Glossary

Amidships

The center of a ship, especially the area between the masts or bridges.

Beam

In a direction toward the side of a ship at right angles to the center-line. Along the side of a ship. A ship on its beam ends has flipped over on its side without capsizing.

Boat Gun

A small, manually loaded cannon used to fire at torpedo boats and destroyers. Usually rated according to shell weight, i.e. - 12 pounder, 6 pounder, etc. In Battlefleet, boat guns are averaged into one master category in order to speed game play.

Bridge

The main command center of a vessel, including map room, platforms and other structures related to operating the vessel.

Capsize

Flip upside down. Very bad.

Conning Tower

The armored command center of a ship, usually located immediately under the bridge. In Battlefleet, also synonymous with a bridge hit.

Funnel

The smokestack. Used to eject smoke from a ship's boilers and maintain a fresh supply of oxygen to the fires. Collapsed funnels could cause a ship to lose speed due to "choked" boilers caused by the resulting inadequate draft.

List

To tilt or incline to one side. Happens to a vessel when water enters, flooding one area more than others. A vessel which suffers severe listing may capsize.

Magazine

The section of a vessel where the gunpowder for its guns is stored. Historically, exploding magazines have sunk the battleships Arizona, Hood and Borodino to name a few.

Port

Left. As in the port side of a ship, or turning to port (turning to the left).

Round

For game purposes, one cannon shell fired out of one cannon is a round. A gun which has a rate-of-fire of two can fire two rounds each turn. Each round fired in Battlefleet actually represents several "real life" shells due to each turn representing three minutes (i.e. - Rounds in Battlefleet are abstractions of actual firepower).

Salvo

A series of several cannon rounds "fired for effect" or otherwise meant to cause damage. Opposed to spotting rounds, which are single shots used merely to aid in range estimation.

Sponson

The part of a gun platform which partially projects over the side of a ship. Used to increase the arc-of-fire of a gun position, especially toward the front or rear of a vessel.

Starboard

Right. As in the starboard side of a vessel or turning to starboard (turning to the right). Combined slang: an object spotted off the starboard beam would mean something seen out off the right side of a vessel.

Stem

The extreme front end of a vessel. A stem gun is a small cannon built into the extreme forward "nose" of a ship.

Stern

The rear end or back of a vessel.