Re: [FT] Re: Small vessels and the Line of Battle

-----Original Message-----
From: Donald Hosford <hosford.donald@acd.net>
Subject: Re: [FT] Re: Small vessels and the Line of Battle

>Gonna handle two messages with one answer, so please bear
with me...  :-)

>> I have to agree with Mr. Pournelle. The torpedo is HUGELY
effective. they
>> did very large amounts of damage and were surprisingly
accurate. During the
>
>Let me clear things up before anyone gets bent out of
shape.
>
>Imagine this:
>
>"Wet Navy" ship in water takes a torpedo hit.	Result
massive hole, casualities,
>damaged equipment, ect.  Ship will (very probably) go to
the bottom.  The
>torpedo has been the bane of the ship since it was
invented.
>
>Now imagine this:
>
>"Space Navy" ship in space takes a torpedo hit.  Result
massive hole,
>casualities, damaged equipment, ect.
>Ship will not sink (no water).  Only those compartments
effected by the torpedo
>blast, will be disrupted.  The rest of the ship will fight
on just fine.

A torpedo would often break the keel of the target.   I
can't imagine that being broken in half would be good for
your efficiency, despite the way the NAC ships are designed.