How to reload a naval cannon

A short clip from our HMS Victory: Total Guide series.
Watch the full video here: • 3D Guide to Britain's ...
#epichistorytv
#shorts
#navalhistory
#napoleonicwars
#hmsvictory

[@LPyellowking]

Finally, a useful KZbin tutorial

[@derrickstorm6976]

For the cannon mounted at the top of the stairs loaded with grape shot

[@anthonythetophatter2834]

​@@derrickstorm6976 just as the founding fathers intended

[@TexasToad]

Are you thinking of going up His Majesty's Royal Navy again??

[@agorman1341]

​@@anthonythetophatter2834"TALLY HO LADS" "The sound and extra shrapnel set off two car alarms"

[@the_Wolf_directly]

Lmfao

[@HochundDeutschyapster]

Instructions unclear: it misfired immediately and blew my right arm off

[@florkgagga]

Sorry for your arm... Can't like your comment anyway the counter is on 69

[@grizzzouseley]

NW sucks 👎🏻

[@BertzTriscut]

Skill issue.

[@orange8420]

skill issue

[@casswhiteman8955]

Someone didn't block the vent

[@Aelxi]

Thank you now I can effectively defend my house with a naval gun.

[@rawrzillakira5928]

Just as the founding fathers intended

[@starsaber2002]

​@@rawrzillakira5928lmao

[@Inugami0622]

Tally Ho lads

[@caiushughlanus2070]

You would not be the first one to do so. But it's a hell of a mess to clean up. But no body, so, it all works out in the end 😂

[@caiushughlanus2070]

​@@rawrzillakira5928eh I'll stick to 30 round magazines out of a nice rifle

[@cadmus204]

Burglar: haha he left the front door open, what an idiot Me:

[@redclayscholar620]

Just as the Founding Fathers intended...

[@tedhubertcrusio372]

That's why you never rob a house with an open door. Rob banks instead. #sarcasm

[@kemsmith]

TALLY HO!

[@santaboy4818]

Mississippi queen starts playing*

[@Player-rv8ph]

Fus Do Rah!!!

[@muffinman6048]

Remember, switching to your flintlock is faster than reloading

[@elb-moyt2874]

-Solid Cleaning Elixir

[@GeorgeEstregan828]

Bruh paddling is faster than reloading a flintlock

[@Cristian88.]

Just charge with bayonet

[@joe42m13]

Three rounds a minute in any weather; now that's soldiering! XD

[@yatsumleung8618]

I suppose you mean seamanship. But ok, soldiering is applicable to land batteries.

[@joe42m13]

@@yatsumleung8618 it's a Sharpe reference

[@paulnimmo3208]

Yarp… here’s a useless fact, did you know that the rifles at Waterloo, carried cartridges with undersized balls so they could be loaded quicker when they operated as part of the brigade, ie firing in three ranks. I can tell you, loading a patched ball into a Rifled Baker Rifle, takes both hands on the Ram rod, hence the swell at the top, 3 shots a minute, tap loading can be done.. but ive seen barrels split open during re-enactments due to the paper cartridge becoming lodged near the top of the barrel using this technique. As for spitting the ball into a hot barrel.. best scenario singed lips, worse scenario no top of head left.

[@rocketassistedgoat1079]

​@@paulnimmo3208The top of the head, is the most overrated part.

[@FormerGovernmentHuman]

Go back to the Sharpe comment section where you belong

[@dontplayamongusat300a.m.9]

This will be useful against my neighbour

[@thomasdiasio813]

call it a gun

[@umbra5247]

Damn this weather sir! Wet powder makes misfires a certainty!

[@Deadeye313]

The dichotomy of ships: keeping everything dry while completely surrounded by water.

[@vrikt0r427]

Napoleon total War??!!! 🤨

[@terrenusvitae]

Congratulations on choosing the Armstrong Whitworth 4lb Cannonette. Please read instructions carefully and it should give you years of trouble free maiming.

[@pigpig252]

Instructions unclear. Sponger missed a spot and the rammer no longer has arms

[@LuckyCharmsWard]

Just got a naval cannon for Christmas, finally found a useful tutorial!

[@kenricnarbrough8191]

Ha

[@Dr.Pepperdave]

I dont believe this has ever been explained this well. Thank you.

[@napoleonibonaparte7198]

Horse artillery best artillery.

[@JohnCooper-gm6mn]

Quit firing horses at the enemy, you fool!

[@ultimusromanorum]

Is that from experience shorty?

[@thedstorm8922]

how about a Camel Canon?

