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>>>Gents >>> >>>looking through Ted's list or the Swedish rowing >>>fleet, I became aware that I had no idea what the >>>numerous 2 and 3 pound guns listed were. >>> >>>I assume they are some form of heavy >>>swivel/anti-personel weapon rather than a light >>>carriage gun, but would welcome enlightenment from >>>anyone who has more details. >>> >>>Thanks in advance >>> >>>Cy >> >> >>I have without thinking assumed they were swivels. Any >>gun below the 5 pounder, or saker, level was >>considered only as antipersonnel and incapable of >>damaging the ship itself. I have seen wildly >>different gun ratings for the same ship that relate to >>the fact that some people exclude 3 and 4 pounders >>from consideration. Just how big is a 3 pounder >anyway? >> >>John Tredrea > >Four-pounders were definitely carriage guns, and used >as anti-ship weapons, in the 18th century. In her >action with USS <i>Ranger,</i> HBMS <i>Drake</i> had >14 × 4-pounders (Winfield, <i>1714–1792</i>). >Unfortunately for her, <i>Ranger</i> had 18 × >6-pounders (Chappelle, <i>Sailing Navy</i>). Threes >and fours were useful in privateers against unarmed >merchantmen, and therefore could be used by "war"ships >against privateers. It's hard to find three-pounders >in British warships, and even the small ones usually >carried sixes, but <i>Drake</i> was not the only one >with fours. > >The Swedish navy counted three- and four-pounders in >the gun totals of its ships of the line early in the >18th century.

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