The revival of ramming had a significant effect on naval tactics . Since the 17th century the predominant tactic of naval warfare had been the line of battle , where a fleet formed a long line to give it the best fire from its broadside guns . This tactic was totally unsuited to ramming , and the ram threw fleet tactics into disarray . The question of how an ironclad fleet should deploy in battle to make best use of the ram was never tested in battle , and if it had been , combat might have shown that rams could only be used against ships which were already stopped dead in the water .