Re: [FT] Re: Tin Cans versus Dreadnoughts

stranger wrote:
> This is an interesting topic considering the History Channel was
running a
> series called "Battleships" all week.  It got me to thinking about the
ways
> different games model the "naval" battles in space.  It also got me to
> thinking about why all those different types of ship classes really
exist in
> the first place.  This got me thinking about how it all fits together
in FT,
> and well, its kinda a snowball effect from there...anyways.....

	In traditional WWII naval doctrine, there was a reason for the
	small ships.
	It was called "torpedo boats".

	Battleships could blow any lesser ship of the line right out
	of the water, but those pesky torpedo boats were too fast to
	be hit by any gun mounted on a battleship.

	And a couple of well placed torpedo boats could send a
	battleship to Davy Jone's locker.

	Thus: the Torpedo Boat Destroyer, which was shortened
	to "Destroyer."

	This was a fast (i.e, little or no armor belt) ship
	specialized to swat torpedo boats.

	Battleships and Destroyers need each other.  Battleships
	protect destroyers from other battleships, and destroyers
	protect battleships from torpedo boats.

	Cruisers, on the other hand, are balanced ships which
	are optimized for independent (i.e., non-fleet) operations.
	These are the ships that travel alone to raid convoys or
	whatever.  They can also be used in fleet operations
	as heavy cavalry and as advanced scouts.