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| Royal Navy & Marines For Dummies; (Resource) | |
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| Topic Started: 28 Aug 2008, 01:20 AM (73 Views) | |
| Brendan | 28 Aug 2008, 01:20 AM Post #1 |
A Legend. In regimentals. Pwn.
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Introduction This article was written to outline the basics of the Royal Navy and His Majesty's Marines, as they are seen in PotC. The uniforms and structure that are seen in the movies are being reflected here. It must be noted that what was shown in the movies is not an accurate representation of the actual Navy and Marines of that time period. In this article, the ranks, duties, uniforms, and weapons of the sailors, marines, and their officers are described with enough detail to provide familiarity with them while remaining easy to read and comprehend. Pictures are provided where possible and sources are cited at the bottom of the article, with numbered notations to each source made within the article. Each section of the article is broken up as follows: Part One - The different rank structures and daily duties. The term 'enlisted' means a common marine or sailor. The term 'commissioned' refers to all officers, Navy and Marine, as these men hold a written commission to serve as a King's Officer. Part Two - The uniforms of the Navy and Marines. The common marine's uniform was different from that of a Navy officer and these differences are outlined. Part Three - The various weapons used by the Navy and Marines. Explanations of each weapon are found there. Note: This article is tailored to match what is seen in the movies, and is written to suit the purposes of this role-play. It's designed to be informative, but is not meant to be taken as an unimpeachable document. Members who wish to know more are encouraged to do their own research. Members are cautioned, however, to be aware that some sources are less reliable than others and care should be taken when referencing certain sites. Part One Ranks of the Marines Private - The lowest ranking marine. Responsible for patrolling the fort and town, standing guard outside officers' work-offices and cabins when these areas are occupied, and providing armed support for Navy officers aboard ship. Some privates serve additional duties as personal attendants for the marine officers. Corporal - A marine ranking just below a sergeant who leads a squad or section of twelve privates. Responsible for administering discipline within his squad, maintaining duty rosters, and standing guard outside the work-office of the Officer of the Watch. Corporals also serve alternating watches as Keymaster in the fort's dungeon. Sergeant - The second-highest ranking 'enlisted' marine. Oversees a company, typically comprised of four or five squads. Responsible for creating duty rosters, conducting inspections, and providing counsel for marine officers when required. Also serves as Sergeant of the Guard during all watches around the fort. Colour-Sergeant - Actually the same as a sergeant, except for the special responsibility of carrying the Colours whenever the battalion is embarked as a full unit, or during parades. The Colour-Sergeant is the figurehead of the battalion and is universally feared and respected by the marines both subordinate and superior to him. Second Lieutenant - Lowest ranking commissioned officer, usually in command of a company made up of four or five sections of marines. Responsible for assigning new marines to a section, handling special work-details, and overseeing inspections of his assigned company. First Lieutenant - Generally only one First Lieutenant is assigned to any one battalion, to serve as scribe, paymaster, and representative for the Captain of Marines should this officer not be present for important meetings or decisions. Captain - The commanding officer of a battalion. Responsible for attending to the general health, welfare, and morale of his marines, approving or disproving of severe disciplinary actions, handling issues regarding delinquent marines, and providing a buffer of sorts between his marines and the Navy officers - particularly aboard ship. A Captain of Marines is equal in rank to a Navy First Lieutenant. Ranks of the Navy Landsman - A brand-new sailor, with absolutely no knowledge or experience aboard a ship. Generally given the worst duties and considered the lowest form of life by more experienced sailors. Ordinary Seaman - A sailor with limited experience at sea. These generally work on deck, tending the cannon and mending lines. Able Seaman - Capable and well-experienced sailors with at least two years at sea were rated as Able Seamen. These men work in the rigging, setting and furling sails, sometimes more than forty feet above the main deck. Certain Able Seamen work in the very top-masts and were called topmen. Only the best sailors are topmen, as it requires a good deal of courage and ability to work in the high-tops, as high as one hundred feet above the main deck. Petty Officer/Warrant Officer - These are Able Seamen selected for promotion to higher duties. Petty Officers and Warrant Officers include mast captains, master-at-arms, carpenter, boatswain (or bos'un), the ship's master, and the subordinate mates to these. Midshipman - The lowest ranking officer. Most midshipmen are in their early teens. Their main duty is to help Lieutenants control the crew and command gun divisions. If good enough, they could take command of small boats or prizes. Lieutenant - Lieutenants are the backbone of a ship's command structure. There are eight ratings of Lieutenant - a Lieutenant's rating depends on the class of ship on which he serves. Lieutenants command small boats, gun divisions in battle, oversee a watch, and are most likely to lead dangerous boarding or cutting-out parties. Commander - This is a temporary rank given to an officer - usually a Lieutenant - who assumes command of a ship in the absence of a senior officer. Post-Captain - The absolute ruler on his ship, a Captain has the power of life or death over the crew. Responsible for the well-being of the crew, ensuring are enough of them to have the ship ready for service, and even paying for extras to keep them happy. Commodore - A Commodore is in charge of a detached naval squadron, like the group of ships that calls Port Royal home. Part Two Navy uniforms The sailors - The ordinary sailors have no uniform, and it'll be more than a hundred years before they got one. The only uniformity is created by their making clothes together on board from bulk bought cloth. For the most part, sailors prefer off-white, grey, or striped trousers and light coloured shirts, with black or other-coloured neckrags that can be tied around their heads to keep hair and sweat from their faces. Few