Wapsi Square Forum

Gyrrakavian wrote:I'll just assume Cornelius is from one of the fanfics.

Duuuuude, you were a character in the Wapsiholics Anonymous Meeting and you aren't even reading the fanfics?

I think someone has been watching Master & Commander.

Part of Shelly’s dialogue is about 9 minutes into the film, during the first battle with the Acheron:

Capt Jack Aubrey: "Run out the starboard battery. Mr Allen, come up on the wind. Lay me alongside at pistol-shot."

Also: one of the crew characters, Joe Place, has "Hold Fast" tattooed on his fists.

Sgt. Howard wrote:
…snippage…

except that you want to fire on the DOWNROLL, as then a water hit will still bounce into the target-

There's more room for error on an uproll shot. Firing on the downroll risks firing down into the sea if the gunner is slow or the gun itself hangs fire slightly. Firing on the uproll helps range and even a late shot, firing high on the roll, may damage the target's rigging.

Aha! That's Sphynx for "sssshhhhhh…"

Wildcat

louisxiv wrote:

Sgt. Howard wrote:
…snippage…

except that you want to fire on the DOWNROLL, as then a water hit will still bounce into the target-

There's more room for error on an uproll shot. Firing on the downroll risks firing down into the sea if the gunner is slow or the gun itself hangs fire slightly. Firing on the uproll helps range and even a late shot, firing high on the roll, may damage the target's rigging.

I think it's safe to say the real trick to it is to shoot at the damn boat and not miss.

GlytchMeister wrote:

louisxiv wrote:

Sgt. Howard wrote:
…snippage…

except that you want to fire on the DOWNROLL, as then a water hit will still bounce into the target-

There's more room for error on an uproll shot. Firing on the downroll risks firing down into the sea if the gunner is slow or the gun itself hangs fire slightly. Firing on the uproll helps range and even a late shot, firing high on the roll, may damage the target's rigging.

I think it's safe to say the real trick to it is to shoot at the damn boat and not miss.

And that's a nice trick . . . if you can manage it.

Hangfires are a pain.

--FreeFlier

lake_wrangler wrote:And where did they get a cannon like that?

Out of the playroom in the Library's Children's Section? This is the Library that provides explosive switches for people to amuse themselves with or can scramble helicopter gunships, after all. There's no telling what odds and ends it may have on hand, and what peculiar notions of propriety it may follow.

AnotherFairportfan wrote:Tanta Phix! Language in front of the sprout!

Well, cussing like a sailor does fit in with the theme.

AnotherFairportfan wrote:I really hope this isn't just a one-shot; i would love to see where this could be going.

If they fire a second shot, I think that they're going to have Phix vent her ire on the seat of their breeches. She does have quite the short fuse, and Shelly at the very least could survive such battery. I'm not sure whether Castela is of the same caliber as the sphinxes when it comes to durability, but she could find herself bombarded with verbal abuse and then grounded for a good long while. Being confined to her room during all her free time would be quite a bore to her, so she'd probably recoil from the idea.

But WHY - unless it's imaginary - does Phix have a loaded cannon in her room???

GlytchMeister wrote:

louisxiv wrote:

Sgt. Howard wrote:
…snippage…

except that you want to fire on the DOWNROLL, as then a water hit will still bounce into the target-

There's more room for error on an uproll shot. Firing on the downroll risks firing down into the sea if the gunner is slow or the gun itself hangs fire slightly. Firing on the uproll helps range and even a late shot, firing high on the roll, may damage the target's rigging.

I think it's safe to say the real trick to it is to shoot at the damn boat and not miss.

Hear hear. At pistol shot range that's a little hard; which is why that or even closer was considered the ideal range at which to fire a broadside.

Re firing on the up-roll: They might have been aiming at the mast in the hopes of disabling the enemy ship. De-masting a foe is an elegant way to win a battle.

GlytchMeister wrote:

Gyrrakavian wrote:I'll just assume Cornelius is from one of the fanfics.

Duuuuude, you were a character in the Wapsiholics Anonymous Meeting and you aren't even reading the fanfics?

yes believe it or not there are some of us that basically dont post or read anything but the comments here

Personally i always pictured the Library as being like the Library from the movie and tv series the Librarians. Not just for book but all kinds of displays and artifacts. A center for learning and knowledge.

But, Phix,....

the best ones rarely are.

eee wrote:Re firing on the up-roll: They might have been aiming at the mast in the hopes of disabling the enemy ship. De-masting a foe is an elegant way to win a battle.

Didn't ships occasionally fire a charge of "chain shot" for this purpose? A length of steel chain flying at high speeds might take out the mast or spars, and even if it misses the woodwork it would be likely to shred the sails and snap the shrouds.

