Faan Hates Spam added these comments in the current discussion du jour
....

The TV Show Mythbusters did a show trying to replicate flying
splinters from shooting canonnballs into a mockup of a side of a
ship, the end result was inconclusive as they couldnt get the
splinters to fly with enough force to kill someone, in their case
"Buster" Although its well documented in Admiralty records that many
died from splinter wounds, they could not make a case. Bit of
worthless info added to this thread

Mythbusters takes a very scientific approach to their "myths" but
actual warfare is anything but orderly and scientific. I can't comment
as to the size and lethality of splinters but plenty of sailors lost
their lives from the cannon ball blast itself, falling masts and
rigging, splinters, and any of a dozen more ways of dying in a gruesome
manner including being shot by sea-going infantry or run through with a
sabre.

Splinters -- often feet long -- were the biggest cause of
casualties among the crews of wooden warships. Cannonballs would
smash the timber sides and big splinters would fly around like
shrapnel.

At least so I have read. I have no direct experience with battle in
a wooden sailing ship. ;-)

--
Bill Collins
For email, change "fake" to "earthlink"

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--
HP, aka Jerry

"Most people with power would like to use it wisely, if someone
believable would tell them how", Robert Townsend in the book "Up The
Organization"