Throughout late antiquity and the Middle Ages until the 16th century, naval warfare relied on the ship itself, used as a ram, the swords of the crew, and various missiles such as bows and arrows and bolts from heavy crossbows fixed on a ship's bulwarks. With the political unification of the Mediterranean Sea in the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, naval artillery fell out of use. However with the development of catapults in the 4th century BC and the subsequent refinement of its technology enabled the first fleets of artillery equipped warships by the Hellenistic age. In the time of Mesopotamia, Ancient Persia, Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, the most common type of warship was the galley (such as biremes, triremes and quinqueremes), a long, narrow vessel powered by banks of oarsmen and designed to ram and sink enemy vessels, or come alongside the enemy so its occupants could be attacked hand-to-hand. 1.7 Development of the aircraft carrierĪssyrian warship, a bireme with pointed bow.Warships have also often been used as troop carriers or supply ships, such as by the French Navy in the 18th century or the Japanese Navy during the Second World War. Until the threat of piracy subsided in the 19th century, it was normal practice to arm larger merchant ships such as galleons. Until the 17th century it was common for merchant ships to be pressed into naval service and not unusual for more than half a fleet to be composed of merchant ships. In war, merchant ships are often armed and used as auxiliary warships, such as the Q-ships of the First World War and the armed merchant cruisers of the Second World War. In wartime, the distinction between warships and merchant ships is often blurred.
Warships usually belong to a navy, though they have also been operated by individuals or companies. Unlike a merchant ship, which carries cargo, a warship typically only carries weapons, ammunition and supplies for its crew. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuverable than merchant ships. The boat is (1707) by Willem van de Velde the Younger, showing an early 18th century Dutch ship of the lineĪ warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat.
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