StoneRoad2013's photos with the keyword: cannon

Looking forward along the gun deck. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18-pounder_long_gun Given their weight - 2.4 tons [2425Kg], it is probably just as well those long guns are replica (glass-fibre) 18-pounder "Blomefield Pattern" cannon. They would require a team of men to operate - typically six to haul it about, one or two to swab & load, one [the gun-captain] to aim & fire, and a powder monkey, it could be done with six or even as few as four. Properly trained, good gun crews could fire three rounds in five minutes. Later in an action, the discipline of broadsides might be discarded in favour of fire when ready. If she had ever been fully gunned, Unicorn would have had 28 of these on the gundeck {and 14 32-pounder carronades [smashers] - plus 2 9-pounders [chasers] and 2 more 32-pounder carronades on the forecastle}

model of a 19th century Blomefield pattern cannon - this type of 18-pounder [or long gun] would have been used to arm 46-gun frigates like HMS Unicorn {if she had been commissioned into service}

A set of five model cannon, showing the changes between the 15th and 19th centuries.

Royal Cypher - the intertwined letters G and R surmounted by a crown - markings. [showing that this Blomefield cannon was cast for the British Royal Navy]

The scale marked on the base ring / breech of this replica Blomefield pattern 18-pounder "long gun" shows the degree of elevation [achieved by adding or removing wedges] which coupled with firing on the up or down roll determined whether the roundshot would hit rigging or the hull of the target ship. [chain shot was usually fired at rigging] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18-pounder_long_gun#Blomefield 's_18-pounders

The casting mark and what should be the touch-hole. [I thought that Spanish guns would have had their Royal Coat of Arms {or a proof mark} ]

gunnery tools. sponge, rammer, top one *should" be a "wormer" but that looks more like a ladle !

El Galeon is armed with 20 cast-iron cannon, a mixture of demi-culverin and demi-cannon. Plus a number of Swivel guns, which mount onto the gunwale [usually on the poop deck or forecastle]. This one is lashed up in a manner similar to the method required when "on passage". . For information ... a demi-culverin has a 4" bore, firing an 8 - 10lb ball - each shot requires 6lb of black [gun-] powder a demi-cannon has a 6" bore, firing a 32lb ball - each shot needs 18lb of powder. Accuracy drops off dramatically at longer ranges, the smaller culverin had a range of about 1,800ft. [depending on the target, solid balls could be replaced by canister [ie shrapnel], chain or bar shot]. The heavier guns required a larger number of men to work them.

Cast plaque with information about the John Paul Jones raid on Whitehaven.

Street Art - commemorating the John Paul Jones raid on Whitehaven [17thApril1778] ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Paul_Jones The figure is shown "spiking" the cannon, ie driving a soft iron spike [nail] into the touchhole, thus preventing the cannon being fired. A good armourer could remove the spike, but that was difficult and time-consuming. Glad to see that the three cannon have had new carriages provided, at long last, after being fenced off for months during nearby construction work. The seat is one of several around the harbour, designed to draw attention to Whitehaven's maritime [whaling] history - and to make it less comfortable to sit on the back and put feet on the bit normal people use, . Added to Sunday Challenge [SC152 / composition rules / No.4 Rule of Odds : three cannon, I figure, I seat/bench ... Added to HBM on 23rdJune2025

Two small cannon - on replica carriages - flank one of the more modern entrances to the Private section of the castle. These have such short but wide barrels that they could be either mortars or carronades, rather than the "long guns" usually carried on warships.

Those cannon command the approach to Peel Harbour as well as to the castle. [they are relatively small calibre and their carriages are modern replicas]. The gatehouse tower is to the left.

The cannon is "Big Tom" and dates from the John Paul Jones raid era of Whitehaven's history. It was originally sited much nearer sea level. What I didn't really see when I was framing this image was the detail on the rock formation, but the "rock face" sort of jumped out at me afterwards. An example of pareidolia.

The figure shows the spiking of a gun. John Paul Jones, during his 1788 raid of Whitehaven intended to disable the defence guns in this way - a standard tactic of the time. (Spiking is driving a soft iron nail into the touchhole of a cannon, thus preventing it being fired. A skilled gunner should be able to remove the spike, but that takes time and the touchhole can be damaged)