Boarding is a strategic maneuver that allows you to capture or flood an enemy ship. It has been used since the time of the first sea battles known to mankind. At the same time, there are various variations in the execution of this maneuver, which vary depending on the type of ship and its crew.
What is boarding?
Boarding is a special tactic of conducting a battle on the water. The essence of this maneuver is the close proximity of ships to each other, which allows their teams to go into hand-to-hand combat. Often, such tactics are used when one of the parties wants to get the ship or goods of the other.
According to military history, the ship was first boarded by the Roman admiral Guy Duilius during the First Punic War. This technique not only spread distemper among the enemies, but also allowed the commander to capture many Carthaginians.
A variety of tricks and tricks
Many people mistakenly believe that boarding is a maneuver during which ships must always stand opposite each other. In fact, there are many ways to capture a ship, and some of them are very different from our usual model.
For example, in Greek ships, the boarding ladder was located on the bow of the ship. This is due to the fact that the Hellenes are used to using ramming attacks in naval battles . The front of their ship had a ram capable of breaking even the strongest wood. Therefore, they boldly dispersed their ship and crashed into the enemy with all their strength, after which they lowered the boarding bridge to the enemy’s deck.
But the Vikings used a different tactic. Their fights were very mobile, which allowed them to quickly swim close to the enemy. In those days, there were no guns yet, and therefore they easily repelled all enemy defensive attacks with the help of shields. The Vikings got to the deck thanks to ropes with hooks, which they threw effortlessly there.
Is boarding a relic of the past?
It is a mistake to assume that the era of boarding ended on the day when armored battleships and cruisers descended on the water. Today, this tactical maneuver is used as often as before. For example, when the water police have to storm a vessel that has not complied with its order.
A much sadder example is the Somali pirates. These sea robbers have long been a thunderstorm of local waters and even today, without a doubt, attack peaceful ships. Moreover, most often they use a boarding attack, in order not only to seize the ship, but also to capture his crew.