
Shot and Shell
Ammunition in the Age of Sail
You may have heard the term ‘shot and shell’, but what does it mean? Well, the term ‘shot’ applies to any solid projectile fired from a gun. The main purpose of shot in the age of sail was the bringing down of an enemy vessel’s masts so that it could be disabled, boarded and captured. Refinements to solid shot included- bar shot, expanding bar shot, chain shot and spring shot. Bar shot was simply a length of iron bar with cannon balls of the same calibre as the gun it was being fired from, attached to the end. When fired the idea was that it would rotate and cut through the rigging of an opposing vessel.
On the other hand, there were times when actions were fought between vessels of equal firepower, so one’s main aim, at least at the start of a battle, was to ‘neutralise’ as many of the enemy’s crew before attempting to capture their ship. In this case, ‘shell’, or hollow, explosive ammunition was used. Shells were filled with explosive powder and fitted with a fuse so that, when fired at an enemy vessel, the round would explode on board, thereby decimating the crew. Another deadly weapon was grapeshot, shells of small metals pieces, like a modern shot gun cartridge. They were fired at deck level to maim crew and elevated to destroy sails and rigging.