Difference between revisions of "Rocket Ship (NTW Unit)"
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Revision as of 12:07, 13 August 2011
Overview
The ship is entirely given over to the business of launch ramps and rocket stands. Given that rockets are horribly inaccurate, the most effective way of using them is to fire a great many at a single target all at once. Such a peppering with rockets, some of which may still be burning, can cause a target to catch fire or even explode. There is also a risk of explosion aboard the rocket ship and, because of this inherent danger, most navies see little point in using good quality hulls to mount rockets. There is little need to reinforce the fabric of the ship, because the rockets do not create much recoil, but rigging chains (not ropes) and wetted sails are standard to reduce the risk of fire.
Military rockets in Europe were the result of some very nasty surprises suffered by European troops in India, where rockets had long been used in warfare. In Britain, Congreve’s rockets were direct copies of Indian weapons although this made them no less fearsome. Rockets were made with all kinds of warheads from simple spears to explosive shells; proposals were even put forward for a variety of war gasses and chemicals, although these were rejected as barbarous and un-Christian by every government. On ships, explosive heads were preferred, as these did the most damage to wooden targets.