sailors wear shoes. Certain sailors do have a somewhat-passable uniform, however. Warrant officers typically had loose white canvas trousers, dark-blue, short-waisted jackets and white-trimmed, short-topped glazed black felt hats with trailing black ribbons. The captain's - or commodore's - boat crew also possess such a uniform. The boatswain and his mates have glazed black round-hats with an engraved pewter plate on the front, which bear the seal of the ship upon which they serve. The officers - Navy officers were not authorised a common uniform until 1748. Many liberties are taken with the style, cut, and features of the uniform, even after the regulations were enacted. As per PotC, the Navy uniform consists of a dark-blue, mid-thigh-length woollen frock coat, a mid-thigh-length beige-coloured linen waistcoat, white linen ruffled shirt, beige knee-breeches, white stockings, and black buckled shoes. A white linen cravat completes the uniform. The frock coat and waistcoat are decorated with gold braiding. A black felt tricorne with gold trim on the upper brim and a black and gold cockade on the left fold. This style of hat is for lieutenants and above. Midshipmen wear a black felt tricorne without any trim and having only a simple black cockade. Differences in rank are also reflected in the style of frock coat. Midshipmen wear a plain frock and waistcoat, while lieutenants wear a frock coat with simple gold braiding on the collar and down the front. The cuffs of lieutenant's frock have gold braiding as well, but are plain blue in colour. Post-Captains have a frock coat and waistcoat with a more elaborate decoration of braiding, with the two divisions of post-captain being denoted by the colour of the frock coat's lapels and cuffs. Captains with under three years of seniority havewhite cuffs only, while captains with over three years of seniority have white cuffs and lapels. Marine uniforms The marines - Unlike their Navy counterparts, the marines possess a common uniform to distinguish them from the rest of a ship's crew. A short-tailed, coarse wool coat that is dyed red is the outermost layer of the marine's daily attire. The coat is faced in white and the inside is lined with light-weight white wool, with one or two large, bag-shaped pockets inside, for the outside pocket flaps are only for decoration. The coat has thirty-eight large, pewter buttons on the facings and cuffs, with two smaller buttons to fasten the plain red epaulettes.1 A pair of white leather crossbelts that hang from either shoulder. A black cartridge box hangs from the left shoulder and a bayonet and scabbard from the right shoulder. The bayonet-crossbelt bears a silver plate stamped with the cypher of King George. Underneath the heavy coat, marines wears a plain white linen shirt and waistcoat. The shirt collar is upturned and a black leather stock is worn around the neck, in place of a cravat. White linen breeches, white stockings, and knee-length black gaiters cover the marine's lower half. Marines wear black, straight-lasted buckled shoes. A black felt tricorne trimmed along the upper brim with white, with a black and white cockade on the left fold, crowns the uniform. There are several rank differences. Corporals and sergeants wear white shoulder knots, fastened around their right shoulder epaulettes. Instead of bayonet-crossbelts, corporals wear swords. Sergeants wear no crossbelts at all, having instead a waist-belt from which hangs a sword. Sergeants also wear a crimson sash over the right shoulder that knots at the left hip, under the sword-belt. When off-watch aboard ship, marines store their red coats in a room and exchange the rest of their uniform for simpler garb. This alternate uniform consists of white canvas trousers, brown gaiters, and a checked shirt with a stock. This attire is supplemented by a white-faced grey jacket and a red, coarse linen-lined cap that is turned up in front with a small, stiff flap of the facing colour of the jacket, which is white.1 The officers - The basic form of uniform is largely the same for marine officers, though officers' coats have lapels that are styled differently from the enlisted marines' coats. Officers also have shoulder epaulettes and silver gorgets. Gorgets are worn around the neck. Officers wear no cross belts, but have sword-belts that buckle around their waists. Marine lieutenants have only one epaulette, on their right shoulder, while a Captain of Marines has two. Part Three Weapons of the Royal Navy The officer's sword - A slim-bladed sword is the favoured weapon for officers, both of the Navy and the Marines. Midshipman's dirk - Contrary to what is shown in CotBP, midshipmen do not wear full swords. Their weapon is the dirk and, like the sword, it hangs from a waist-belt. Sailor's weapons - When boarding actions are imminent, sailors are issued a variety of weapons. The most common are cutlasses, axes, pistols, or belaying pins. Axes and belaying pins serve double-purposes aboard ship as well. Should a rope or piece of need to be cut, the axe is the tool of choice. Belaying pins are used to secure lines and tie off braces. In battle, axes are useful for breaking open hatches or cabin doors, while belaying pins are very effective as clubs. The pins are employed by press-gangs ashore in that capacity. Weapons of the Marines The musket - The marines' primary weapon is the Sea-Service Pattern musket. This version of the flintlock musket has a shorter barrel length than the Land-Pattern and is of a simpler design, to allow the musket to survive the rigors of service at sea. In addition to the shorter barrel, the Sea-Service musket typically does not have a sling, to prevent the weapon being caught on rigging or hooks aboard ship. When ashore, the marines carry the Long Land-Pattern musket. The longer barrel allows for greater range when firing and is the standard musket for all land forces. Marines conduct arms drills with both versions, to maintain their skill and ensure effectiveness, whether they are employed in operations at sea or ashore. The bayonet - Perhaps the most feared weapon available to the marines. The socket bayonet fits over the muzzle and locks into place, allowing the musket to be loaded and fired. It's a triangular blade with an unfluted side facing up, toward the muzzle. The two downward-facing sides are fluted. All edges of the bayonet are kept sharp and the metal is constantly polished to prevent rust. When affixed to a musket, the bayonet provides a marine with a lance-like weapon with which to fight if it is impossible to reload the musket. Source 1 "For the Glory of the Marines!" - The Organization, Training, Uniforms, and Combat Role of the British Marines During the American Revolution; Thomas Boaz (1993) |
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3:56 PM Nov 19