Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:42:41-1:42:59

Choose rigging or hull fire by the tactical objective

Disabling masts could be more useful than smashing a hull when the attacker wanted to capture a valuable prize.

Age Of SailChain ShotNaval GunneryNaval TacticsPrize Taking
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Question

Was it better to fire at an enemy's rigging or its hull?

Short answer

It depended on the objective; disabling the masts was especially useful when the attacker wanted to rake and capture the ship as a prize.

Notes

The best target depended on whether the attacker wanted to destroy or capture the enemy ship. Chain shot and fire into the rigging could immobilize a vessel by bringing down its masts. Once unable to manoeuvre, the target could be raked from the stern and its crew overwhelmed. This approach preserved more of the hull and therefore more of the ship's value as prize money.