RE: Happy Birthday Uncle Sam
Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 11:44 pm
Perhaps we should open another thread for those non-men of iron..
That being said.
JWE we must have favored the same book stores (naval institute press to name one) I have amongst others Tracy’s “naval warfare in the age of sail” ; Harland’s “Seamenship” – good book; Lavery’s “ship of the line 1&2” and “Nelson’s navy” to name 3. And a good number of Gardiner’s.
Now Mynok “Better” is harder to define in the Age of Sail when compared to WW2. There are more attributes that need to be accounted for. In fact ships of the same “class” could have certain traits that would make one better or worse then the others.. (For instance the USS United States, in the same “class” as old iron sides was known as the covered wagon because she wasn’t as swift as the president or the constitution.)
Also the performance of a ship could and was influenced by how there stores were placed in the hold, the number, weight, and position of her guns. For instance if the guns were to far forward, the bow would tend to bury into the sea. And if there was to much weight forward she would tend to act like a weather vain and come into the wind.. Not good. The arrangement of rigging also had its effect.
Regarding the French Ships vrs British – GENERALLY SPEAKING and using Frigates as an example.. French ships tended to perform better in light winds, the British performed better as the wind rose. Brits were quicker to tack and wear, hence more maneuverable, and Far more seaworthy. Less rolling and pitching then there French counterparts. Nor could the French hold as much stores.. Being generally “thinner” with finer lines there holds were by necessity smaller. So they could spend less time on station. Also they tended to be lighter built… Using a home wall as example were talking 16” between studs instead of 12”
The French built some mighty fine ships. In fact the captured Hermione, Invincible, Hebe were so well thought of by the Brits that they were used as models for an English version. But Hull for Hull i'd take the Brits for the reasons above... which are only some of the reasons. And the americans did not copy French ships..
That being said.
JWE we must have favored the same book stores (naval institute press to name one) I have amongst others Tracy’s “naval warfare in the age of sail” ; Harland’s “Seamenship” – good book; Lavery’s “ship of the line 1&2” and “Nelson’s navy” to name 3. And a good number of Gardiner’s.
Now Mynok “Better” is harder to define in the Age of Sail when compared to WW2. There are more attributes that need to be accounted for. In fact ships of the same “class” could have certain traits that would make one better or worse then the others.. (For instance the USS United States, in the same “class” as old iron sides was known as the covered wagon because she wasn’t as swift as the president or the constitution.)
Also the performance of a ship could and was influenced by how there stores were placed in the hold, the number, weight, and position of her guns. For instance if the guns were to far forward, the bow would tend to bury into the sea. And if there was to much weight forward she would tend to act like a weather vain and come into the wind.. Not good. The arrangement of rigging also had its effect.
Regarding the French Ships vrs British – GENERALLY SPEAKING and using Frigates as an example.. French ships tended to perform better in light winds, the British performed better as the wind rose. Brits were quicker to tack and wear, hence more maneuverable, and Far more seaworthy. Less rolling and pitching then there French counterparts. Nor could the French hold as much stores.. Being generally “thinner” with finer lines there holds were by necessity smaller. So they could spend less time on station. Also they tended to be lighter built… Using a home wall as example were talking 16” between studs instead of 12”
The French built some mighty fine ships. In fact the captured Hermione, Invincible, Hebe were so well thought of by the Brits that they were used as models for an English version. But Hull for Hull i'd take the Brits for the reasons above... which are only some of the reasons. And the americans did not copy French ships..