[@markusz4447]

Rocketartillery Katyusha goes vrooooom

[@lucasgroves137]

🎯 In a half-battery, for optimal maneuverability. 😃

[@VonSchpam]

Instructions unclear ... Toilet still won't flush

[@Green24152]

what kind of toilet do you have my man

[@capuchinhelper]

The Aubrey Maturin books describe a quill full of gunpowder being inserted into the touch hole as a primer.

[@l00k69]

That's probably because the ship's guns did not yet have "gunlocks" fitted yet. Instead the quill would be placed and a linstock (stick holding a slow match) would be used to light the quill. I am pretty sure the books mention either slow matches or linstocks.

[@sipjedekat8525]

Would the quill remain in place during firing?

[@capuchinhelper]

I presume so, but the books don't go into that much detail. Patrick O'Brian is a great writer but is very much immersion rather than explanation, you have to look up all the nautical terms that get thrown about.@@sipjedekat8525

[@thrifikionor7603]

@@sipjedekat8525 Yes, it would burn away. Its similar to the modern cannon fuses just way faster

[@sipjedekat8525]

@@thrifikionor7603 ah, thanks for the info. Sometimes I underestimate just how much power is involved in these things.

[@AdamNoizer]

Damn that’s long.

[@str2010]

I suppose that's why they have a lot and fight in lines of ships

[@paulnimmo3208]

That’s what she said :)

[@chideraalexanderdex547]

That's what she said

[@whil1599]

That’s not what she said 😔

[@lukeskywalkerjediknight2.013]

@@whil1599😔

[@fast-toast]

"Sir, i dropped my sword in the cannon again."

[@GizmoDuck_1860]

They used goose quills filled with fine powder for the touch hole, then a firelock with lanyard to fire the piece. At least on British Royal Navy ships

[@ryann6067]

US Navy also used firelocks on their cannon as well.

[@axavia]

You reversed the order of the sponge & worm. It’s worm, sponge, load, ram. The guy on the worm would also be loading the shot; and the guy on the sponge would also be ramming, so you need to alternate the actions. The artillery club I’m in can load & fire a shot every 15 seconds in practice, every 20 in reality.

[@pianoenthusiast]

Finally a perfect household defense tool

[@salvatorecorleone1008]

A little underpowered in my opinion.

[@mileselon1339]

FINALLY a worthy video! Our battle shall be LEGENDARY

[@uysalemre]

If would have been quicker if they had waited for the invention of the howitzer instead of reloading this.

[@touch_of_cobalt]

Fun fact; sometimes hollow bird feather quills were filled with fine gunpowder and used as quick use fuses.

[@bettaboi]

Assassin creed 4 taught me so much about this stuff

[@FalconFastest123]

Soldier in 1800: Aw, the climax of military hardware and industrial innovation! We shall never see a finer weapon!

[@phyton8833]

Very interesting, do you have an estimate how long it would take an experienced crew to fire a cannon?

[@SirRipsYouOff]

usually under 2 mins (a British standard set by Nelson)

[@JohnCooper-gm6mn]

Royal Navy gun crews were particularly efficient. The crews of most other navys at the time could only manage around one shot every three minutes as opposed to their one every two.

[@florkgagga]

​@@JohnCooper-gm6mn they were what in shooter videogames is called tryhards :)

[@benjamingarlic6340]

You get a little more information from their full video on the HMS Victory. They said an experienced English crew could do it in 90 seconds and they were faster than most.

[@markusz4447]

​@@SirRipsYouOffwhen my girlfriend asks me why I am so quick I'll tell her I'm trying to uphold the british standard set by Nelson

[@A190xx]

Wadding was mostly to create resistance pressure which increased the power of the shot. The cannon would be pitched above horizontal.

[@coolerificmiller9475]

I thought it went gunpowder then wadding THEN cannon ball. Is that not correct if not then why

[@kiwiwarlord8152]

actually, at close ranges, it was common practice to ram in two or even three shots

[@SoniWyd]

Thanks for the tutorial 😊

[@ephilippos]

….in the movies they make it so easy to reload u gotta just luv’ em!! 😅

[@aliseroncel5171]

Thanks for your work 🙏

[@user-ut1lr8bo7k]

Fun fact ( well it is for me) 74 of the guns on HMS Victory were made in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, at the Walker Brothers foundry, oh and I was born in 1956 a couple of hundred yards from that very foundry. It was still working up to the mid 60s, its cannon making days were well over though lol

[@derrickstorm6976]

Absolutely loved these videos, but a time estimate for the sequence would have been a nice addition

[@JohnCooper-gm6mn]

3 minutes for most crews of the era, 2 minutes for a Royal Navy gun crew.

[@jacklarue7049]

90 seconds was the best target time you could get. 2 minutes or less was the standard, however, set by Lord Nelson.

