What did ship's carpenters do in battle?

What duties did a ship's carpenter have during battle?

The carpenter belonged to the damage-control effort, but carpenters on smaller ships could also lead boarding parties because they were skilled with heavy axes.

Damage control was the carpenter's expected battle duty. On smaller ships, carpenters also earned distinction leading boarding parties. Their familiarity with large axes made them useful when crews had to break through a captured vessel's fittings or defenses. A technical warrant officer's skills could become a combat role when the tactical situation demanded it.