I read somewhere that before an action, crews would span nets over the
quarterdeck to prevent sails etc from falling on the falling on the deck and
entangling the sailors during action does anyone know how this was done or
can anyone let me have an illustration can anyone say whether this was the
case on the victory at Trafalgar?

Hanging a net above the deck was quite "standard" during battle as quite a bit
of rigging including blocks/sheeves and all kinds of heavy stuff would come
crashing down from above, especially if chain shot was usedon your rigging. You
would rig the netting the same way as you would any awning to create shade on
deck, this was also quite common in port or at anchor when there was less wind
across the decks. If it was used at Trafalgar i have no idea as i wasnt there,
but most likey some of the ships would have been rigged that manner. Also just
remebered that they used the netting as a means of keeping off boarders when the
boats came along side as an additional means to keep boarders off your decks or
at least prolong their exposure on the rails so you could bring your swivel guns
into play (old shotgun type blunderbuss mini canons).
The net would span across all exposed decks not just the quarterdeck, might not
have been any netting over the "qd" but more likely in the waist and gundeck
Hope that helps
Faan

Kruger cmpq wrote:

I read somewhere that before an action, crews would span nets over the
quarterdeck to prevent sails etc from falling on the falling on the deck and
entangling the sailors during action does anyone know how this was done or
can anyone let me have an illustration can anyone say whether this was the
case on the victory at Trafalgar?

In addition to nets, they rigged "preventers", lashings, to heavy
spars, yards, and platforms to prevent them falling if they were
broken off.

Then they brought the rolled hammocks (crews sleeping hammocks) up and
lined the main deck with them, in nets, to block splinters that flew
around in battle.

HF


On Thu, 24 Apr 2008 21:42:49 -0600, Faan Hates Spam
wrote:

Hanging a net above the deck was quite "standard" during battle as quite a bit
of rigging including blocks/sheeves and all kinds of heavy stuff would come
crashing down from above, especially if chain shot was usedon your rigging. You
would rig the netting the same way as you would any awning to create shade on
deck, this was also quite common in port or at anchor when there was less wind
across the decks. If it was used at Trafalgar i have no idea as i wasnt there,
but most likey some of the ships would have been rigged that manner. Also just
remebered that they used the netting as a means of keeping off boarders when the
boats came along side as an additional means to keep boarders off your decks or
at least prolong their exposure on the rails so you could bring your swivel guns
into play (old shotgun type blunderbuss mini canons).
The net would span across all exposed decks not just the quarterdeck, might not
have been any netting over the "qd" but more likely in the waist and gundeck
Hope that helps
Faan

Kruger cmpq wrote:

I read somewhere that before an action, crews would span nets over the
quarterdeck to prevent sails etc from falling on the falling on the deck and
entangling the sailors during action does anyone know how this was done or
can anyone let me have an illustration can anyone say whether this was the
case on the victory at Trafalgar?

In article ,
HiFlyer wrote:

In addition to nets, they rigged "preventers", lashings, to heavy
spars, yards, and platforms to prevent them falling if they were
broken off.

Then they brought the rolled hammocks (crews sleeping hammocks) up and
lined the main deck with them, in nets, to block splinters that flew
around in battle.

HF


On Thu, 24 Apr 2008 21:42:49 -0600, Faan Hates Spam
wrote:

Hanging a net above the deck was quite "standard" during battle as quite a
bit
of rigging including blocks/sheeves and all kinds of heavy stuff would come
crashing down from above, especially if chain shot was usedon your rigging.
You
would rig the netting the same way as you would any awning to create shade
on
deck, this was also quite common in port or at anchor when there was less
wind
across the decks. If it was used at Trafalgar i have no idea as i wasnt
there,
but most likey some of the ships would have been rigged that manner. Also
just
remebered that they used the netting as a means of keeping off boarders when
the
boats came along side as an additional means to keep boarders off your decks
or
at least prolong their exposure on the rails so you could bring your swivel
guns
into play (old shotgun type blunderbuss mini canons).
The net would span across all exposed decks not just the quarterdeck, might
not
have been any netting over the "qd" but more likely in the waist and gundeck
Hope that helps
Faan

Kruger cmpq wrote:

I read somewhere that before an action, crews would span nets over the
quarterdeck to prevent sails etc from falling on the falling on the deck
and
entangling the sailors during action does anyone know how this was done
or
can anyone let me have an illustration can anyone say whether this was
the
case on the victory at Trafalgar?

Splinters -- often feet long -- were the biggest cause of casualties
among the crews of wooden warships. Cannonballs would smash the timber
sides and big splinters would fly around like shrapnel.

