Very interesting. Its a shame they didn't simulate the hammock stowage behind the bulkheads though. I would have like to see if that made any difference to the volume of splinters.
They put the hammocks etc on the top rail on these ships, that's what is on the top. I live in Erie,PA its a great sight to behold when it fires its guns during the 4th of July fireworks show.
You sound so sure. I still disagree with MB. Multiple simultaneous hits with even smaller sized shot will still spend a lot of energy in the form of broken and splintered wood.
Shoot a piece of wood with a .38 and look at the back side. Shoot the same piece of wood with 00 buck (Same diameter projectile) and look at the back side. The single round will leave a hole with ragged edges, but the 00 will leave a shredded exit side. Those cannon are by no means "huge".
As good a demonstration of the destructive power of a cannonball's effect on a wooden ship as I will probably ever see. Thanks to who set up the demo and the person who uploaed it.
No. This test was made with a much larger cannon of a type not even available in the golden age of piracy (you do rememder that the MB episode was about a "pirate myth"?). They used a six-pounder, completely realistic for their intentions. That the results of a huge naval cannon appropriate to a man-of-war a hundred years later are different (as seen in this video) doesn't invalidate their test at all.
@LutzDerLurch Yes indeed. And my point (and the point of the Mythbusters show) was that a typical pirate ship would have been much smaller. I don't really know of any instance where a pirate actually captained a full man-o-war..
True. However, Their PRey were heavily armed and thick-walled Merchant-Men, and to penetrate those Ships Hulls, the Pirates usualy had some above-average Sized Guns for their Ships. 12 Pounders were a timeless favourite back then.
Anyways, they preferred Hand-to-Hand Combat over lengthy Firefights.
wow. sailors had more courage back then.
mightycowhero 3 years ago
Very few seamen died in battle, but it took a tremendous amount of courage/fatalism to spend years in an occupation like that, naval or not.
ppitm 2 years ago
Very interesting. Its a shame they didn't simulate the hammock stowage behind the bulkheads though. I would have like to see if that made any difference to the volume of splinters.
MrDidz 2 years ago
They put the hammocks etc on the top rail on these ships, that's what is on the top. I live in Erie,PA its a great sight to behold when it fires its guns during the 4th of July fireworks show.
vector6977 1 year ago
The website says that they did this at a range of 2000 yards. 2000 yards? A firing range in a field? *Carronades?* Was that a typo?
ppitm 3 years ago
200 yards would be pushing it for carronades, I'm guessing an extra zero or two snuck in.
mllaneza 3 years ago
Agreed! The 32 lb. carronades on the Constitution were only used in situations of 200 yards or less.
Truthseekerfinder 2 years ago
You sound so sure. I still disagree with MB. Multiple simultaneous hits with even smaller sized shot will still spend a lot of energy in the form of broken and splintered wood.
Shoot a piece of wood with a .38 and look at the back side. Shoot the same piece of wood with 00 buck (Same diameter projectile) and look at the back side. The single round will leave a hole with ragged edges, but the 00 will leave a shredded exit side. Those cannon are by no means "huge".
PadreWillie 3 years ago
Check the link for the site I grabbed the video from.
mllaneza 3 years ago
As good a demonstration of the destructive power of a cannonball's effect on a wooden ship as I will probably ever see. Thanks to who set up the demo and the person who uploaed it.
Urineculture 3 years ago
Yeah, it's pretty obvious why they painted the gundecks red - those splinters would tear people up. There are honest-to-god *boards* flying around.
mllaneza 3 years ago
After watching this, I'd say the Mythbuster duo is busted.
PadreWillie 3 years ago 6
No. This test was made with a much larger cannon of a type not even available in the golden age of piracy (you do rememder that the MB episode was about a "pirate myth"?). They used a six-pounder, completely realistic for their intentions. That the results of a huge naval cannon appropriate to a man-of-war a hundred years later are different (as seen in this video) doesn't invalidate their test at all.
3ng4n 3 years ago
Right. And a 6 pounder was a small gun on 2nd rate and 3rd rate ships.
24 pounder long guns were the main cannons from the early 1700s to the 1840s. They could pass through 30 inches of oak at 100 yards.
Truthseekerfinder 2 years ago
@3ng4n A late 17th and 18th C. Man-o-War carried something between 6 and 42 Pounders.
LutzDerLurch 1 year ago
@LutzDerLurch Yes indeed. And my point (and the point of the Mythbusters show) was that a typical pirate ship would have been much smaller. I don't really know of any instance where a pirate actually captained a full man-o-war..
3ng4n 1 year ago
True. However, Their PRey were heavily armed and thick-walled Merchant-Men, and to penetrate those Ships Hulls, the Pirates usualy had some above-average Sized Guns for their Ships. 12 Pounders were a timeless favourite back then.
Anyways, they preferred Hand-to-Hand Combat over lengthy Firefights.
LutzDerLurch 1 year ago