... to say nothing of how uncomfortable it would be for any sailors who happened to be in the way

jwhouk wrote:

Gyrrakavian wrote:I'll just assume Cornelius is from one of the fanfics.

It is. Sorry, it probably helps if you realize that Cornelius = Sarge, who is a big fan of big boomers like the one in today's strip.

That's not much more than a signal cannon, truth be told. Still pretty loud...

Sgt. Howard wrote:

jwhouk wrote:

Gyrrakavian wrote:I'll just assume Cornelius is from one of the fanfics.

It is. Sorry, it probably helps if you realize that Cornelius = Sarge, who is a big fan of big boomers like the one in today's strip.

That's not much more than a signal cannon, truth be told. Still pretty loud...

I would guess that a "signal cannon" is SUPPOSED to be loud. After all, you want your entire fleet to hear the signal.

Dave wrote:

eee wrote:Re firing on the up-roll: They might have been aiming at the mast in the hopes of disabling the enemy ship. De-masting a foe is an elegant way to win a battle.

Didn't ships occasionally fire a charge of "chain shot" for this purpose? A length of steel chain flying at high speeds might take out the mast or spars, and even if it misses the woodwork it would be likely to shred the sails and snap the shrouds.

... to say nothing of how uncomfortable it would be for any sailors who happened to be in the way :(

Getting in the way of anything coming out of a cannon is likely to spoil your whole day, though M&C is pretty good at hinting the real threat was wood splinters from ball impacts on the structure of the ship.

Chain shot had was a high cost munition: took a lot more making than a cheap and more generally effective cannon ball. A chain shot would be a couple of cannonball sized – to fit into the bore of a cannon tightly enough that the charge would fire it out – half cups linked together by chain, which was expensive to make. It was only useful against rigging, probably not against masts. If you only loaded chain, or its close cousin bar-shot, you were not going to damage hull or the guns firing back at you. Fancy loads like chain and bar were only good in very restricted tactical situations, though might be deployed as a top-up load for the first shot in a fight.

The situation Shelly is quoting from is a 20 year old light frigate armed with 6 or 9 lb guns facing a Constitution-style heavy frigate with at least some 32lb-ers, watching shot bounce off the enemy hull... So firing on the uproll and going for the masts in hope of disabling the attacker and outmanoeuvring her -or getting away- would be a valid tactic.

Dave wrote:

eee wrote:Re firing on the up-roll: They might have been aiming at the mast in the hopes of disabling the enemy ship. De-masting a foe is an elegant way to win a battle.

Didn't ships occasionally fire a charge of "chain shot" for this purpose? A length of steel chain flying at high speeds might take out the mast or spars, and even if it misses the woodwork it would be likely to shred the sails and snap the shrouds.

... to say nothing of how uncomfortable it would be for any sailors who happened to be in the way

Yes they did. The common load for this was a length of light anchor chain the same weight as the cannonball the gun was designed for (hence the designation "12 pound, 14 pound, 16 pound, etc.). And you are right about the effect it had on rigging and sailors. The round used when you wanted to get rid of the crew but still have a ship likely to be in sailable condition was grape shot, basically a really big shotgun round with about 3/4 to 1 inch diameter iron shot inside a cloth or leather bag to the weight limit for the gun. Light damage to the ship but doubleplus ungood for the crew above decks. The counter to that was to put the guns under the main deck on a separate gun deck, which also had the effect of allowing ranges battles in inclement weather without risking wet powder.

Visited the Elissa in Galveston this weekend. They were training crew on the ropes, maneuvering sails and furling. So lots of fiddly bits to get messed up with high shot. One thing I just noted about films like Master & Commander, during the scenes when the ships are closing for battle, you never see the crew on the sails.

Hansontoons wrote:Visited the Elissa in Galveston this weekend. They were training crew on the ropes, maneuvering sails and furling. So lots of fiddly bits to get messed up with high shot. One thing I just noted about films like Master & Commander, during the scenes when the ships are closing for battle, you never see the crew on the sails.

Cool pictures :)

I've been on the Golden Hind replica (at dock!) and used to see smaller traditional sailing ships in Gloucester (UK) dock where there was a shipwight doing conversions/repairs and such – really busy just before the Columbus celebrations in the 90s…

M&C certainly has shots of people working rigging and sails in battle, complete with set pieces of cannon balls ripping through the sails and falling masts taking poor sods with them... Also features touches such as marines firing small cannon out of the 'fighting tops' platforms as well as general musketry, which rather pleased me.

One more with crew in the sails. These folks all had safety harness, but there was a strong breeze blowing and some sway to make it a challenge. The fellow on the right was having difficulty and was the last down.

And now that you mention, I do recall the men falling with the shot away rigging etc.

Hansontoons wrote:One more with crew in the sails.

You ever make it to Boston, mate, let me know and we will go and see "Old ironsides". I work less than a mile from it.