![]() Though effective, this arrangement made for poor sailing qualities and by 1790 the ship rig had replaced the ketch. The first designs tended to be ketch-rigged, to allow the mortars to fire forward. They could also carry explosive shells in addition to regular shot, and were the only ships in the navy so equipped. They were fleet support units, and as such were not intended to engage enemy ships directly except in self-defence, and so received only light conventional armament. For this they were fitted with one or two mortars that could fire high-trajectory shells over considerable distances. Bomb vessels were designed to bombard enemy positions on land, such as towns and fortresses. The concept entered the Navy in the 1680s, based on French designs and usage, and remained in service until the mid-19th century. ![]() HMS Erebus, a bomb vessel of the Royal Navy, depicted on a voyage of exploration in the Arctic.īomb vessels served in the Royal Navy over a period of about 150 years.
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