Carronade/Long Gun Position on Deck?

[mikiek]

Guessing this area is where my question should go.

 

I'm working on a MS Niagara build. The MS kit has no sails and I'm not planning on adding them. So in the display case Niagara will appear "docked".

 

A lot of the models I see have the gunnery extended out thru the gunports. I suspect during an action this would be the case.

 

I was just wondering on the original ship (or any ship for that matter), how/where the carronades would be positioned when the ship was docked or "at ease"?  BTW the carronades are mounted on a 2 piece sled-like carriage. The front of the bottom sled is pinned to the gunport sill - basically stationary. The barrel is mounted to the upper sled which can be moved outward or inward. That's the one I'm wondering about.

[mtaylor]

Mike,

 

I think this is a case of "Captain's Choice".  Some ships had two-piece lids and the guns were left run out with the lid closing around the barrel.  Running out does give the crew more room on deck.  Also, given the location of this ship's theater of operations (the Great Lakes), my guess would be that any Captain would want the ship ready for action pretty fast. 

[mikiek]

Good point Mark. My first inclination was to retract them inwards all the way. Assuming at dock you wouldn't want the barrels sticking out and getting caught on some mooring line. But "ready for action" is an important factor.

 

I'm not ready to actually mount the guns yet. I just took a break from the boat and started working on the carronades. I've got several finished except for gluing the top sled to the bottom and that's where the question came up.

[jbshan]

Since there are no port lids, though there may have been 'bucklers' for heavy weather, I think you could just go ahead and have them run out.  There would be no 'docking', the vessels would have used their anchors.

[Mark P]

Hi Mike;

 

In the Royal Navy,  carronades (at least those mounted inboard,  not the very early ones) when not in use were swung parallel to the bulwarks,  with their pivot pin placed differently,  and lashed (or pinned?) in position.  There is a good contemporary illustration of this parallel position on page 132 of Brian Lavery's 'Arming and Fitting.' 

 

With the long guns I am not sure what was done,  but it would seem that they would need to be run out until the front of the carriage was tight to the bulwarks,  and then lashed to the timberheads.  This both freed up the maximum amount of deck,  and left no slack in the ropes for them to heave around in a seaway.  There would be no reason to change this when docked,  so I say 'run 'em out!'

 

Happy modelling!

 

Mark P 

[Mark P]

Hi Mike;

 

You're quite right there.  Trouble is,  that doesn't work on the top deck,  because there's no upper cill.

 

All the best,

 

Mark

[mikiek]

That's a good read Spyglass.

 

A little off topic for this forum but while we're talking about it - the kit does not supply any type of pin for fastening the carronade to the planksheer. I don't mind making something but it would be good to know what it looks like. Something fancy? Just a piece of wire?

 

Happy Holidays everyone!

[Mark P]

Hi Mike;

 

All the illustrations I have seen have just showed a pin like a steel rivet.  When dropped in from above, the dome-shaped head stopped it falling through the hole.

 

Happy Christmas to All!!

 

Mark P

[mikiek]

That's perfect!  It will give me a chance to use the new rivet punch set I got a few weeks ago.