![]() ![]() ![]() Next the shot was rammed in, followed by another wad to prevent the cannonball from rolling out of the barrel if the muzzle was depressed. Gunpowder was placed in the barrel, either loose or in a cloth or parchment cartridge pierced by a metal 'pricker' through the touch hole, and followed by a cloth wad (typically made from canvas and old rope), then rammed home with a rammer. A wet swab was used to mop out the interior of the barrel, extinguishing any embers from a previous firing which might set off the next charge of gunpowder prematurely. Powder boys, typically 10–14 years old, were enlisted to run powder from the magazine up to the gun decks of a vessel as required.Ī typical firing procedure follows. ![]() The propellant was gunpowder, whose bulk had to be kept in the magazine, a special storage area below deck for safety. touch hole (or vent) in which the fuse or other ignition device is inserted Firing of an 18-pounder aboard a French shipįiring a naval cannon required a great amount of labour and manpower. 1680), painted by Willem van de Velde the Younger Essential parts of a cannon: 1. These characteristics, along with the handling and seamanship of the ships that mounted them, defined the environment in which the naval tactics in the Age of Sail developed.įiring The cannon shot (c. By modern standards, these cannon were extremely inefficient, difficult to load, and short ranged. Naval artillery in the Age of Sail encompasses the period of roughly 1571–1862: when large, sail-powered wooden naval warships dominated the high seas, mounting a large variety of types and sizes of cannon as their main armament. ![]()
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