Which modern or twentieth-century ship weapons would be effective in the Age of Sail?
Short answerExplosive shells and rapid-firing weapons, including 40 mm-class cannon, would be devastating against wooden ships and concentrated crews.
NotesContact-detonating torpedoes and high-explosive shells would be obvious ship killers against sailing warships. Armour-piercing rounds might pass through wooden hulls without transferring their full effect. High explosive would instead burst inside or against lightly protected structures and spread destructive blast and fragments. Rapid-firing 40 mm pom-poms would also perforate hulls, fittings, and exposed crews with a volume of fire no Age of Sail fleet could answer. Ammunition effect matters as much as nominal calibre when technology crosses eras.