[@Uniikum]

Here thou shall feel thy Canon ! -Random dude from KZbin

[@LATIN342]

Artilleryman here, would you all be shocked that we still have to sponge and worm the barrel in-between shots to this day?

[@MajesticDemonLord]

If it aint broke, don't fix it...

[@imgvillasrc1608]

Half surprised, actually. I thought that due to the advent of smokeless powder, sponging the barrel is only required after battles.

[@edeciotheghost1637]

This will be useful when resorting to the cannon at the top of the stairs loaded with grapeshot

[@atom1236]

Them rapscallions didnt stand a chance! Thank you!

[@crimzonplays1134]

Imagine if you had to clean muskets with every shot too.

[@greentank1062]

Waittttt a minute I have heard this before. The amazing world of war machines. The part on navel guns

[@simonbolivar6960]

why was it necesary to initially block the vent if the gunpowder is the last thing to be added? it feels like no sparks can last that long to then be a hazard. Why not block the vent when you are adding the gunpowder and use that man for other functions?

[@mike_nolan]

It didn't take long for spark paranoia to set in after the wide adoption of gunpowder weapons. A few centuries of tradition don't go away because of one smartass gunman questioning it's validity.

[@walijohn5761]

Whosoever job was to insert those stuffs into the barrel has a different level of courage 😢

[@ignasigarces1049]

Not really. Being an artillery crew was much safer than a regular infantry in first line

[@ritikshaw5868]

​@@ignasigarces1049but out at sea? When you were about to receive a full broadside from an enemy ship?

[@ignasigarces1049]

@@ritikshaw5868 nah, was talking on land. On sea it doesn't matter your position since sailors had greater chance of dying because of disease/storm/hunger than combat.

[@1984Phalanx]

Thanks for this, I've been looking for a good tutorial video for my 1812 Naval cannon.

[@jarvis911]

Love these shorts

[@killianlile173]

To cover the vent at least in the American Civil War one of the crew would wear this piece of leather that you place over it like the finger of a glove then tie around the wrist to make sure it doesn't come off. It's quite a fun experience to fire off one of these cannons irl. I was part of a group that volunteered at a local battlefield and demonstrated the whole process. There was no shot when we demonstrated for the public, but we could have the opportunity to go to a fort out of state where they had a range and we could fire actual solid shot and see how the ballistics worked and learn even more. Honestly one of the best experiences I've had in my life.

[@crabsilike]

"That'll teach them damn ruffians!"

[@user-hr2ns7dk8i]

Spectacular visuals!

[@bretttracyprofessionalshoo2227]

This is why you never fall asleep first at a sleep over

[@howdydobuckeroo1204]

I remember back in the day as a Privateer, we were all recommended to watch this by the royals.

[@Zajuts149]

I would love to see a graphic of the different gun crews and the tackle that was used to operate the gun.

[@lemon__j]

Ok boys, I need a volunteer for the thumb. Anyone here got a thumb left, only need one.

[@ilikewater1575]

“Runneth thy pockets skallywag”

[@vdub2002]

This is a really good video

[@g11operator]

Thank you so much, now i can properly reload the naval cannon i have at the top of my stairs!

[@ZealotPewPewPew]

Thanks! My single mother never taught me this, and I was never close with my grandfather.

[@AHersheyHere]

The coordination of the gun crew in smoky, noisy gundecks is truly amazing. Meanwhile powder monkey run to ferry more powder from the armory.

[@user-tr6vn8xc5y]

I ❤ epic history

[@jrwaters31]

Strange entirely forgot the flintlock ignition. This gave the Royal Navy a big advantage when judging the ships roll, our enemies still used portfires ! 🇬🇧

[@markerspace9852]

Many other Channel like this. But i prefer your Channel because the Sound of the Narrator Just Right For me

[@MarcusJWvideo]

Switching to your side cannon is always faster then reloading

[@anirprasadd]

Amazing Keep up the great video series on ancient weapons

[@Zefferum]

Or, to attain 3 rounds a minute in any weather, “ bite, pour, spit, tap”

[@mattresbert]

Brilliant stuff ❤

[@timesnewlogan2032]

So THAT’S what my troops were doing every time they froze in place in Empire Total War.

[@jw6337]

**cannon fires** "Thumb man!!! Youre up"

[@Thumper770]

The man thumbing the vent wasn't to keep sparks from falling in. It was done to keep airflow from igniting unburned powder from the previous shot. You also forgot to mention the sponge step of the process. After the wormer gets the trash out of the barrel, he then uses a wet sponge to clean the barrel. THEN the next round is inserted.

