Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 4:06:11-4:06:41

The smallest modern gun for defeating an Age of Sail fleet

A cross-era gunnery answer places the practical threshold above heavy machine guns but around a modern 40 mm cannon.

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Question

What is the smallest modern gun capable of defeating an Age of Sail fleet?

Short answer

A modern 40 mm gun should be sufficient by rapidly opening many holes, while a .50-caliber weapon probably lacks the destructive effect needed against very thick oak and teak structure.

Notes

The answer distinguishes penetration from useful ship-killing damage. Heavy machine-gun fire may pass through some material, yet it is unlikely to remove enough structure or create enough flooding quickly against a ship of the line. Repeated 40 mm impacts offer the volume and explosive effect needed to overwhelm the wooden hull and crew.