The Patriot Files Forums  

Go Back   The Patriot Files Forums > Other Conflicts > French Revolution

Post New Thread  Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 04-08-2019, 10:36 AM
Boats's Avatar
Boats Boats is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sauk Village, IL
Posts: 21,783
Arrow Back when fireships and hellburners terrorized fleets

Back when fireships and hellburners terrorized fleets
By: Chris McNab, MHQ—The Quarterly Journal of Military History / 4-7-19
RE: https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-...orized-fleets/

Photo link: https://www.armytimes.com/resizer/YF...LYK4FVRW5A.jpg
"Blowing up of the Fire Ship Intrepid commanded by Capt Somers in the Harbour of Tripoli on the night of the 4th Sepr 1804. Intrepid boarded by Tripolines.... surrounded by 5 Gun boats.... prefer Death..... to slavery... (Somers) blew the whole into the Air." (engraving, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London)

Fireships were vessels that, when filled with combustibles or explosives, could be floated or blown into enemy ships to disable or destroy them.

In the age of sail, fireships could wreak their flaming havoc with terrifying rapidity. They could also force an enemy fleet to break anchor or split its formation.

Although fireships date to ancient times, their use peaked between the late 16th and early 19th centuries in Europe, during which time their design and deployment became increasingly sophisticated.

A central fireroom, packed with flammable materials, provided the point of ignition; tin or wooden fire troughs — themselves filled with combustibles — quickly channeled the blaze throughout the ship, and fire barrels vented flames up to the sails and rigging.

Gunpowder charges in fire ports on each side of the hull would blow them open as the blaze took hold, ensuring a good flow of oxygen into the interior of the fireship.

If these components were properly configured, the fireship (typically up to fifth rate in size) would be engulfed by flames from stem to stern within five minutes of the quickmatch fuses being lit.

A skeleton crew would typically sail the fireship right up to an enemy vessel before igniting it.

Sally ports (exit doors) gave members of the crew a means of escape.
The ends of the fuses were typically located at these ports so the crew could light them and immediately flee in a small boat towed behind the fireship.

Fireships largely died out with the advent of steel warships and rifled cannons, though old ships packed with explosives have occasionally been used the same way.

Picture link: https://www.armytimes.com/resizer/m6...RXKBO2MAFI.jpg
"Attack on USS Independence in Boston Harbor by the British Frigate HMS Nymphe, 1814." In the spring of 1814, Charles Goullet, Master's Mate of the British 38-gun frigate Nymphe entered the port of Boston in a boat with six other persons for the purpose of destroying the United States ship of the line Independence then but recently launched. Having pulled past a whole tier of heavy batteries, the little band of adventurers entered the inner harbor, where they boarded a schooner, which they quickly fitted out as a fire ship, and then sent blazing in the direction of Independence. (U.S. Naval History and Heritage

About the writer: Chris McNab is a military historian based in the United Kingdom. His most recent book is The Falklands War Operations Manual (Haynes Publishing, 2018). This article appears in the Spring 2019 issue (Vol. 31, No. 3) of MHQ—The Quarterly Journal of Military History, a sister publication of Navy Times, with the headline: Weapons Check | The Fireship.
__________________
Boats

O Almighty Lord God, who neither slumberest nor sleepest; Protect and assist, we beseech thee, all those who at home or abroad, by land, by sea, or in the air, are serving this country, that they, being armed with thy defence, may be preserved evermore in all perils; and being filled with wisdom and girded with strength, may do their duty to thy honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

"IN GOD WE TRUST"
sendpm.gif Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

All times are GMT -7. The time now is 01:34 AM.


Powered by vBulletin, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.