Bomb "Ketch": Is it really so powerful? Your Views...

I had a naval battle yesterday in the French GC playing H/H.

I was pitted against GB and one of its fleets which consisted of one 1st and a 2nd rate, a 38gun frigate and an indiaman. My fleet was just six bomb Ketchs (?).

You can guess what happened, the two large warships both blew up (after they had surrendered), the frigate surrendered and the indiaman surrendered last.

The whole engagement lasted around 7-10 mins and the enemy was able to fire only a couple of broadsides. My casualties were 50%, all sustained by the frigate.

So, my question is have you noticed the deadly effects of the Ketch in your naval battles?

I ll try to engage the mighty British fleet (which is standing still for more than 10 turns off the coast of Denmark) led by Nelson with a number of Ketchs in my numbers and I ll let u know of the outcome...

Originally Posted by MaKoS

I had a naval battle yesterday in the French GC playing H/H.

I was pitted against GB and one of its fleets which consisted of one 1st and a 2nd rate, a 38gun frigate and an indiaman. My fleet was just six bomb Ketchs (?).

You can guess what happened, the two large warships both blew up (after they had surrendered), the frigate surrendered and the indiaman surrendered last.

The whole engagement lasted around 7-10 mins and the enemy was able to fire only a couple of broadsides. My casualties were 50%, all sustained by the frigate.

So, my question is have you noticed the deadly effects of the Ketch in your naval battles?

I ll try to engage the mighty British fleet (which is standing still for more than 10 turns off the coast of Denmark) led by Nelson with a number of Ketchs in my numbers and I ll let u know of the outcome...

I try not to exploit the AI and use an unrealistic fleet of all bomb ketches. But honestly, I havent tried it. Umm... GJ?

LOL, the man comes here to share his worries and you call exploit? Why do you even bother replying? for the postcount?

Short answer: no they weren't

Bomb ketches had one historic task, to bombard land.
Back in the day, it was simply impossible to hit a moving target with indirect fire.
In the days before at least mechanical fire control it was flat out impossible to hit a moving target with a weapon like this.
The fire control mechanisms were simply not there, not to mention that the mortar was fixed and could mostly be changed in elevation only (sometimes not even that), so you had to aim the whole ship at the target. And since sailing vessels can't turn like they do in NTW in real life, this wasn't possible at all.
I supposed many bomb ships had sweeps and could be rowed, but that was only possible in calm seas.
Not to mention that it demanded a stationary firing platform, which usually meant anchoring.
AFAIK there wasn't a single instance where bomb ships were used in a real naval battle.
In short, bomb ketches were highly specialized shore bombardement vessels.
Useful ships most fleets had them, but useless in a naval battle.

They are in ETW/NTW either for the lulz like Puckle guns or things like that or because ETW was intended to include shore bombardements and amphibious battles but this got dropped like so many other things, but bomb ketches were kept.
Same applies for rocket ships.

Bomb Ketch are usful for taking out Rocket Ships, while you main fleet goes in for the Kill.

I concur with JCR statement. (best used for land Bombardments.)

Kind Regards

Charlie

Originally Posted by JCR

ETW was intended to include shore bombardements and amphibious battles but this got dropped like so many other things, but bomb ketches were kept.
Same applies for rocket ships.

[start hijack]

Aw, I wish they would have kept shore bombardments in the game! Like defenders on city walls, it would be great to see troops manning shore defenses against enemy ships! It should take more than a single unit of militia to keep Nelson out.

[end hijack]

Fast ships nuke them out easily especially those small ones.

Do feel they are a leave in like rocket ships in regards to at some point intending to make naval to land attacks possible as that was from my understanding of rocket ships there purpose to bombard settlements (mostly scarey rather than effective although i believe the fires they started where hard to put out.

Sadly this same shell homing device is also active with land howitzers. Once the shell is in the air no matter how fast your troops run or change direction they are doomed.

Originally Posted by Ebusitanus

Sadly this same shell homing device is also active with land howitzers. Once the shell is in the air no matter how fast your troops run or change direction they are doomed.

You can't dodge cannon fire in real life. Especially explosive shells.

lol you got lucky in that battle cause bomb ketches are only for show

I used Ketchs because i had never used them in battle before and to be honest i never bothered to even build them. So, u can think the battle as a small experiment.

The background of the naval engagement is that I wanted to lure out of the port the small British fleet and engage it before it could join the main flottila with Nelson.

I tried with my hgher tier ships fleet to enter the enemy's intercept zone but nothing happened. I strolled around a couple of turns to try to force an engagement but nothing. So, i thought that my fleet is maybe considered by the AI too strong to be tackled by the small GB task force in the harbor. Thus, I thought the plan to use some of my ketschs which were lying around Brest.

At last the AI was lured out of its safe haven and attacked the Ketchs which as reinforcements had the main battle fleet entering the area. So, at that time I got the idea to test the power of the Bomb Ketchs without any support from my 122s...

The result was an utter failure of the AI's attack. The Ketchs were triumphant and there goes another nail on the coffin of reality...

I think that bomb Ketchs is totally unrealistic, and all they succeed in doing is to ruin the pleasure with navel battle. In a navel battle as French against a Turkish fleet, I managed to lose even though i had the following ships, one 122 gun ship, two 74th gun ship and 6 frigates. The Turkish fleet consisted of 4 galleys, 1 brig and 2 bomb ketch, really realistic

Yes, TOTALLY UNREALISTIC.

However, if you want to win every naval engagement have one or two 74 gun ship, a couple of frigates and six bomb ketches. Your bomb ketches will utterly destroy every 122 gun 1st rate in order as it comes down the line. I never had a 122 survive more than three volleys. I've destroyed three 1st rates in a row, two second rates and well...that is the main battle. I use my ships of the line to do the clean up work.

You will NOT capture any. Once they surrender, they catch fire, then they explode taking any ships following them with it.

mmmm, my howitzers can't hardly hit a damn thing on land but some how my mortars on a moving ship trying to hit another moving ship never seems to miss. WTF.

In the unlikely event that a ship is hit by a shell from a bomb ketch, usually you can just put it out. It can however explode your brand new, top of the range, exceptionally expensive First Rate Admiral's Flagship, Hms Northumberland, without your late ship having fired a shot in anger.

Best way to deal with them is, send a Frigate, A Sixth Rate will do, to race over to the artillery ships, and just blow them up by firing into them.

Actualy shells follow a parabolic trajectory, it is entirely possible to dodge said shell, if you know where its going.