"Building me a Gun yawl for the Finnish War 1808" Topic

Hi

At several occations during the Finnish war 1808 the swedish troops was supported by the Swedish Archipelago fleet so I thought I should build me a ship to support my infantry troops.

I have decided to build me the smalest ship in the Archipelago fleet a A gun yawl (kanonjolle) it´s armament consisted of single 18- to 24-pound gun at stern. The heavy gun and the small size of the vessel required that the design have a distinct tail for stability.

You can read a bit more and see more WIP pictures at my blog.

Very cool! Thanks for posting this, it's looking great.

The only problem I can see with your plan is that you say you do not intend to fight any sea battles, just use them for support in fights on land. Clearly this model is begging for companion pieces to fight on the waters :)

Something we totally overlook living further west. Scandinavia and the Baltic in Boney's time.

I always think of Finns as flying planes with a hakarista marking, or leading reindeer that are pulling artillery pieces…even with their coastal navy and that monitor "battleship"…..were there not two? Must check……..

Great work.

Finland was what the Russians and Swedish fought over. Both had High-Sea fleets and in-shore fleets or Archipelago fleets. The battles where fought over lots of islands. So lots of small boats. Have a look at Langton's web-site on the Baltic fleet models of both sides and both types of fleets. O.K. Langton's are 1-1200 scale, but may give you ideas. Some boats carried cavalry.
Be safe
Rory
P.S. Like your model

that monitor "battleship"…..were there not two?

Yes. Ilmarinen and Vainamoinen – named after the two chief characters from the Kalevala.

Interesting. Studying the drawing of the gun yawl, the bore was huge. The angle of the gun suggests the tactic of skipping the rounds across the surface in an attempt to hole the opponnent at or below waterline, or target similar small vessels.

Now I have heard everything. "Some boats carried cavalry". ….

Fascinating what imagination wargamers do show in finding such "obscure" campaigns…which offer something so different.

I had no idea why Westfalia were doing all these weird Persian troops for example. Russians in Corfu? Tyrolese against Bavarians? (I am currently reading "Swords around a Throne by Elting" and learning a lot!)

I am beginning to realise how much this was the First World War in truth.

The modelling is great. Beats anything I have done coach-wise. Plastic sheet/rod/strip and brass is a cinch by comparison!

Deadhead,
The in-shore fleets carried all types of troops around the islands and water-ways of the Baltic coast. That is how the armies moved. The biggest ships small 6th rate frigates had oars as well as sails. The Swedes and Russians used them and galley's down to the Kannonslup 2 guns and the Kannonjolle 1 gun.
All used for landings and large in-shore naval battles.
Be safe
Rory

Cool.

Hi

Glad that you like my start of the ship build. I are in the progress off adding the crew, first the rowers that I make from Perry plastic minis, you can read a bit more as well as see some more pictures at my blog.

Best regards Michael

I had no idea you were adding rowers. This is going to be quite unique. I love to see scratch building. The boat is great, but the figures will transform it yet further. What heads?

Will the gun be manned? It must take a brave spongeman/rammer and loader to operate! Good swimmers would seem best………? I do see that one of your pictures does show such heroes in action. Hence the front platform I guess, not just for buoyancy.

PS In the few minutes since I posted this I now see you have addressed this very issue on your blog…….!

Hi

I updated my blog with more pictures of the gun yawl with the rowers and gun crew, most of them with heads from brigade games (british royal marines heads), just painting left now…

Best regards Michael

If you decide to do a second yawl (or a larger gunboat or galley?), you can get rowers in many scales from Shapeways. A user named HOLDEN8702 makes galley rower sets in a number of scales, and will rescale them if asked (I just had him create a set in 1/600 for me). Search Shapeways for "rowers", or go to the storefront for HOLDEN8702 and search there.

- Ix

God morning

I just posted a bunch of pictures at my blog of the finished Gun yawl I scratch built for my Finnish war 1808 project.

Have a rerally good day !

Best regards Michael

I only just noticed – your oarsmen are backwards.

Other than that, this is a really sweet little scratch building project.

- Ix

Excellent stuff!

Thank you very much ! glad you liked My build!

The oarsmen are not backwards. The Gun are in the tail of the gun yawl's so the oarsmen have their back to the front of the Yawl wich they should. Suppouse the odd form, with the "tail", of the Gun yawl can mess things up ;)

This is a wonderful and highly imaginative project. What about that water effect? If that cannon is loaded with canister, God help the lads on the shore…….

Thanks !

Tha water on the ship Base are just PVA glue that i painted dark blue and gave a dry brusch of light blue and then a gloss varnish:)

The gun is a stern chaser? I stand corrected. And a bit weirded out… How the heck did they aim that thing? The rudder must have been pretty tricky, too.

Is this a Chapman design? That would explain a lot. :-)

- Ix

Indeed a Stern chaser and it is inspired by af Chapman design. But this kind of Gun yawl was used at least both in Denmark and norway.

The rudder are played at the end of the tail and was manuvered by ropes och a long Staf than reaced the siede of the Gun and was moves when the Gun should fire. I left that details out of My build.