Corvus

[Jona Lendering]

In an earlier thread, we discussed the momentum of ancient trieres. After some counting and guesswork, we were impressed by the immense forces released when a triere rammed another ship.

Here's a related a question. Imagine a Roman quinquereme with a corvus. A Carthaginian quinquereme tries to ram our Roman, which rapidly lowers its corvus. The shock must have been terrible - and I am wondering whether a corvus could survive it. Anyone any thoughts?

[conon394]

The shock must have been terrible - and I am wondering whether a corvus could survive it. Anyone any thoughts?

I’m not sure where you are going with this; Ipso facto the Romans used the corvus on multiple occasions to make their ships that otherwise were relativily poorly built/equipped/manned (according to Polybius) and no match for Carthage, actually superior. If the corvus did not work, that is if it could not handle the stress (of use) it is hard not to see how this would not translate into the corvus being a failure and the Romans loosing to Carthage. They did not, ergo the corvus worked.

More directly so what a lot of stress and force was involved in using the corvus or the ram. I don’t see any reason for worry, if the stress of ramming could not generally be overcome by competent naval architects and ship crews ramming would never have become a useful tactic.

[Jona Lendering]

I believe the corvus worked, that's not the issue, but I suppose that the reconstruction by Wallinga (all wood) may need some refinement. Maybe there was some iron frame or something like it.

[Praefectusclassis]

Have you looked at Wallinga's proposal of the tackle around the base of the corvus (p.59ff)? He proposes that the slot in the bridge itself combined with a tackle & block system + the crew manning the bridge could ensure a proper recoil of the bridge. And who knows, perhaps the Roman ship would attempt to back water when the Carthaginians got very close. Moving in the same direction as the attacker would diminish the shock.

[Carlton Bach]

Was the corvus actually designed to take the stress of *preventing* a ramming? I shouöld think that once tzhe Carthagininan ship is in ramming position, the Roman has lost. NOw, I am esxtrapolating from the handling of sailing ships and small oared craft (I have no personal experience with large oared ships), but I would think it much easier for a halway competent crew to evade a direct ramming and turn it into a sideways collision, or to intiate a sidways collision rather than a ramming. Such a collision still releases enoermous energy, but it spreads it out over the ship and very little dasmage would likely occur. Now, once you have the two ships in contact, without anyone's rasm sticking in anyone else, you can probably use something like the corvus to prevent the enemy from detaching himself and engaging again in a ramming attack (a better trained crew will likely retain more oarage after the strike, so be at an advantage even if the ram was unsuccessful).

At least, that is how boarding in medieval sea battles worked.

[Jona Lendering]

Rowing manoeuvers: that must be the key. Thanks.

[Titus Martius]

Is this rather unusual manoeuvre (to stop/slow ramming enemy ship) described in some ancient sources? This theme looks attractive, I plan to revert with some ideas.