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How much gunpowder could the average Napoleonic ship of the line carry?
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I've run across a few references to a ship's magazine detonating during combat, and by all accounts the explosions were massive. I'm trying to put them into context a bit by figuring out how much gunpowder these ships had. The explosion of l'Orient in the battle of the Nile would be a fantastic example.
The only reference I could find was a story in a book called Astoria by Peter Stark, describing the Tonquin incident where, after a battle with the Tla-o-qui-aht tribe, five men were left alive aboard the ship. Four elected to abandon the ship aboard the longboat, while one remained aboard. He waited for the tribe to attempt to board the ship, then detonated the ship's magazine of 9,000 pounds of gunpowder.
This was a fairly small ship, though, with only ten cannon. How much could a ship-of-the-line such as l'Orient or the Victory carry in comparison?
warfare naval napoleonic-wars age-of-sail
asked 4 hours ago
Hobbits
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I've run across a few references to a ship's magazine detonating during combat, and by all accounts the explosions were massive. I'm trying to put them into context a bit by figuring out how much gunpowder these ships had. The explosion of l'Orient in the battle of the Nile would be a fantastic example.
The only reference I could find was a story in a book called Astoria by Peter Stark, describing the Tonquin incident where, after a battle with the Tla-o-qui-aht tribe, five men were left alive aboard the ship. Four elected to abandon the ship aboard the longboat, while one remained aboard. He waited for the tribe to attempt to board the ship, then detonated the ship's magazine of 9,000 pounds of gunpowder.
This was a fairly small ship, though, with only ten cannon. How much could a ship-of-the-line such as l'Orient or the Victory carry in comparison?
warfare naval napoleonic-wars age-of-sail
asked 4 hours ago
Hobbits
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Hobbits is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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I wouldn't call either l'Orient nor the Victory "average" ships of the line during the Napoleonic period. They were both 1st rates (100+ guns), whereas the average fleet vessel was a 74-gun ship.
– Steve Bird
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
I've run across a few references to a ship's magazine detonating during combat, and by all accounts the explosions were massive. I'm trying to put them into context a bit by figuring out how much gunpowder these ships had. The explosion of l'Orient in the battle of the Nile would be a fantastic example.
The only reference I could find was a story in a book called Astoria by Peter Stark, describing the Tonquin incident where, after a battle with the Tla-o-qui-aht tribe, five men were left alive aboard the ship. Four elected to abandon the ship aboard the longboat, while one remained aboard. He waited for the tribe to attempt to board the ship, then detonated the ship's magazine of 9,000 pounds of gunpowder.
This was a fairly small ship, though, with only ten cannon. How much could a ship-of-the-line such as l'Orient or the Victory carry in comparison?
warfare naval napoleonic-wars age-of-sail
asked 4 hours ago
Hobbits
6
New contributor
Hobbits is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I've run across a few references to a ship's magazine detonating during combat, and by all accounts the explosions were massive. I'm trying to put them into context a bit by figuring out how much gunpowder these ships had. The explosion of l'Orient in the battle of the Nile would be a fantastic example.
The only reference I could find was a story in a book called Astoria by Peter Stark, describing the Tonquin incident where, after a battle with the Tla-o-qui-aht tribe, five men were left alive aboard the ship. Four elected to abandon the ship aboard the longboat, while one remained aboard. He waited for the tribe to attempt to board the ship, then detonated the ship's magazine of 9,000 pounds of gunpowder.
This was a fairly small ship, though, with only ten cannon. How much could a ship-of-the-line such as l'Orient or the Victory carry in comparison?
warfare naval napoleonic-wars age-of-sail
warfare naval napoleonic-wars age-of-sail
asked 4 hours ago
Hobbits
6
New contributor
Hobbits is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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asked 4 hours ago
Hobbits
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New contributor
Hobbits is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 4 hours ago
Hobbits
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asked 4 hours ago
Hobbits
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asked 4 hours ago
Hobbits
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Hobbits is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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New contributor
Hobbits is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
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I wouldn't call either l'Orient nor the Victory "average" ships of the line during the Napoleonic period. They were both 1st rates (100+ guns), whereas the average fleet vessel was a 74-gun ship.
– Steve Bird
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
I wouldn't call either l'Orient nor the Victory "average" ships of the line during the Napoleonic period. They were both 1st rates (100+ guns), whereas the average fleet vessel was a 74-gun ship.
– Steve Bird
1 hour ago
I wouldn't call either l'Orient nor the Victory "average" ships of the line during the Napoleonic period. They were both 1st rates (100+ guns), whereas the average fleet vessel was a 74-gun ship.
– Steve Bird
1 hour ago
I wouldn't call either l'Orient nor the Victory "average" ships of the line during the Napoleonic period. They were both 1st rates (100+ guns), whereas the average fleet vessel was a 74-gun ship.
– Steve Bird
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
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A quick search on the HMS Victory leads us to militarynavalhistory.net, where they have this to say concerning the armaments of the Victory:
The armament comprised thirty 32-pound cannons in the lower gun deck,
twenty-eight 24-pound cannons on the middle gun deck, thirty 12-pound
cannons on the upper gun deck, twelve 12-pound cannons on the
quarterdeck and another two shooting forward on the forecastle. A
special addition was the two 68-pound carronades placed on the
forecastle, able to fire such huge projectiles at short range only.
The carronades were mounted on partially rotating carriages which
allowed to aim them either sidewards or frontally. The ship carried 35 tonnes of gunpowder and 120 tonnes of ammunition to serve her large
artillery battery.
