In 2007 Mike and I visited the replica Hull of the one of the ships in the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813. It is located in the Erie Maritime Museum in Erie, Pennsylvania. It was hit by 32 pdr. solids from two carronades and grape and canister shot from these guns as well. Lots of LARGE splinters resulted, any one of which could have taken a man's head off. The replica and the guns were manned by New York State Army National Guard troops and the firing was done at Indiantown Gap Military Reservation in Pennsylvania. I was there in 1968 in July and August for 9 weeks of Army Infantry training and I remember it as not fun at all except for being able run the known distance course with the M-14 many, many times. What a disappointment the M-16 was a year later. Bang-Sproing! Bang-Sproing!
Our friends at Myth-Busters don't have a clue as to what deadly splinters look like!
Mike and Tracy
