed or endurance.
+ defensive weapon, without much speed or endurance.
In the 1910-1925 period, the sub was much enlarged, and use in
a combination anti-battleship (sank at least 20)/anti-commerce