Caribbean Tales - Ships - Weapons
The Pirates of the Golden Age carried a
large number of assorted weapons. This was just as vital in defending themselves
as in gaining their plunder. In order to fight for a prize ship or better yet
have the opposing crew surrender in fear without much of a fight, it was essential
to be well armed. The types of weapons used by pirates were the same as those
in common use among the other seafarers of the times. As pirates were basically
sea robbers most of their weapons were stolen from their victims.
Popular belief is that pirates sailed large warships with dozens of cannon.
While some pirates did this most preferred a small fast ship with less cannons.
These large cannon weighed hundreds of pounds and it would take several crew
members to effectively operate a single gun. Since most of the pirates' victims
were lightly armed or unarmed merchant ships. It was not as necessary to carry
a lot of this type of firepower which would require the use of larger and slower
ships. Most pirates would rely instead on speed and superior numbers of armed
men to capture their booty.
Grenado
These were an early form of hand grenade that were in common use by 1700. They
were also called powder flasks. The ones used by pirates were small hollow balls
that were about two ounces in weight. These were made of iron, glass or wood
and filled with gunpowder. They had a fuse that was lit just before being thrown
at there intended target. The explosive result might cause great bodily damage
and could totally demoralize a Merchant ship's crew. However, they were not
totally reliable and could present a serious danger to the user as well.
Stinkpot
These were pots that were filled with chemicals that when set on fire created
a cloud of very foul smelling odour. The pots were hurled at the deck of the
victim's ship in hopes of causing the opposing crew to cough and gag thus becoming
sick and creating confusion.
Cannon
|
There were many differant sizes and types of cannon which fired a variety of
shot types. Since pirates did not intend to sink their prey, they were usually
loaded with a selection of ammunition effective against personal or rigging
and sail. These included gravel, nails, and small cannon or musket balls often
combined into a single charge for use against personal. Chain shot would have
been used for damaging the rigging and sail.
The 16th Century, Birth of Naval Artillery.
It is certain that missile throwing devices have been a part of naval vessels
since recorded history. For instance, early Roman ships mounted small catapults
that launched flaming pots of oil and stones at enemy vessels. However the cannon
did not truly establish a foot hold aboard European ships until the Sixteenth
Century, 200 years after its introduction in the armies on the continent. The
main reason was the portability of cannons.
At around the time of Columbus' voyage to the New World, naval artillery consisted
of the same heavy artillery used on land. The wheels had been removed and the
gun had been mounted to flimsy frames. The guns were lashed down to the upper
decks and there was no way to sight them, other than by trial and error.
By the end of the 16th Century, Naval artillery
had been born. The guns were now mounted on small two or four wheel carriages,
making them portable. The muzzle loading barrel was attached to the carriages
using a trunnion and elevation was adjusted by driving in and out the quoin
supporting the breech. Swivel guns were mounted on the poop deck and along the
railing to repel boarders and the main guns had been strategically placed to
provide all around security for the ship. Chase guns were placed at the bow
and stern of the ship and on the larger ships as many as fifty guns may have
been carried. The majority of the guns were placed on the side of a ship.
The main tactic for attacking another ship was
to show the side of your ship to the foe and deliver a broadside attack, or
fire all of your guns into their ship. The key to success was to do so with
out allowing your enemy to get in position to do the same to you. England had
managed to defeat the Spanish Armada in 1588, partly due to their more maneuverable
ships as well as the longer range of the English guns over those carried on
the Spanish Galleons.
Seventeenth Century.
The main changes in the 17th century involved sizes and numbers. European ships
were now carrying as many as 100 guns on three separate decks. 42 pounder guns
were often the standard gun on the bottom decks. Special shots or artillery
rounds were being developed especially for naval use. Barshot, chain shot, were
rounds designed to destroy rigging and sails. Bundle shot, canister, grape shot
were used against personnel. Cluster rounds and Sangrenel rounded out the variety
of shots fired from the Cannon.
The Eighteenth Century
Ships of War had improved dramatically by the opening of the 18th Century,
In fact, the Golden Age of Piracy was probably the Golden Age of Sail as well.
