huevans011 | 31 Dec 2019 10:23 p.m. PST |
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Munster | 01 Jan 2020 12:49 a.m. PST |
Ouch, more detail would have been interesting |
14Bore | 01 Jan 2020 7:24 a.m. PST |
Does bring a lot more visual reality to ship warfare. |
Lascaris | 01 Jan 2020 7:39 a.m. PST |
It would have been cool to get a comparison of the extent of damage done by the 3 different size shots. I've always been curious that once within penetration range how much difference would you see between different caliber guns. |
14th NJ Vol | 01 Jan 2020 8:01 a.m. PST |
Wood splinters the age of sail equivalent to metal spalling in an armored vehicle. Exterior damage minor but inside ouch. |
NotNelson1 | 01 Jan 2020 8:22 a.m. PST |
Am I right in thinking that those were carronades rather than long guns? Presumably long guns would have had a higher velocity making it even worse. |
NOLA Chris | 01 Jan 2020 8:25 a.m. PST |
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ColCampbell | 01 Jan 2020 8:28 a.m. PST |
Yes, they are carronades. States that at the beginning of the video. This is a recreation of the US brig Lawrence of Battle of Lake Erie fame. Jim |
ColCampbell | 01 Jan 2020 8:38 a.m. PST |
And here's a video of the firing of a 24-lb carronade from the modern recreation of the US brig Niagara on Lake Erie. YouTube link Jim |
War Artisan | 01 Jan 2020 10:01 a.m. PST |
Presumably long guns would have had a higher velocity making it even worse. A higher velocity hit from the same caliber ball would result in a cleaner exit with fewer splinters. The advantage of long guns was their ability to do damage from longer range. What made carronades so dangerous was the combination of larger caliber with lower muzzle velocity; hence their contemporary nickname amongst the crew, "smashers". |
StarCruiser | 01 Jan 2020 10:07 a.m. PST |
With how slowly they handled that gun – they would have lost the battle twice! |
ScottWashburn | 01 Jan 2020 10:18 a.m. PST |
The target hull section is on display at the museum at Erie. When I looked at it from the exterior first, the damage seemed minimal because the natural springiness of wood fibers tended to close up around the holes. But as the video states, the interior damage was devastating with the cannon balls and wood splinters smashing everything in their path. |
lloydthegamer | 01 Jan 2020 10:24 a.m. PST |
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Dn Jackson | 01 Jan 2020 10:23 p.m. PST |
I wonder if the target was made of properly seasoned wood. |
42flanker | 02 Jan 2020 2:02 a.m. PST |
"With how slowly they handled that gun" 'Practice, practice, practice' |
14Bore | 02 Jan 2020 3:28 p.m. PST |
They no doubt were thinking safety,safety,safety |
ScottWashburn | 02 Jan 2020 7:24 p.m. PST |
@Dn Jackson, from what I've read of the hasty construction of both fleets, I doubt that many of the ships in the battle were made of properly seasoned wood, either. |
Dn Jackson | 02 Jan 2020 10:15 p.m. PST |
Scott, I had forgotten about that. Thanks for the reminder. |
138SquadronRAF | 12 Jan 2020 10:36 a.m. PST |
Attempts to have all carronade armed ships didn't go well. USS Essex springs to mind. For oceangoing vessels in the Royal Navy, Capt Henry Thorpe was a bit of a Carronade enthusiast, he fitted out two ships with the weapons. HMS Glatton and HMS Rainbow. HMS Glatton 56 gun ex-East Indianman was fitted with 42pdr carronades on the upper deck 68pdrs on the lower gun deck but the ports were too small to allow the larger guns to traverse properly. Interestingly, the 56 gun Glatton had a heavier broadside than HMS Victory. She was later rearmed with 18pdr long guns on the lower gun deck. One major problem was the ready use shot breaking free during a storm and rolling around on the lower gun deck – hilarity ensues. HMS Rainbow was probable the most successful but only had carronades during her last 6 years of service. |
ConnaughtRanger | 12 Jan 2020 2:28 p.m. PST |
I suspect the 68pdr carronades onboard VICTORY would have spoilt your day? |
War Artisan | 12 Jan 2020 9:57 p.m. PST |
Attempts to have all carronade armed ships didn't go well. Mostly. The exception would be small, unrated vessels (brig- and ship-rigged sloops of 12 to 20 guns) which had the speed and maneuverability to work their way into carronade range without suffering much from the fire of opposing long guns. |