Did you know?

  • Battleships of the time launched not only spherical cannonballs but also barbell-shaped cannonballs that tore the sails and rigging of enemy ships.
  • To be prepared for the battle the sailors sanded ship floors so they would not become slippery with blood; to see through the thick smoke created by artillery exchange they hung lanterns inside.
  • Women traveled aboard battleships, along with children as young as six, used to supply gunpowder during battles.
  • "Casabianca" is a poem inspired by the incident of Flag Captain Louis Casabianca of L`Orient and his nine-year-old son. Casabianca brought his son to prepare him for a life at sea but the son was badly wounded and his father refused to leave him. They were never seen again.
    To read poem click to Mission Reports - Casabianca by Felicia Hemans