Cast Iron muzzle loaders ranging from the small 6 pounders to the large 32 pounders
were the general rule. Elevation was adjusted by a modified quoin under the
breech and the general science of trajectory was better understood. Fixed loads
of powder were calculated for the guns improving accuracy and the guns were
secured to the sides of the ships by heavy breech ropes passed through or around
the casabels, limiting recoil and aiding in the reloading of the guns. Side
tackles were also added as well as small ramps behind the guns to aid in pulling
them back into firing position.
The Naval Artillery had unheard of range of about 2,000 yards (meters) by this
time. Of course most engagements were fought at under 1,000 yards and sometimes
within pistol shot (25 to 50 yards) The only innovation in artillery rounds
for this time period was the art of heating solid iron shot to a red hot condition
before firing the round. It was a tricky affair, because the heat of the hot
iron could cause a cook off, that is an early discharge of the cannon, thus
killing your own cannoneers. The usual method for firing red hot iron was to
swab the barrel with water then dry the inside, add the powder, followed by
a plug of wood and then the loose fitting hot iron. The purpose of using the
hot iron was to set the other ship on fire.
The art of explosive shells also came of age. An explosive cannon ball fitted
with a timed fuse would be fired from the gun. If the timing was done properly,
the shell would explode when it reached the other ship. Some of the cannons
began using a flintlock mechanism for firing instead of the flaming torch that
is used in so many movies. The torch could be used but the flintlock was more
reliable and much safer. The mechanism worked by pulling a lanyard instead of
a trigger.
Why were guns called 6 pounder and 24 pounder guns?
Pounder refers to the size of a gun. A six pounder fired a solid shot of lead
which weighed approximately 6 pounds. A 32 pounder fired a ball of lead that
weighed approximately 32 pounds. This says little about the approximate weight
of the cast iron gun.
For Instance: type bore size gun weight shot weight powder weight
2 pounder 2.5 in 600 lbs 2 lbs 3 1/2 lbs
6 pounder 3 1,000-1,500 lbs 6 lbs 6 lbs
24 pounder 4.5 in 3,000-4,000 lbs 24 lbs 14 lbs
32 pounder 5 in 4,000-5,000 lbs 32 lbs 18 lbs
As you can see the weight of the cannon had to significantly increase as the
size of the shot increased. However the weight ratio of powder to shot decreases
as the shot gets larger. Most of the weight of the gun is centered around the
breech of the gun where the explosion takes place and most of the pressure is
exerted. Guns wore out relatively fast, usually being good for 500 to 1,000
shots before being rendered unsafe to use anymore.
The Carronade
Mounted on a slide instead of a carriage the
Carronade was a short barreled weapon of limited range, typically half to a
third the range of a long gun. However its lighter weight allowed it to be mounted
on a higher deck. They were manufactured in the usual naval caliber's 12, 18,
24 and 32 pounders, with some smaller and heavier versions.
The Victory's two 68 pounders are mounted on the fo'c'sle and could unleash
a storm of grapeshot across an enemy's deck prior to boarding. At the battle
of Trafalgar Victory devastated one of the Bucentaures' gun decks
when it fired a 68 pound round shot and a keg of musket balls through the stern
gallery.
Long Guns/Cannons
As with the Carronades the Long Guns took their
description from the weight of round shot they fired, from 32 down to 6 pounders.
The length of the barrel varied as well, the 24 pounder was manufactured in
6 different lengths, three of which were in common use.
The 32 pounder fired a shot just over 6 inches in diameter and with a full charge
of 10lb 11oz could make an extreme range of 2000 yards.
Different weights of powder were used, 'distance with one shot' was the full
10lb 11 oz charge, 'full with one shot was an 8lb charge, 'reduced with two
shot' was a 6lb charge ( to avoid bursting the gun), 'exercise and saluting'
was 6lb, and 'scaling and blank' which was fired to remove rust or attract attention
was 2lb 12oz. They were fired with a flintlock mechanism.
In the picture above grapeshot is in canvas bags on the gun carriage, and the
bar shot (for destroying the enemies rigging) on the deck. The 32 pounder guns
were mounted on the lower gundeck about 6 feet (2 metres) above the waterline.
Lighter guns being mounted on succeding decks.
