The ram bow, also known as a rostrum, was a weapon used by ancient Greek, Roman, and Phoenician ships to attack others by crashing into them at high speed. It fell out of favor with the advent of cannons, but remained in limited use until the early 20th century. The ram was usually made of bronze and was an integral part of the ship’s design. It was invented by either the Phoenicians or Greeks and was used by many cultures around the world until the introduction of ship-mounted guns. It regained popularity during the age of steam and armored hulls but never regained its ancient popularity.
A ram bow is a design feature found primarily on ancient Greek, Roman, and Phoenician ships in the Mediterranean area, but it is found throughout history and in other areas of the world as well. Also known as a rostrum, a ram bow allows one ship to attack another by crashing into it at high speed. Rambows have taken many forms throughout naval history, but they all operate on the same principle. They gradually fell out of favor around the 15th and 16th centuries, with the advent of the cannon as the naval weapon of choice, but remained in very limited use, as a weapon of last resort, into the early 20th century.
Also called a naval ram, this type of gun was mounted at the front of the ship, usually at or just below the waterline. It was usually an integral part of the ship’s design, rather than a later modification, and often consisted of a heavy bronze projection fitted to the front of the ship, extending several feet from the forward part of the bow. Bronze was generally used for these rams as it was slow to corrode in seawater and provided a powerful blow that could pierce through hull timbers. Wooden rams were also used, and later ships would have rams made of the same iron or steel as their hulls.
The ram bow is believed to have been invented by either the Phoenicians or the Greeks, and is first mentioned in the 7th century BC. In the Mediterranean region, it was the primary weapon of naval combat for centuries, and nearly all warships in this area incorporated some form of ram bow into their design. A ship with a ram bow could crush the hull of an enemy ship or cut off her oars, reducing her maneuverability or leaving her dead in the water.
Other ancient peoples besides the Phoenicians and the Greeks used rams on warships, including the Romans and Persians. Ships from ancient times to the 16th century in many cultures around the world used this weapon. Around the 3rd century B.C. C., as the ships grew in size and were complemented by the crew, boarding actions became more common than ramming attacks. However, ramming remained an important tactic in ship-to-ship combat until ship-mounted guns became the primary naval weapon.
During the age of sailing, rams were rarely fitted to ships or used in naval combat. With the introduction of steam for propulsion and ships with armored hulls, however, ramming again became a viable combat tactic, though it never regained the popularity it had in ancient times. Ironclad ships of the American Civil War period were sometimes equipped with rams in an attempt to counter the heavy armor of ships of this period. Naval rams remained in use until the early 20th century, although they became increasingly rare as time went on.
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