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And if the tarn ships of Cos and Tyros should use their rams, we hoped that, in the moments it would take to disengage the ram, the grappling irons and the grappling bridges might be brought into play. - (Raiders of Gor, Chapter 17, Sentence #72)

We had crowded far more armed men into each of these round ships than would be carried even in the normal crew of a heavy-class tarn ship. The common strategy with a round ship is to shear and board, because, normally, one wishes not to sink the ship but take it as a prize. This strategy, however, we expected would work, under the present conditions, to our advantage. And if the tarn ships of Cos and Tyros should use their rams, we hoped that, in the moments it would take to disengage the ram, the grappling irons and the grappling bridges might be brought into play. Meanwhile, of course, the numerous bowmen, and the men at the springals, catapults and onagers would be keeping up a heavy fire, the more devastating, the closer the distance. It was my hope that my round ships, with their large, free crews, and their artillery, and their boarding potentialities, might be a match for even heavy-class tarn ships. In effect, rather than do sea battle, they would attempt to close with the enemy and, via the rails and the grappling bridges, board her and fight what would be, for most practical purposes, a land engagement at sea. - (Raiders of Gor)