[@enclave7125]

Back in the good ol' days when we needed 5 people to crew a single 9-pounder cannon

[@fangwu7576]

Thanks on the tutorial I really needed it since three ruffians broke into my house. I’ve expended my rifle and my pistol. Now I need to load the grapeshot of the cannon mounted at the top of my stairs. And I really don’t feel like fixing bayonets today.

[@Norsilca]

Man I don't have anything against vertical videos in general but this one sure would be better in landscape

[@WhoThisMonkey]

Turns out cannons made out cake don't like being loaded with fire crackers

[@RandomHuman1103]

Same with artilery cannons of that sort(they used same/similar ones on the ground,forts and on the ships)

[@colonelvonmincher3543]

The fact that the loader had to lean out of the firing port to swab and load the gun is crazy.

[@olivierguay3369]

The vent.....THE VENT....AMONGUS

[@bobbooth4252]

Ah, the perfect home defense weapon.

[@commenttuff8891]

Brilliant. Another fun fact. Those wheel carriages carrying the cannons are considered to be the first ever “truck”

[@murilovsilva]

Finally, a suitable weapon for home defense

[@ViktoriousDead]

Now THAT’S soldiering

[@TheLinkmaster001]

“The grapeshot shreds two men in the blast, the sound and extra shrapnel set off car alarms” #justasthefoundingfathersintended

[@JoeXTheXJuggalo1]

I personally use canister or grape shot for my 15" Rodman home defence cannon.

[@hlancaster]

Duels bout to be crazy

[@SoleilPhoenix]

Oh c'mon hit the b4stards

[@christianlong-lo3jm]

Thank God for breach loader's it seems like a task on itself let alone having to fight a battle

[@alexandersheridan2179]

It must've been absolutely, terrifying and exhilarating the first time you were in a naval battle, in those tall ships.

[@MrFallingfromgrace]

Why wouldn’t they put the “wad” in before the “ball/projectile”? Like a musket

[@Morzone15]

Dang, I always thought the back opened up somehow and you loaded it from the rear.

[@MyMy-tv7fd]

well that's how I always used to do it, so now everyone knows

[@robertwalker7454]

I always thought the Wad goes in after the powder, then the shot.

[@democraticrepublicofsprout7263]

The reason they are worried about sparks is not because of a preemptive shot, although they did happen too. But worried about all the black powder being burnt up before it was fully loaded making the cannon uable to shoot.

[@mrein99]

Think how all the guys on the ship must be completely deaf

[@yatsumleung8618]

A crew of 6 served the gun. - Gun captain: primes, aims and fires the gun - Sponger and loader: who do all the swabbing and loading - Left and right spikers: moves the gun into position according to the gun captain's commands, using a long wooden pole - Powder monkey: often 8-10 year old boys, who transported the cartridges from the ship's magazine to the gun

[@paulnimmo3208]

On the 12 pounders your right, but as the guns went up in weight and calibre so did the number of crew, 32 pounder had 10 crew, whilst I accept power monkeys ships boys were often young, on the victory at Trafalgar the youngest boy on board, Thomas Twichett, was 12 years old, he joined the Victory at Portsmouth on the 10th September, four days before she sailed for Cadiz, kids on board would have appeared allot younger however during the Napoleonic Wars, the nutrition they had meant in many cases they were underdeveloped not entering puberty until they were 16. Hardy did have a 7 year old on board for a short period of time , however many of the younger less experienced boys were transferred prior to the engagement. Nelson always intended to cross the line, he knew the carnage that could occur, he needed the best most experienced crew he could get.

[@alextaylor3815]

I love this channel!! Wonder how many decibels it was down under those decks? Definite hearing loss.

[@lesbooth2837]

You forgot to cloth that wraps around the shot so it does not Spark ramming the shot down.

[@AmericanBusinessman422]

wormed first....then gummed.

[@paranoidboyscout1776]

Just makes me want to watch Master and Commander for the 800th time.....

[@mattister2575]

Ships wouldn’t really fire in a volley, because if they all volleyed it would tip the ship. Unless all the guns aren’t tied down

[@real_meme_amogus]

"WHO THE HECK LOADED ROUNDSHOT" "Kick him"

[@microcosms2420]

Imagine being the guy who doesn't plug the cannon, the ship gets a wave and the cannonball just rolls out and into the ocean

[@sean3407]

Perfect for home defence

[@ryann6067]

They completely missed the fire-lock portion. Which, ironically, is depicted in the period image shown.

[@Beencheeling]

Christ almighty, cannon flew right into my crotch and broke my fingers while i was trying to stop it, MASTER SURGEON SAID WE GOTTA AMPUTATE THE RIGHT HAND NOOO

[@santaboy4818]

*Mississippi queen starts playing