Home › The Fire Ship

The Fire Ship

FROM the most remote times fire was resorted to in naval conflicts as a natural weapon. Bundles of blazing materials were hurled from positions of vantage, while at an early date powerful combustibles such as the famous Greek fire were employed.

Later it became the custom to make use of specially designed and equipped ships for this purpose. The plan was to isolate the forward part of the vessel from a point slightly abaft the mainmast where a very thick bulkhead of heavy wooden beams was built across from side to side. Other thick partitions with very heavy tight-fitting doors surrounded the waist while the upper deck was also stoutly protected against the rapid spread of the flames upward. Near the fire ports opening out of this enclosed portion of the lower deck troughs were built with wooden tubes running to the ports. These troughs were filled with highly inflammable liquids, and bombs were sometimes placed near the openings, so that, upon exploding, the fire which had been set to the liquid might be further scattered. When ignited the flames otherwise confined sought the easiest point of escape through these tubes. Upon the deck four large barrels with spouts pointing upward, containing a similar liquid, performed a like function. The idea was to manoeuvre such a vessel so that when abandoned it would float against an enemy ship and so ignite it. Naturally such a course was possible only in a general engagement. Ships specially constructed for this purpose were used in England until about the middle of the 18th Century, and until their devotion to this final sacrifice these vessels were used as guardships and for similar purposes. Later on it was found expedient to equip otherwise useless vessels for this certain destruction.

The peculiar form of the ports and the deck tubes may be seen in the illustration. What a terrifying sight these old fire ships must have presented; their sides spouting flames, mingled with the crash of exploding bombs, while from the deck apparatus jets sought the upper rigging and spars of any unfortunate ship which could not be manoeuvred out of their way!