Author Results for Joseph Eliav
Paddle Wheels for Sailing Men-of-War
In 1720 Monsieur du Quest, a French engineer, presented to the Royal Society a paper titled ‘A Method for Rowing Men of War in a Calm’ in which he proposed to install man-operated paddle wheels on British sailing ships. The paper documented sea trials he had performed in 1693 with his invention installed on a […] Read More
Filed under: Mediterranean | Other (Eighteenth C)
Subjects include: Ship Handling & Seamanship | Shipbuilding & Design
Tactics of Sixteenth Century Galley Artillery
The use of artillery in Mediterranean galley warfare was often perceived as being restricted to the firing of single salvos at very short range before ramming and boarding the enemy ship enabled the main fight in close combat. The article contests the reasons contemporary literature gives for this tactic and argues that it was both […] Read More
Filed under: High Middle Ages | Other (Early Modern) | Mediterranean
Subjects include: Battles & Tactics | Navies | Weapons
The Gun and Corsia of Early Modern Mediterranean Galleys: Design Issues and Rationales
An early modern Mediterranean galley carried its main piece of artillery on a wheelless mount inside the raised centreline gangway (the corsia). The gun mount stood on two well-lubricated rails that sloped downwards from fore to aft. In its firing position, the gun was in the bows and when fired recoil propelled it all the way […] Read More
Filed under: Other (Early Modern) | Mediterranean | Other (Eighteenth C)
Subjects include: Manpower & Life at Sea | Shipbuilding & Design | Weapons
The Oar System of the Venetian Quinquereme
Hardly a book or article on early-modern naval matters fails to address the Venetian quinquereme built by Vettore Fausto in 1526–9. Yet the design of that ship and particularly the design of her unique five-man oar system have remained an enigma, which this article aspires to resolve. After showing that a five-man system based on […] Read More
Filed under: Other (Early Modern) | Mediterranean
Subjects include: Battles & Tactics | Manpower & Life at Sea | Shipbuilding & Design