Rigging of guns on HMS Victory

[GrantTyler]

Thanks all- great discussion and informative.

 

[El Capi]

I had looked at many pictures of guns rigging from HMS Victory museum. I cannot understand how the thin rope rigging with blocks and hooks is designed. Is each one with two double blocks or it is with one double and one single block? It also looks as the loose end is being threaded through hook rings on each end. After that end is thied over the center of the rope rigging bunch. Am I correct? Please help. Here is sample picture.

View attachment 193567

to me, it is fully correct for a British ship. the Oriental ones, somewhat different

 

[Pak75]

HI there
I was looking at some images of HMS Victory 12 pounder cannon and noticed that gun hoist tackle is hooked onto eye bolt on top and at rear of carriage. Other resources provide here show tackle hooked on to side eye bolt (as indeed are some of Victory's other cannon? Which is correct?
Thanks

 

[Smithy]

I believe this is incorrect. The outhaul tackles would be unhooked before firing which is why they are fitted with the quick release hook.

The breeching rope alone contained the massive recoil.

 

[Pak75]

Thanks Smithy. Always wondered about this, i presumed that tackle was not tied off or belayed and just allowed to run free when the cannon fired. If this was the case, there would be no need for a hook…
Anybody have a view on which eyebolt was used- the one on side of carriage or at the rear?

 

[Smithy]

just allowed to run free when the cannon fired.

The loose end would be moving at enormous speed, whipping around like a striking rattler and if it were to snag or tangle, something would have to break.

 

[Pak75]

Not if it was long enough? The hoist tackles have so much rope the end is often coiled on the deck.

 

[AllanKP69]

These are riggings about 1795 from Congreve's Treatise on the Mounting of Sea Serviced Ordnance for a gun run in, a gun run out and secured, and a gun run in, secured, and housed. There are lists of tackles including length of breech line, etc. These sketches show the breeching and running out tackle, do not show the train tackle. Train tackle origins are obscure but they came into use between 1743 and 1765 based on the proportions of stores wherein three tackles per gun were given, the third being for the train tackle. (Caruana, The History of English Sea Ordnance, page 387)


Apologies, I do not recall the source of the below, but believe it is late 18th century