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For the unit of the same name in Command & Conquer (1995), see Gunboat (Tiberian Dawn). |
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The Gunboat is the Allies' small, versatile vessel whose main role is reconnaissance and support of larger, more cumbersome vessels.
Background[]
Faced with the impending invasion, the Allied navy, a navy that consists of many nations with varied capability, require an ad interim design quickly to support the resistance effort. The gunboat was the resulting stopgap solution as it was the most inexpensive unit that could engage Soviet submarines.
The gunboat is not the Allies' main naval unit; it served as the Allies' interim response to a Soviet naval assault until destroyers could arrive on the scene. Gunboats were deployed to patrol nearby waters for Soviet submarines or providing limited naval fire support.
Legacy[]
Red Alert Universe[]
The gunboat, along with its medium counterpart were replaced by a new model of destroyer of the Third World War.
Tiberium Universe[]
The concept of an inexpensive, lightweight and maneuverable vessel to harass enemy shore positions and provide fire support for friendly troops operating close to the shore continued to see use in the decades following the war, with the Global Defense Initiative using a modern gunboat design during the First Tiberium War. Compared to its Allied precursors, the GDI gunboat was much more powerful despite lacking depth charges, being instead armed with Tomahawk missiles that allowed it to engage both ground and air targets from long range, putting its firepower on a level more comparable to the Allied destroyer.
Game unit[]
| “ | The fastest and lightest of the Allied naval vessels, the Gunboat is good at scouting naval routes, and detecting Submarines before they can cause any mischief. Its depth charge launcher will automatically fire at any Submarine that is detected nearby. - Red Alert manual(src) |
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The gunboat's weapon is a bow-mounted 2 inch (50.8 mm) gun and a single depth charge launcher. It is lightly armored and can match Soviet submarines only in superior numbers. The 2-inch gun is of limited use for shore bombardment due to its short range, which puts the gunboat at risk of being fired upon from land units such as tanks.
The gunboat is the first tier of the Allied Navy, being inexpensive and available early in the game. However, it is weak and of limited capability. A gunboat will easily lose a one to one engagement against a Soviet submarine, however, Allied commanders can take advantage of the gunboat's lower cost to enjoy numerical superiority over submarines.
Allied commanders will switch to destroyers once they become available, which while being more expensive and slower, are stronger and more powerful. Destroyers are also much more versatile, as their anti-surface capability has a much longer range, as well as having anti-aircraft capabilities.
Trivia[]
- The gunboat bears a vague resemblance to the Osprey 55-class gunboat.
Gallery[]
Cameos[]
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See also[]
 Allied Second World War Arsenal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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