The recoil on these guns was controlled with ropes, a 32 pounder with a standard
charge and restrained would recoil approximaletly 11 feet (3.3 metres) as it
was fired. Unrestrained with a full proof charge (the charge used when the gun
was proofed before being used in a ship) the 3 ton gun would recoil over 50
feet (15 metres).
Extreme ranges were seldom used in battle, a pistol shot or thirty yards was
more common. Distances were often described by reference to various of the ships
guns, so a pistol shot was 25 to 30 yards, a musket shot about 200 yards and
a gunshot about 1000 yards. At such close ranges the power of penetration of
roundshot was impressive, at 30 yards an 18 pound shot would penetrate four
oak planks 32.5 inches thick (just under 1 meter thick), hurling a shower of
splinters up to thirty yards. At 300 yards range a 32 pounder firing grapeshot
could penetrate 5 inches of fir planking and 4 of oak.
Artillery Rounds
Bar Shot: Long metal bars that were fired into
sails or at the side of ship. Their purpose was to make large gaping holes.
Bundle Shot: This was similar to the Bar Shot but especially designed for personnel. Several short iron bars would be bundled together with a length of rope. The bundles would be custom made to fit snugly down the bore of a cannon. Once fired, the rope would loosen and the iron bars would begin to spread apart. Once these bars hit anything they would begin tumbling, wreaking havoc to bone and flesh.
Canister or Case Shot: Similar to a Bundle Shot but in this case a large cask or metal container would be filled with small iron balls or stone.
Chain Shot: These were two or three cast iron balls that were attached together by a length of chain. They were loaded down the barrel one at a time. When fired they would fly through the air in a some what erratic behavior. However when they hit something solid they caused major damage, wrapping around masts and reducing them to splinters or breaking through a deck only for one of the balls to get snagged thus forcing the other ball to violently rip back through in the opposite direction, or taking out whole sails by simply ripping them to shreds.
Grape Shot: Very similar to Canister. Iron balls approximately one inch in diameter. were packed down the barrels between two wooden discs. Case or Canister round would release their deadly rain of steel on impact. Grape Shot released its hell at the bore of the gun. Very effective at close range. It was often used to repel boarders.
Sangrenel: This was probably the most deadly or feared of the anti-personnel rounds. Simply put, it was a cloth bag of jagged scrap iron. The bag disintegrated when the powder ignited and jagged bits of iron flew in all directions. The wounds it produced were hideous and there was little possibility of removing the jagged iron from a body without causing grave danger, even if it were partially exposed.
Swivel Guns or Patarero
Swivel guns or Patarero were small guns
or sometimes multi barrel rifles that were mounted along the railing of a ship.
Their mount allowed the gun to swivel in a full circle to allow reloading. The
purpose of the swivel gun was to allow the sailors to repel boarders. The mounting
on the rail gave a steady platform to insure accurate fire as well the ability
to fire large calibre rifles or small cannons with little or no recoil to the
operator.
The guns would usually be loaded just before an engagement but not mounted until
the enemy began to close. It was then a simple matter to lift the light weight
cannon into its socket mount and let go with a mini broadside just as the enemy
boarded. By not mounting the swivel guns until the last second, the enemy would
be at a loss for where the weakest place to board might be. Also a ship would
not need as many swivel guns if they remained unmounted because they could be
moved to where they were needed. That is, if the enemy were preparing to board
on port side all the guns would be mounted on the port side because there would
be no need for them on the starboard side. Swivel guns were relatively small
and were not effective at extremely long range, but at close range against a
man with a cutlass they were devastating.
Multi-barrelled rifles or volley guns were used on very rare occasions, if ever, and served the same purpose as volley pistols, only with a longer range. The idea was to allow one man the ability to put a lot of shots into the rigging in the hopes of hitting a target, similar to the suppressive fire of today's machine guns. The problem with such weapons were the length of time to reload vs. the number of shots they produced made them impractical, especially on a ship. Also, most volley guns laid the barrels (typically 25) side by side which took up a lot of space. Their one semi-practical use was in repelling bridge crossings.(Which means it was more likely that raiding pirates were more likely to run into a volley gun than use one on their ships. Volley rifles or Guns became more practical when breech loading and metallic cartridges were introduced. (Long after the Golden age of Piracy). They were quickly superceded by the Galting Gun.
English Swivel Gun, 17th Century
