Mythbusters on discovery channel tonight

[Artilleryman]

DD,  The service load for a 6 pdr is 1.25 lbs for solid shot which would give you 1400-1500 fps.  The question was which would kill more people solid shot or splinters?  The senerio was pirate ships and their prey.  Pirate ships and merchant ships did not have the same type of hulls as warships.  Pirate ships and merchant ships were most likely armed with relatively light guns compared to warships.  So what you saw was reasonably accurate, and their conclusion was reasonable up to a point.  They concluded that you would most likely get killed by cannonballs (correct) and that you would have to be standing very close to the side of the ship to get hurt by splinters and that you wouldn't get killed by them, which may be correct when dealing with pirate ships.  This senerio does not deal with warships that used heavier guns and thicker hulls which is probably where the "myth" came from.  The record indicates that splinters did cause wounds, but the idea that more deaths would be caused by splinters than cannonballs does not make sense when you consider the energy of a cannonball to a splinter.

Side note, Shattering charges produced more damage to structures, and was achieved by reducing the powder charge.  The lower velocity created more damage.  This is may be why the mythbusters air cannon had such damaging effects.

Possible setup for a new show "myth" would be to construct an accurate representation of the side of a warship and use a large caliber cannonade.  That would be really interesting.

[accuratemike]

Possible setup for a new show "myth" would be to construct an accurate representation of the side of a warship and use a large caliber cannonade.  That would be really interesting.

Like this one: http://www.brigniagara.org/movies/Live%20Fire%20Broadband.wmv

All the Brig Niagra guys needed were some pigs. MIKE

[Cat Whisperer]

Not a watcher of TV, I'm not sure how the 'myth' was stated nor protrayed.

HOWEVER, if you go back to the 1863-1864 issues of Scientific American (which are available on microfilm at many good college libraries) you will find active discussion and documentation of the effectiveness of armor in iron-clad warships.

The North initially in their development had iron reinforced with wood planks bolted to the inside.  This proved hazzardous to the folks on the inside not only from splinters but from the bolts turning into projectiles when the iron of the gun turret was hit directly. 

The later versions then had the wooden planking on the outside - the solid and exploding cannon balls being at least somewhat tamed by the planking.  Obviously angling of the surfaces helped as well.

[guardsgunner]

CW,
     Scientific American is on the net here :   http://library8.library.cornell.edu/moa/      at Cornel U. . There are many artillery items in its pages. They have a very good shearch engine. A great source of information.

Bob

[Cat Whisperer]

BOB -  THAT's SERVICE! 

When I originally read them they were on microfilm (1964-1965).  Had to do a history term paper in H.S. - so it was on the history of shootin' iron development.

I'll post the link in REFERENCES.

[Artilleryman]

Accurate Mike the link you put up is exactly what I am talking about.  Thanks for sharing.  Maybe someone should forward that link to the Mythbusters.