Hornblower

[claymore]

Never realised they had bronze piston hanks in those days on their headsails. And why didn't the French skipper carry on going about as he would have only presented his stern instead of his beam for Horatio to blast away at -plus he would have been going away from the shore and the Brits and getting the advantage of being to windward? Deserved to lose I reckon.

regards
Claymore

 

[tcm]

Quite a lot of sailing poetic licence I think. The wind seemed to change direction a bit suddenly here and there. I think if i was the french boat i would have just run him down kerump.

Also the ending, one minute the bay is empty, next minute two 20-man wooden boats surprisingly leap ashore, must've had twin outboards to whizz in so quickly.

Nice telly though. Any idea where it was filmes? All looked west countryish to me, or mebbe ireland with complete lack of distant ogling plastic boats?

 

[Spacewaist]

The Frenchman was supposed to be in irons.

I decided that much of it was Falmouth but I couldnt decide where the French Fort was.

Good TV though.

A pontification from the Panjandrum of orotund bloviation AD2002

 

[iangrant]

I thought the plastic anchor ball was the best!! 'er in doors even noticed it

 

[Magic_Sailor]

I thought it was brilliant.

Apparently - in answer to a post below, (I speak as Patrick O'Brian fan) the ships would not wish to present their stern as it is the least defended part of the ship - and importantly the least amoured. This was the one point that an attacking ship would go for. It was called "raking her stern" (if you see what I mean!). Apparently a ball could travel through the entire length of the ship. Hence losts of balls could reek havoc and really bring an action to an abrupt and bloody end.

I think the ship scenes were excellent - I couldn't work out how they did it - although computer simulation was in evidence. At one point someone says "The Frechie's bin taken all aback Zir" and the following shot showed she really was. I reckon some of us a being a bit picky.

I'm looking forward to tonight - more of this please.

Magic

 

[Chris_Robb]

It was St Maws I think
anyway not bad - only saw propwash once - but very entertaining.

 

[brianrunyard]

According to Radio 2 this morning, Hornblower was way ahead of his time, when he was putting the crew through their paces, as they raised the forsale there was a Radar reflector!!

Brian
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/brunyard

 

[Jacket]

Apparently it was not uncommon for a single bradside through the stern of a ship to whipe out the steering gear, knock down one or more masts and wipe out well over half of the guncrews, effectievly totally disabling a ship.

In fact, I think a number of French ships of the line were captured by much smaller frigetes, after the frigates were able to get in a raking bradside. (I'm sure a number of british warships were taken by the french in a similar manner, but of course we never hear about them).

So presenting your broadside rather than stern sounds a wise move.

 

[claymore]

Picky?

Merely observing. Thank you for the explanation about raking the stern - I just thought that it would have been a smaller target and if they'd used lexan instead of glass - which would have been invented by then if they'd had plastic anchor balls and propwash - then the balls would have bounced back. Simple really - good tv for all that. I saw 2 tall ships in Whitehaven last spring and I'm sure they had used one of them for the previous series.

regards
Claymore

 

[bedouin]

but the real problem was that they showed Hornblower choosing to exchange broadsides, rather than raking the French frigate.

 

[jimi]

Pick yer ain hooter an dinnae split hairs

Claysie,
Och man a' this reality TV has gang tae yer heid. Yon Hornblower is an awfie man, did ye spot the original Portsmouth scrubber? Ah widna want her tae be scrapin' ma arse!

 

[Jacket]

Oh well. Guess in future I should get around to watching the programme before putting in my penny's worth.

 

[Magic_Sailor]

Horny - as some would call him (not me I hasten to add) had no choice as they approached each other from opposite directions. By definition therefore they had to pass broadside on first and the Frenchie opened fire.

Magic

 

[Twister_Ken]

Re: Pick yer ain hooter an dinnae split hairs

And didn't the scrubber bear a passing resemblance to Saphie (sp?) from AbFab?

 

[bedouin]

I'm sure Forrester never wrote that bit.

Given the frenchie was in-irons, therefore head to wind, Hornblower could have crossed across his bows and "raked" him - a tactic which Forrester used often in the books. Sailing a 20 gun brig broadside-to-broadside with a 40 gun frigate would be a recipe for disaster.

 

[Trevethan]

Re: Pick yer ain hooter an dinnae split hairs

I thought she looked quite presentable meself.. compared to usual. Though I remember her from a kiddies show years back and she was actually rather pretty. I should add that she and I are about the same age so I am speaking as a peer rather than a dirty old man!

Did enjoy Hornblower.



Despite the high cost of living, it still remains popular.

 

[Twister_Ken]

BTW

Frightfully good shot by cookie with that rocket, donchaknow.

And I noticed the dastardly Irishman was allowed to escape, to re-emerge as a villain in a further piece I suspect.

 

[jimi]

Re: Pick yer ain hooter an dinnae split hairs

Och ah wis talking aboot ra mither no ra bairn!

 

[claymore]

Ye can pick yer friens

An ye can pick yer nase
But ye cannae pick yer friens nase.

Ah think its a' bound tae end in tears.

regards
Claymore

 

[claymore]

I think its what Jack Aubrey would have done - as well as Richard Bolitho

regards
Claymore