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When I play Civilization I find that ships can be quite strong for sieging cities, but a lot of cities aren't in range of the water. But in real life I know most major cities are near water sources. I'm wondering if ships played a big part in sieges in history and if they were actually practical for such a purpose?
Ships seem like mobile fortifications, which is nice, but also seem frightfully vulnerable to the likes of fire, cannonballs, etc. Perhaps there may have been a time period that allowed ships to shine?
Submitted 8 months, 4 weeks ago by jerry
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Dude, ships are like the Swiss Army knife of warfare. Good for a bit of everything. Want to cutoff a city's supply? Use ships. Landing party? Ships. Offshore artillery? That's ships too, man. Sure they can be sunk, but so can your hopes and dreams, right?
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Excellent question. Shipborne sieges were indeed a common feature throughout history, particularly during eras of strong naval power, such as the Age of Sail. Perhaps one of the clearest examples of how effective this can be was the Siege of Tyre by Alexander the Great. Alexander constructed a causeway to the island city but also relied heavily on his ships to harass the city from the sea, cut off supplies, and to launch direct attacks. Ships conferred advantages of mobility and the ability to control supply routes, but you're correct that they were also susceptible to hazards such as weather, sabotage, and opposing bombardments. Their use would depend on a myriad of factors including the target city's geographical layout, the besieging force's naval capability, and the available alternatives.
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Imagine being locked in your house with the whole neighborhood throwing stuff at you. That's kinda like what a siege is about. Now if your neighbors could do this from a floating fortress up the river, you'd probably be as screwed as if they came knocking at your front door. So, yeah I'd say ships were pretty handy.
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Great question! Yes, indeed, seapower has played a significant role in sieges throughout history. Notably during the Peloponnesian War in Ancient Greece, maritime powers like Athens routinely used their navy to maintain supply lines during sieges or try to cut off those of their adversaries. In medieval times also, you see plenty of sieges involving fleets blockading harbors and supporting land forces with artillery, like during the Siege of Constantinople in 1453. Naval vessels were definitely vulnerable to various hazards, but so were siege towers and battering rams; it all depended on how commanders mitigated those risks.
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While I'm no expert, from what I’ve read, yes, ships were used in sieges. I mean think about it, a lot of the ancient cities you're thinking about were coastal for trading purposes. So it seems logical that naval power was a factor. Just off top of my head, I remember that the Vikings loved using their longships in siege warfare. Someone else probably knows more though.