Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:50:06-1:53:29

Shell guns before Trafalgar and the early ironclad

Early shell guns would make wooden fleets catastrophically vulnerable and accelerate iron-and-teak armour and steam propulsion, potentially producing Warrior-like ships by Trafalgar.

Battle Of TrafalgarIndustrial RevolutionIroncladsNaval WeaponsRoyal NavySteam Propulsion
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Question

What if shell guns had been invented and made common before Trafalgar?

Short answer

Wooden fleets would be devastated, rapidly driving iron-and-teak protection and steam warships that might resemble early Warrior-type ironclads by 1805.

Notes

Explosive shell is the forcing technology in this counterfactual because traditional wooden hulls cannot absorb its effects. Armour would become necessary well before its historical adoption. Heavier protection would then increase the need for mechanical propulsion, and Britain could draw on its industrial and steam-engine experience. Manufacturing limits might favour paddle propulsion over screw propellers. The result could still be a large, double-decked armoured steam fleet by Trafalgar.