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01-19-2013, 12:29 PM | #1 | ||
High King at Annuminas Administrator
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Gondor's Navy - through the Years
The Numenoreans were great sea-farers, and the twin kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor were established by sailing men. We don't see much of this by the end of the Third Age, at least in the recounting of LOTR. But some hints are present.
My initial thinking was that Gondor had largely ceased to be a naval power after the events of the Kin-Strife - about halfway through the Third Age. In 1447, Castamir's sons, their kin and other followers sailed their fleet away from Pelargir - to Umbar, and there established themselves as a separate kingdom. It is stated that; Quote:
Quote:
Even the Elves were blown away! And these would have been ship-building, sea-faring Elves! I searched through Appendix B, and found these dates somewhat relevant to Gondor's Navy: Second Age: 3319/3320 - Destruction of Numenor / founding of Arnor & Gondor 3429 - Subsequent to Sauron's attack on Gondor, Isildur goes north with his family to Elendil. He sails (it says he escapes down Anduin). I wonder about his route in the north - assuming Elendil was at Annuminas. Did he sail to Tharbad, then go by land? Up Baranduin as far as possible - either to Sarn Ford, or switching there to a shallower boat (still w/ sail). Or up the Lhun - especially if Elendil happened to be at Emyn Beraid, where he spent a considerable amount of time. Third Age: 830-1149 Reigns of the Ship-Kings (possibly the height of Gondor's Navy - for Gondor is said to have reached the time of its greatest power during the reign of the last of these): Tarannon Falastur (to 913), Earnil I (to 936), Ciryandil (to 1015), Hyarmendacil/Ciryaher (to 1149) 1437-1447 Kin-Strife; reign of Castamir the Usurper (who had been Captain of Ships - and preferred Pelargir over Osgiliath), ending with his death and the flight of his heirs - apparently with the full Navy of Gondor - to Umbar. 1634 King Minardil slain at Pelargir by Corsairs of Umbar (Indicating that Gondor's Navy was still weaker? Maybe - or else a successful surprise attack. Or - maybe this action spurred Gondor to resume greater ship-building efforts). 1636 Great Plague devastates Gondor (almost certainly hampers ship-building efforts) 1810 Telumehtar took Umbar by storm. This had to be naval-based, given the distance, the lands between, and the apparently defensibility of Umbar from land-based attacks (Gondor at times held it while all lands around were enemies). 1851 Attacks of Wainriders begin - certainly shifts Gondor's attention to land-based forces. 1944 Great battle at Dagorlad and "Battle of the Camp" - large land-based battles, Earnil II succeeds Ondoher, who dies in battle. 1975 Earnil II sends Great Fleet to Grey Havens. And, much later... ~2980 Aragorn (as Thorongil) leads attack of small fleet to burn many ships of the fleet in Umbar, and himself slays the Captain of the Havens. This sounds like a small guerilla operation against a superior foe - so apparently Gondor had little use for/ability to maintain its formerly large fleet in the 1000 years since crushing Angmar's forces in the North. Any thoughts?
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01-23-2013, 09:09 AM | #2 |
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Why would Gondor have needed a large navy before the King-strife?
They certainly had no trade northward, and who would they have been fighting against further south? AFAIK, there's no mention of either Sauron or any other forces threatening them by sea. Of course, it might have just been an oversight by those more interested in chronicling events in more northerly regions.
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01-24-2013, 03:56 PM | #3 | |
The Chocoholic Sea Elf Administrator
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Quote:
It would also be tactically a very good move to leave with every war-ship or transport they still controlled and leave nothing behind that Eldacar could use for pursuit or assault on Umbar. This would buy them plenty of time to prepare Umbar so that attacking it would be such a very bad and costly idea that Eldacar was better off forgetting all about Umbar to put his efforts in rebuilding a war-damaged Gondor. Yet I imagine Eldacar set to rebuilding a fleet right away (if only to be capable of defending against a naval attack from Umbar) but that still must have taken quite a while. It is also quite possible most, perhaps all, of the shipwrights, architects and experienced sailors had deflected to Umbar as well so Eldacar may really have had to start from scratch. Just imagine if there was no one at all left in Gondor that possessed any of the old Númenorean knowledge of naval construction, which had grown and changed substantially from the earlier Elven ship-building techniques. ( I daresay Elven ship-building had stagnated already since the First Age and no new technologies were developed there.) Gondor could have been set back centuries as they would have to try and learn it all again by trial and error. All that could very well give Umbar supremacy on the seas for years and years perhaps even a few centuries or more after the battle. |
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01-24-2013, 08:04 PM | #4 | ||
High King at Annuminas Administrator
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Quote:
I don't think it was so much in response to a threat, as... maybe being one? I think they could well have had much shipping trade to the north - with Arnor. At least as far as Tharbad, and maybe up the other rivers of Arnor as well. And I suppose in most cases - and I agree largely lacking other seafaring rivals (unless some of the southern kingdoms established by Numenoreans were so - the Haradrim) - that like ancient navies in our own histories, ships were largely used to transport troops, not for ship-to-ship combat. It's possible though, that forms of ship-to-ship combat happened in Middle Earth: via ramming, fire, use of projectiles, etc. But mostly, I think the navies provided the best transportation to bring troops up and down the coasts, and along other coastal waterways. Quote:
Now that I think of it, it's interesting that Castamir's sons first held out at Pelargir, before sailing off to Umbar. They could have sent messengers out to Umbar (and maybe other significant ports, further south), investigating how they might be welcomed - or whether they could deal with an unfriendly welcome - and awaiting replies before commiting themselves to a course of action. EDIT: Remember that Umbar was a possession of Gondor at this time. Castamir's sons had to 'test the water' (ooo... what a great punny use of that expression) about whether those governing in Umbar would welcome them, or if they might be resisted or later turned over to Eldacar.
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01-25-2013, 08:34 AM | #5 |
The Chocoholic Sea Elf Administrator
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That is indeed a possibility, however I think they could have been sufficiently sure of Umbar's hospitality since it would probably have been staffed by navy, and therefor allies. But I can imagine as they planned to go there with a large fleet and crew, they'd want to know whether Umbar was able to even house the whole lot. To receive that many permanent residents (most undoubtedly took their family along), I take it Umbar soon knew a housing boom!
Just imagine if Gondor under Castamir had used Umbar a bit like Syberia, and had send all the dissidents and political rivals there, that would have been quite problem for them. But I think the time Castamir's sons hung out at Pelargir was also used to give loyal troops that may have been dispersed after the battle, or that were stationed elsewhere along the Gondorean coast the time to gather. If they had planned to ascond with most of the fleet and leave Eldacar with nothing (rather than leaving with the fleet was just a consequence of them having many allies there) then that too would have taken planning and time. They would have had to stock enough supplies and such. |
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