Back then they had all sorts of weapons not just cannons.
If you've played Empire: Total War you'll know back then they had morter cannons and they used fireworks as weapons, they also had the puckle gun (which was very successful) and the Gattling Gun.
If you read the original book the rest of the channel fleet is lying off shore, Thunder Child just happened to be the closest ship to the evacuation. When the refugee fleet was safe the fleet turned to engage the martians.
The Jeff Wayne version of War of the World, Thunderchild actually has me in tears. The crew of Thunderchild know they can't win, that if they fight they'll die, but they go in anyway. They have a duty and they go in guns blazing, making the martians fight for it and going out in a blaze of glory to buy time for the refugee fleet to escape. If thats not heroism, I don't know what is
Many boats were designed with shallow draughts including Cyclops range boats that were rather small. I don't think Wells said Thunder Child was HMS Polyphemus though I'm sure it could qualify. I've read other things about Polyphemus before and I agree, this makes for a viable ship. I just imagined an earlier obsolete vessel of Devastation class because I wanted to use poetic licence and the obsolete muzzle loaders. This aspect took me and Thunderer's gun accident ended muzzles by 1889 plus name.
The HMS Polyphemus (1879), the "Thunder Child" of Well's story (1899), was an obsolete torpedo ram. Designed for shallow draught and high speed, to dash into enemy harbors and fire off a spread of the then-new Whitehead self-propelled torpedoes, she would have been able to fight in the shallow waters around the mouth of the Blackwater river, where the equally shallow draft channel steamers were making their escape. Her low freeboard and small superstructure made her hard to spot.
Back then they had all sorts of weapons not just cannons.
If you've played Empire: Total War you'll know back then they had morter cannons and they used fireworks as weapons, they also had the puckle gun (which was very successful) and the Gattling Gun.
badwolf66 1 day ago
If you read the original book the rest of the channel fleet is lying off shore, Thunder Child just happened to be the closest ship to the evacuation. When the refugee fleet was safe the fleet turned to engage the martians.
loudelk99 4 days ago
The Jeff Wayne version of War of the World, Thunderchild actually has me in tears. The crew of Thunderchild know they can't win, that if they fight they'll die, but they go in anyway. They have a duty and they go in guns blazing, making the martians fight for it and going out in a blaze of glory to buy time for the refugee fleet to escape. If thats not heroism, I don't know what is
weldonwin 1 month ago 2
@weldonwin If I find it ill read it sounds interesting :)
themagby2 2 days ago
I would like a story of the war of the worlds from the eyes of a royal marine
SuperMrBentley 6 months ago
Many boats were designed with shallow draughts including Cyclops range boats that were rather small. I don't think Wells said Thunder Child was HMS Polyphemus though I'm sure it could qualify. I've read other things about Polyphemus before and I agree, this makes for a viable ship. I just imagined an earlier obsolete vessel of Devastation class because I wanted to use poetic licence and the obsolete muzzle loaders. This aspect took me and Thunderer's gun accident ended muzzles by 1889 plus name.
escole48 6 months ago
The HMS Polyphemus (1879), the "Thunder Child" of Well's story (1899), was an obsolete torpedo ram. Designed for shallow draught and high speed, to dash into enemy harbors and fire off a spread of the then-new Whitehead self-propelled torpedoes, she would have been able to fight in the shallow waters around the mouth of the Blackwater river, where the equally shallow draft channel steamers were making their escape. Her low freeboard and small superstructure made her hard to spot.
fallout1111 6 months ago
Where are the rest of the Channel fleet?
svartekaptenen 1 year ago
@svartekaptenen the rest of the Channel fleet are in the Channel - poor old Thunder Child went down the river Blackwater... :)
escole48 1 year ago
Fairwell, Thunder Child!
ohmss069 1 year ago 6