A Tonne is about 2,204.6 pounds, so over 70,000 pounds of gunpowder on the Victory. (or 31,751.46 kg , thanks @Jos)
answered 3 hours ago
justCal
17.5k14474
That makes it 31,751.46 kg for non-imperialists like me.
– Jos
3 hours ago
1
Thanks, I related the answer in pounds as that was the OPs units in the question.
– justCal
3 hours ago
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
2
down vote
A quick search on the HMS Victory leads us to militarynavalhistory.net, where they have this to say concerning the armaments of the Victory:
The armament comprised thirty 32-pound cannons in the lower gun deck,
twenty-eight 24-pound cannons on the middle gun deck, thirty 12-pound
cannons on the upper gun deck, twelve 12-pound cannons on the
quarterdeck and another two shooting forward on the forecastle. A
special addition was the two 68-pound carronades placed on the
forecastle, able to fire such huge projectiles at short range only.
The carronades were mounted on partially rotating carriages which
allowed to aim them either sidewards or frontally. The ship carried 35 tonnes of gunpowder and 120 tonnes of ammunition to serve her large
artillery battery.
A Tonne is about 2,204.6 pounds, so over 70,000 pounds of gunpowder on the Victory. (or 31,751.46 kg , thanks @Jos)
answered 3 hours ago
justCal
17.5k14474
That makes it 31,751.46 kg for non-imperialists like me.
– Jos
3 hours ago
1
Thanks, I related the answer in pounds as that was the OPs units in the question.
– justCal
3 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
A quick search on the HMS Victory leads us to militarynavalhistory.net, where they have this to say concerning the armaments of the Victory:
The armament comprised thirty 32-pound cannons in the lower gun deck,
twenty-eight 24-pound cannons on the middle gun deck, thirty 12-pound
cannons on the upper gun deck, twelve 12-pound cannons on the
quarterdeck and another two shooting forward on the forecastle. A
special addition was the two 68-pound carronades placed on the
forecastle, able to fire such huge projectiles at short range only.
The carronades were mounted on partially rotating carriages which
allowed to aim them either sidewards or frontally. The ship carried 35 tonnes of gunpowder and 120 tonnes of ammunition to serve her large
artillery battery.
A Tonne is about 2,204.6 pounds, so over 70,000 pounds of gunpowder on the Victory. (or 31,751.46 kg , thanks @Jos)
answered 3 hours ago
justCal
17.5k14474
That makes it 31,751.46 kg for non-imperialists like me.
– Jos
3 hours ago
1
Thanks, I related the answer in pounds as that was the OPs units in the question.
– justCal
3 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
up vote
2
down vote
A quick search on the HMS Victory leads us to militarynavalhistory.net, where they have this to say concerning the armaments of the Victory:
The armament comprised thirty 32-pound cannons in the lower gun deck,
twenty-eight 24-pound cannons on the middle gun deck, thirty 12-pound
cannons on the upper gun deck, twelve 12-pound cannons on the
quarterdeck and another two shooting forward on the forecastle. A
special addition was the two 68-pound carronades placed on the
forecastle, able to fire such huge projectiles at short range only.
The carronades were mounted on partially rotating carriages which
allowed to aim them either sidewards or frontally. The ship carried 35 tonnes of gunpowder and 120 tonnes of ammunition to serve her large
artillery battery.
A Tonne is about 2,204.6 pounds, so over 70,000 pounds of gunpowder on the Victory. (or 31,751.46 kg , thanks @Jos)
answered 3 hours ago
justCal
17.5k14474
A quick search on the HMS Victory leads us to militarynavalhistory.net, where they have this to say concerning the armaments of the Victory:
The armament comprised thirty 32-pound cannons in the lower gun deck,
twenty-eight 24-pound cannons on the middle gun deck, thirty 12-pound
cannons on the upper gun deck, twelve 12-pound cannons on the
quarterdeck and another two shooting forward on the forecastle. A
special addition was the two 68-pound carronades placed on the
forecastle, able to fire such huge projectiles at short range only.
The carronades were mounted on partially rotating carriages which
allowed to aim them either sidewards or frontally. The ship carried 35 tonnes of gunpowder and 120 tonnes of ammunition to serve her large
artillery battery.
A Tonne is about 2,204.6 pounds, so over 70,000 pounds of gunpowder on the Victory. (or 31,751.46 kg , thanks @Jos)
answered 3 hours ago
justCal
17.5k14474
edited 3 hours ago
answered 3 hours ago
justCal
17.5k14474
answered 3 hours ago
justCal
17.5k14474
answered 3 hours ago
justCal
17.5k14474
17.5k14474
That makes it 31,751.46 kg for non-imperialists like me.
– Jos
3 hours ago
1
Thanks, I related the answer in pounds as that was the OPs units in the question.
– justCal
3 hours ago
add a comment |Â
That makes it 31,751.46 kg for non-imperialists like me.
– Jos
3 hours ago
1
Thanks, I related the answer in pounds as that was the OPs units in the question.
– justCal
3 hours ago
That makes it 31,751.46 kg for non-imperialists like me.
– Jos
3 hours ago
That makes it 31,751.46 kg for non-imperialists like me.
– Jos
3 hours ago
1
1
Thanks, I related the answer in pounds as that was the OPs units in the question.
– justCal
3 hours ago
Thanks, I related the answer in pounds as that was the OPs units in the question.
– justCal
3 hours ago
add a comment |Â
Hobbits is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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I wouldn't call either l'Orient nor the Victory "average" ships of the line during the Napoleonic period. They were both 1st rates (100+ guns), whereas the average fleet vessel was a 74-gun ship.
– Steve Bird
1 hour ago