Posted on 05/28/2011 2:49:44 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
He was a real-life pirate of the Caribbean, who carefully cultivated a bloodthirsty reputation that struck fear through seafarers.
Now, almost 300 years after Blackbeard's death, marine archaeologists have discovered a huge anchor and an arsenal of "improvised" ammunition from the wreck of his flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge.
New evidence about the terrifying and deadly tactics employed by Blackbeard is emerging from the diving expedition on the vessel’s presumed remains. The divers have discovered that weapons used by the pirate were not only intended to kill but were designed to strike terror into survivors and force them into a swift surrender.
The shipwreck lies in about 25ft of water just off the coast of the American state of North Carolina and the expedition to recover artefacts is being led by the state’s Department of Cultural Resources.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
The lead archeologist is saying some strange things.
He talks about ordinary chain shot as if it was a unique improvised weapon that only this pirate used. Well chain/bar shot was in common use by navies to take down rigging.
It’s not to “terrorize” an enemy, its to win by crippling the opponent ability to manuever.
And langrage is just a slight change to cannister/grape shot, something also widely used by navies and not unique to pirate.
So they found ball, grape and chain shot, just like you would find on any warship of the time.
“During the expedition, which ends this week, the team are also fixing experimental zinc anodes to any large metal items they are not yet able to recover, including cannons.
The devices will conserve the artefacts before they can be brought to the surface by slowing, and possibly even reversing, the process of corrosion.”
Of all the fantastic ways in which stories of piracy on the high seas stretch the imagination, this bit about the “corrosion-reversing anode” takes the cake!
...and his skull was later used as a punch bowl.
Those were the days when men were men.
That lead archeologist needs to watch some old Errol Flynn movies.
The examination of this wreck has been going on for years. I have seen some the arifacts at the Maritime Museum in Beaufort, NC (my Mother lives near there). Some of them are striking.
LLS
yeah no kidding, sacrificial anodes have been in use since pretty much the birth of iron ships.
It does appear to be a sound principle, except for that reversing the corrosion part. Oil rigs use aluminum blocks and ships place zinc on their hulls for the same protection. Of course there is a risk of contamination of the soil around the site. Hello, EPA!
Ping
Just about every sailor knows about sacrificial zincs.
I also don't like Tyrone Power. The movie version of Captain from Castile was a flop in my opinion because Tyrone was such a pansy. Ditto Prince of Foxes, by the same author, Samuel Shellabarger, both excellent books--though P of F was so badly done it should have been aborted.
Somebody should remake these movies in 21st century realism. Maybe the excavation of Queen Anne's Revenge will cast some light on what these people were like.
I doubt he knows just who Errol Flynn was.
¨Arrgh...¨
IIRC, Errol Flynn was an @sskickin’ SOB who threw more real punches than he ever did on the screen.
Of course, he ultimately beat himself to death by age 50.
Kick these ``archaeologists`` off the poop deck!
A toast to him for of his films as a sailor (made my desire to become a sailor) has now made me a veteran. He had it all didn't he, but as Aristotle said to a young Alexander, " A long life in obscurity or a short life on Glory? Can you have both? Semper Fi USA.
LLS
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