HMS Trincomalee - guns - question regarding extra pieces

[AON]

I stumbled across a video of the restored HMS Trincomalle and noticed two pieces of wood stood off the gun carriage, In a reverse V shape,  resting against the castobell of the gun, lashed to the rope with "small stuff" (very light line).

 

Does anyone know the purpose of these?

[Keith Black]

Are they used to pry the cannon up where the wedge can be inserted for the required elevation? 

[michaelpsutton2]

They are levers that are used to train the guns right and left.

[Keith Black]

16 minutes ago, michaelpsutton2 said:

They are levers that are used to train the guns right and left.

And up and down. 

[AON]

Like pry bars.  Slipped under the gun and pivoted on the step of the carriage to lift the weight off the wedge.

 

Makes sense.

 

How would the gun be trained left or right when the trunnions are locked in place?

Edited December 22, 2020 by AON

[BANYAN]

The trunnion caps are kept closed at all times otherwise the barrel might jump from the carriage.  The whole gun (barrel and carriage) is trained using the bars to move/lever the rear of the carriage.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Lieste]

You have side tackle mounted to the frames forward and aft of the port, in conjuction with handspikes (the pieces of wood seen in your photo), the crew would haul and shift one side of the carriage closer to the block on the frame, with the breastpiece of the carriage riding on the portsill.

The range of traverse is limited (by the width of the port, the breadth of the muzzle and the thickness of the hull at the port). It should be at least a couple of points fore and aft for most properly sized ports, though the work of traversing is much harder than of pointing for range or merely running the gun out, so 'tracking' a moving target is impractical especially if your own vessel is manoeuvring.

Firing as she bears is most practical for rapidly changing conditions, but fine pointing could be attempted if the fire was 'deliberate' as in a chase, and if the relative motion was slight, also seen in the chase.

(Note 'guncrews' were specified for a pair of guns on larboard and starboard - both could be manned using the designated crew, or the crew could be doubled to ease fatigue over a long engagement if fighting only one side. Various ship-board tasks were assigned to specific members of each gun-crew (boarders, firefighters, pump-men, sail handlers etc), so at various evolutions the gun crews would be reduced as these work crews were formed and then be released if their task was completed. This, rather than the need for 'as many men' is the main reason that fighting both sides was impractical - much of the gun crew would spend at least part of each engagement actively tasked elsewhere once the manoeuvring close in began and damage began to accrue.

[jud]

Guns are not rigged for firing, sponges, rammer's and other loading and firing gear is not to be seen, blocks with lines and other gear scattered about. Would suspect those are capstan bars, keeping them handy, yet out of the way and not gun equipment at all. Modern man often jumps to conclusions, in an attempt to group unrelated objects together in old photos or modern arraignments of unrelated old equipment and gear. Capstans are used for more than lifting the anchor on most vessels.

 

[AON]

They seem quite short for the capstan.

[Morgan]

I live only a mile from the Trincomalee, walk past her every day and go on board several times a year.  I can confirm that these are not capstan bars, they are hand spikes for training the guns.  The guns are all fibre glass, most, but not all are fully rigged, you can see the breech ropes and training tackle on the above screen shot.  The tail ropes to the rear of the guns are available but not fully rigged as they would be a trip hazard and interfere with touring the ship.  There is also a full compliment of equipment.

 

The un-rigged guns are generally for educational display.

 

The Trincomalee is used as a film location at least several times a year so they are able to rig and equip all guns as and when required.

 

Gary