Naval ramming

Naval ramming is an attack in which a ship uses its bow to strike an opposing vessel. In ancient and modern forms, success depends on bringing the striking force to bear without crippling the attacker.

Naval ram: A reinforced projection at a ship’s bow, designed to damage or penetrate another vessel on impact. This bow fitting concentrates the force of a ramming attack.
Trireme: An ancient Greek war galley propelled by three tiers of oars on each side. Its speed and maneuverability made the trireme an effective ramming vessel.
Battle of Actium: A 31 BCE naval battle in which Octavian’s forces defeated those of Mark Antony and Cleopatra. The battle illustrates ramming among large Hellenistic-era warships.
Naval artillery: Ship-mounted guns used to attack targets at sea or ashore. Artillery let warships damage opponents from beyond ramming distance.
Naval architecture: The design of ships, including their hull forms, structures, stability, and performance. Hull strength and bow shape determine how a ship withstands impact.
Bireme: An ancient galley with two tiers of oars on each side. Biremes were among the early warships built to strike opponents with a bow ram.
Battle of Mylae: A 260 BCE naval battle in which Rome defeated Carthage during the First Punic War. Roman boarding tactics at Mylae offer a notable alternative to relying on ramming.
Boarding (naval warfare): The use of armed personnel to capture or overcome an enemy vessel by entering it. Boarding sought to seize ships rather than disable them through impact.
Ship displacement: The mass of water displaced by a vessel, equal to the vessel’s mass when afloat. A ramming ship’s mass contributes to the momentum delivered at impact.
Ancient Greek warfare: The military practices and conflicts of the ancient Greek world. Naval ramming shaped Greek fleet tactics and the design of war galleys.

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