At least so I have read. I have no direct experience with battle in a
wooden sailing ship. ;-)

--
Bill Collins
For email, change "fake" to "earthlink"

The TV Show Mythbusters did a show trying to replicate flying splinters from
shooting canonnballs into a mockup of a side of a ship, the end result was
inconclusive as they couldnt get the splinters to fly with enough force to kill
someone, in their case "Buster" Although its well documented in Admiralty records
that many died from splinter wounds, they could not make a case. Bit of worthless
info added to this thread


Splinters -- often feet long -- were the biggest cause of casualties
among the crews of wooden warships. Cannonballs would smash the timber
sides and big splinters would fly around like shrapnel.

At least so I have read. I have no direct experience with battle in a
wooden sailing ship. ;-)

--
Bill Collins
For email, change "fake" to "earthlink"

Faan Hates Spam added these comments in the current discussion du jour
....

The TV Show Mythbusters did a show trying to replicate flying
splinters from shooting canonnballs into a mockup of a side of a
ship, the end result was inconclusive as they couldnt get the
splinters to fly with enough force to kill someone, in their case
"Buster" Although its well documented in Admiralty records that many
died from splinter wounds, they could not make a case. Bit of
worthless info added to this thread

Mythbusters takes a very scientific approach to their "myths" but
actual warfare is anything but orderly and scientific. I can't comment
as to the size and lethality of splinters but plenty of sailors lost
their lives from the cannon ball blast itself, falling masts and
rigging, splinters, and any of a dozen more ways of dying in a gruesome
manner including being shot by sea-going infantry or run through with a
sabre.

Splinters -- often feet long -- were the biggest cause of
casualties among the crews of wooden warships. Cannonballs would
smash the timber sides and big splinters would fly around like
shrapnel.

At least so I have read. I have no direct experience with battle in
a wooden sailing ship. ;-)

--
Bill Collins
For email, change "fake" to "earthlink"

Attachment decoded: untitled-2.txt
--------------8594E3FAEC4B88288D8A57CB

Attachment decoded: a2 HMS Warrior Portsmouth UK Gun Deck 060602
24.jpg --------------8594E3FAEC4B88288D8A57CB


Attachment decoded: a1.jpg
--------------8594E3FAEC4B88288D8A57CB

Attachment decoded: a3.jpg
--------------8594E3FAEC4B88288D8A57CB--



--
HP, aka Jerry

"Most people with power would like to use it wisely, if someone
believable would tell them how", Robert Townsend in the book "Up The
Organization"

On Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:50:43 -0600, Faan Hates Spam
wrote:

The TV Show Mythbusters did a show trying to replicate flying splinters from
shooting canonnballs into a mockup of a side of a ship, the end result was
inconclusive as they couldnt get the splinters to fly with enough force to kill
someone, in their case "Buster" Although its well documented in Admiralty records
that many died from splinter wounds, they could not make a case. Bit of worthless
info added to this thread


Splinters -- often feet long -- were the biggest cause of casualties
among the crews of wooden warships. Cannonballs would smash the timber
sides and big splinters would fly around like shrapnel.

At least so I have read. I have no direct experience with battle in a
wooden sailing ship. ;-)

--
Bill Collins
For email, change "fake" to "earthlink"

It was probably infection that killed most. They survived the fight
only to fall days or weeks later to an enemy they couldn't even see.

Before antibiotics people regularly died from infections caused by
minor cuts and scrapes.

In article ,
L d'Bonnie wrote:

On Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:50:43 -0600, Faan Hates Spam
wrote:

The TV Show Mythbusters did a show trying to replicate flying splinters from
shooting canonnballs into a mockup of a side of a ship, the end result was
inconclusive as they couldnt get the splinters to fly with enough force to
kill
someone, in their case "Buster" Although its well documented in Admiralty
records
that many died from splinter wounds, they could not make a case. Bit of
worthless
info added to this thread


Splinters -- often feet long -- were the biggest cause of casualties
among the crews of wooden warships. Cannonballs would smash the timber
sides and big splinters would fly around like shrapnel.

At least so I have read. I have no direct experience with battle in a
wooden sailing ship. ;-)

--
Bill Collins
For email, change "fake" to "earthlink"

It was probably infection that killed most. They survived the fight
only to fall days or weeks later to an enemy they couldn't even see.

Before antibiotics people regularly died from infections caused by
minor cuts and scrapes.


.

True. In wars until recently, disease killed many more soldiers than did
enemy action. Further, many died of wounds that would not have been
fatal had there been basic sanitation and antiseptic procedures. The
plight of sailors in wooden warships was probably about the same.

--
Bill Collins
For email, change "fake" to "earthlink"