Surplus gun ports

[Don Case]

On the Discovery1789 there are 10 4 pdrs but there are 14 gun ports(total). If you look at the upper deck plan I have marked in green where these excess gun ports would be. In the captains quarters the gun would be right up against the bulkhead and the next two actually have a bulkhead bisecting the port. This is the "as fitted" drawing from 1798 when she was converted to a bomb. In my earlier version the pantries aren't there but there just isn't room for a gun.
Anyway would these ports be treated as lights and have glass in them or would they be used for ventilation or maybe just be fixed shut. I don't think they would make good lights as they would start at the deck and only be a couple or three feet high. Puzzled

 

[Uwek]

I think the gunports you showed in your sketch are not completely on the correct place, but slightly aft

I marked the staircase blue and the gunports in red and you can see that they are overlapping



Here I marked the gunports also in red with the location I think.......



If I am correct the inner wall is not located at the gunport but aside

In my opinion and knowledge such gunports in this period had no glass windows, this comes later and mainly on bigger vessels

 

[Frank48]

Hello, to my knowledge the various gunboats have a dimensional predisposition for caliber and location deck

 

[Uwek]

Hello, to my knowledge the various gunboats have a dimensional predisposition for caliber and location deck

???
Sorry, but I do not understand your sentence - maybe you can explain more in detail or show in a sketch / photo ...

 

[Frank48]

???
Sorry, but I do not understand your sentence - maybe you can explain more in detail or show in a sketch / photo ...

Hi, at the moment I post the cover of the text where the various positions of the gunboats are written

 

[jimmystratos]

Were some of these internal structures not removable? Partitions to make cabins that were struck down when clearing for action, so the ports could be used when needed, but better use of the space at other times?
Anomalies in plans are certainly a thing:- here are the fore guns on Astrolabe depicted on the plans from AAMM - even when run out, the guns are sitting on top of three-dimensional deck structure and there is no space to retract for loading. Since a relaible source (and Mantua) show the guns, it is likely they existed, but perhaps were forward-firing, sitting obliquely in the ports, if that is any more feasible?

 

[Frank48]

Hi, this is a fighter gunship so it is much bigger than the others

 

[Uwek]

Were some of these internal structures not removable? Partitions to make cabins that were struck down when clearing for action, so the ports could be used when needed, but better use of the space at other times?

you are correct, that these walls were removable
But usually they were not placed directly in front of a gunport.

 

[Don Case]

Thank you for the comments. Uwe, I knew my drawings were not accurate but they were just for the general location. As the Discovery was a diplomatic/survey ship in "peace" times and only had 10 guns I assumed these two aft ports were surplus and was mostly interested in the treatment of them. I actually wondered if they might be nailed shut and caulked.
Would temporary bulkheads be shown on the plans? If they were, wouldn't they be marked somehow?
Frank, do you mean "gunports" rather than "gunboats"?

 

[Frank48]

Thank you for the comments. Uwe, I knew my drawings were not accurate but they were just for the general location. As the Discovery was a diplomatic/survey ship in "peace" times and only had 10 guns I assumed these two aft ports were surplus and was mostly interested in the treatment of them. I actually wondered if they might be nailed shut and caulked.
Would temporary bulkheads be shown on the plans? If they were, wouldn't they be marked somehow?
Frank, do you mean "gunports" rather than "gunboats"?

Hi Don, I know they are called Cannoniere, in my opinion it is the translation that complicates

 

[Don Case]

I Google translated "gun port" as "porta cannone".
I did "gunport" and got "porto armato"

 

[Frank48]

I Google translated "gun port" as "porta cannone".
I did "gunport" and got "porto armato"

 

[Don Case]

Ain't translating fun

 

[Frank48]

Ain't translating fun

Hi Don, sorry, I will avoid in the future

 

[Don Case]

Don't do that. You are trying to help. That's a good thing

 

[danielsje]

One idea to ponder…when originally built the ship may have been fitted with a number of gun ports under an assumption of initial armament. Ships are often repurposed, re-rigged, and armament reduced (or increased) for a specific use. Thus a few so-called extra gun ports. In every case the unused gun port remains with a normal port lid that can be opened for ventilation...or rigged with an additional cannon…or not…

 

[Don Case]

Yes, unfortunately I have no idea what the Discovery was originally built for. I have read both survey ship and merchantman. I've kind of eliminated a collier just by looking at others but who knows.