May 2024
HMS Thunderer 1879: death knell muzzle-loaders
HMS Thunderer 1879: the end of muzzle-loaders in the Royal Navy Three ships of the Royal Navy in the 1870s, HMS Devastation, her close sister HMS Thunderer and her slightly larger sister HMS Dreadnought, can [...]
April 2024
Fireship attack: HMS Dart & Désirée, 1800
Fireship attack: HMS Dart & Désirée, 1800 For many centuries fireships were to be some of the most dramatic and devastating of all naval weapons, albeit difficult to deploy and [...]
March 2024
HMS Flora 1780: the Carronade arrives
HMS Flora 1780: the Carronade’s arrival In sea battles from the 1780s to the end of the Napoleonic Wars a decisive factor was often the use of the [...]
Merchantman vs. a French Privateer, 1811
Three Sisters Merchantman vs. a French Privateer, 1811 Throughout the Age of Fighting Sail merchant shipping – from small coastal craft to large vessels engaged in interoceanic trade – [...]
Rome: An alternate world
EXSILIUM: The Birth of Roma Nova Latest of a gripping series set in an alternate universe For me, Antoine Vanner, one of the unexpected pleasures of [...]
Sailing Craft against U-Boats in World War 1
Sailing Craft versus U-Boats in World War 1 Though the “Age of Fighting Sail” ended around 1840 as regards major warships, small sailing craft were to play [...]