Destraex Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 Anyone know how gunners of this age were trained. This is the same age that infantry were taught not to aim individually but fire straight ahead no matter the target. Did ships gunners actually aim at the same point or volley out into the sea no matter if the target was not even in sight? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir. Cunningham Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 This subject is being discussed and addressed here : http://forum.game-labs.net/index.php?/topic/1799-gun-battery-upgrades/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destraex Posted November 10, 2014 Author Share Posted November 10, 2014 i will go look. But I am more referring to the human method of aiming and doctrine rather than technology. specifically ranging shots and whether guns wwere aimed individually left or right to fire on the same target. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithcorp Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 From my reading I understand it to have been partially a question of range. Gun captains would train their guns using crowbars and quoins for elevation and traversing and sight along the gun (or use the sights that some guns had) and I assume use their own judgement in terms of pitching the ball (having regard for projectile and weight of charge). At closer ranges, like pistol shot I think there was little need to aim and it was more a question of 'pointing' like a line of Redcoats. Ships' officers had different approaches (such as Broke of the Shannon); and petty officer gunners would have influenced gunnery ship to ship, as there wasn't a central system for gunnery training until the mid 1800s. Some interesting info here: http://books.google.com.au/books?id=Bs2MVggWyvQC&pg=PT17&lpg=PT17&dq=philip+broke+gun+sights&source=bl&ots=MbHIx2rNYo&sig=0ZjTlwdiWTxc0ZhOblcxpYtUt3M&hl=en&sa=X&ei=05hgVOzGHKbVmgXGwIKgDg&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=philip%20broke%20gun%20sights&f=false 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destraex Posted November 10, 2014 Author Share Posted November 10, 2014 Thanks Smithcorp. I was wondering this because a broadside to an oncoming ship that has a small bow profile facing would have gun crews all training to the smaller profile instead of firing straight ahead. Convergence it is called. I wonder if there could be different captains perks or command decisions to level up an buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithcorp Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 It's an interesting topic. I think you are right in that for raking or firing off a quarter you would want to train guns around so they converge on a smaller target, though I'm not sure in the heat of a fight and with far from uniform training, that you could expect most of your gun crews to comply. Does Naval Action simulate aiming? I have seen in videos the shaded arc representing I assume range and arc of fire and this seems to contract and expand. More interesting info here, where the author talks about the practice of 'firing at the body' versus aiming for example at hulls or masts. He is writing in 1832, so he might represent a contemporary view. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=jfdeAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA74&lpg=PA74&dq=naval+gunnery+firing+at+mast&source=bl&ots=D_m6yXcMGm&sig=1_pSXfzLCk_hyxqX_N0MZJHxVOQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=A51gVMPALaXWmgXXw4GABQ&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=naval%20gunnery%20firing%20at%20mast&f=false Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BungeeLemming Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 as said bevore this thread is redundant. This topic is beeing talked over a lot of times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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