..Unlocking the bloody history of the ship made famous by Turner, the Fighting Temeraire

Daily Mail ^ | January 22, 2010 | Sam Willis

[C19fan]

Article about the Napoleonic era ship made famous in the Turner painting.

[rellimpank]

—bflr—

[Tijeras_Slim]

Interesting comments as well.

[BJClinton]

Outstanding read, thanks for posting it.

[hellbender]

A great and graphic description of naval warfare in that era.

[catman67]

[hellbender]

It would be interesting to hear more about what that steamship is doing in the picture.

[C19fan]

I think it was towing the Temeraire to its final resting place. An allegory of the new technology replacing the old?

[SatinDoll]

See post #8 for the explanation.

I want to add that England was at the forefront of industrialization in Europe during the late 18th century. By the early 19th century steel production was advancing and steam engines were being manufactured. Steamships first appeared in English waters.

[hellbender]

Yes. However, I was startled by a book set in the Napoleonic Wars by Joseph Conrad, a sea captain himself. One of his English characters praises the superiority of the French vessels of the time. France was Europe’s leading power for centuries, and Napoleon beat everyone on the Continent, but could never finish off the British. No one ever fought harder than the Brits in their prime.

[hellbender]

the sailors were issued their tot of rum; half a pint in total, diluted with three parts of water, issued morning and evening.

Do you know if that means 1/2 pint of raw rum, or 1/2 pint of diluted grog?

The Russians also gave their troops booze before battle. Not to disparage their courage, but I wonder how much of the reckless bravery shown by soldiers and sailors in those days was due to alcohol.

[DuncanWaring]

Ping.

[Erasmus]

At the end of his life, Napoleon was heard to say,

“Able was I ere I saw this crappy little island.”

[dangerdoc]

able was I ere I saw elba.

[Oztrich Boy]

One of his English characters praises the superiority of the French vessels of the time

Conrad wrote fiction.

And to some extant, so did the Royal Naval captains who captured a French ship and were presenting the best case for prize money. If the ship was taken into Royal Navy service he got the lion's share of the ship's estimated value. Of course he's going to say it was the bestest ship ever.

The dockyards who had to refit the prize for service, and the crews who had to subsequently serve on them were of another opinion

[hellbender]

Many French products from that era and earlier were superb. Their architecture, musical instruments, scientific instruments, guns, etc. were equal to the best anywhere. Conrad was an adopted Brit and experienced naval captain, and knew about their stuff. What motive would he have to for lying? he Brits were happy to use captured French ships. As I remember, a they use a captured French vessel to run down the French pirate craft in Conrad's story. It's a thrilling book, called The Privateer.

[Oztrich Boy]

British vs. French Shipbuilding

Its also interesting to read the surveys of work needed during a Great Repair because they tell us much about how those ships were built. Surveys of French ships make continual reference to the ship's frame hogging, sagging and racking. They refer to decks sagging. Frames were cracked and broken. It’s very rare to read this sort of structural damage on a British ship unless she's being repaired after a severe action. Also interesting are the comments on structural practices. British ships had their joints grooved and rebated, secured by a peg and reinforced with a futtock. The French equivalent was to butt the two members together and nail them in place. The use of nails was extensive in French building and was a major cause of failure. There was a thing called nail sickness - a nail would rust in place with the rust seeping into the wood greatly weakening it. Stamp on a joint with nail sickness and the components would separate - not a good idea. Another very common reference is to the French using green timber rather than seasoned wood in the construction of their ships.

[Jimmy Valentine]

Turner's painting "The Fighting Temeraire Towed to Its Last Berth." is one of his most famous paintings.

It is actually an allegory on the approach of the new industrial age, with the new(tug)supplanting the old (the ship).

Turner's use of a strong white underlayer in his paintings gives a spectral quality to the scene enhancing its melancholy.

The British hold this painting in special regard primarily for the vision ofthe great old ship, second in line at Trafalgar lead away to be broken up.

[hellbender]

Thanks for the fascinating article. If this is true, then Jos. Conrad simply swallowed a myth. It would be interesting to see what the author thought of U.S. ships of that day. Our frigates were heavily built compared to the British competition; at least that’s what I’ve always read.

[SunkenCiv]

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