Here's one for the AoS folkies

[elingregory]

I'm on the home straight with On a Lee Shore and am beginning to worry about my sweeping assumptions.

It sort of stands to reason that one might see the puff of smoke of gun fire before hearing the bang but am I right in assuming that the ball travels more slowly than the bang? also if I substitute chainshot for ball am I right in assuming that it makes a sound as it goes through the air? Or is that only in Hollywood. The devil is, as they say, in the details.

I'd ask big Colin, who makes bangs and whooshes for a living whilst wearing a pirate hat - lovely job, just lovely - only he's not about at the moment.

Comments

[melanietushmore.livejournal.com]

Ah... something i miss about living with history nerd men, i could've asked them this.
i will ask when i see them, may be a while :o/

[elin-gregory.livejournal.com]

You have to love a history nerd guy! That would be grand.

I could ask alexbeecroft but I reckon she's got enough on her plate right now.

[melanietushmore.livejournal.com]

I didnt so much love it when said nerds would interrupt films with "Theyre using the wrong type of cannon/pistol/uniform etc, in that scene"

:o/

[alex-beecroft.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure that the sound arrives before the shot, although it wouldn't necessarily be long enough apart to serve as any kind of early warning. (Depends on distance).

I would certainly believe that chain shot made a sound but I wouldn't dare say for sure. I always assumed that the pressure changes that lead to "wind of ball" injuries would have to be accompanied by a sound, but now you've mentioned it, I'm no longer sure.

[elin-gregory.livejournal.com]

Colin shoots big guns for a living and he said that the ball travels comparatively slowly - far more slowly than the speed of sound. So smoke, bang, ball would be a reasonable progression of events. But I think for veracities sake I'll leave out all mention of sound in the case of chain shot. I checked with other half, who has just finished a read through of the O'Brien books and apparently HE doesn't mention whether chain shot makes a sound as it travels either. If O'Brien doesn't do it I think I'd be safer not to. That might be an interesting experimental archaeology project for someone. Size, weight and texture can be inferred from the remains but sound leaves no trace unless someone thinks to write down their impression of it.

Feather fletched arrows are silent when you shoot or if they are coming towards you. But off to one side you can hear them as they pass - a hissing whisper. I guess that means you wouldn't hear the one that hit you.

[alex-beecroft.livejournal.com]

LOL! Yes I can see the volunteers for that experiment - "just stand there and we'll miss you with this whizzing piece of iron chain, and you can tell us what it sounds like as it goes past." ;) (But probably they could do it with microphones. Silly me.)

It's a spooky thought really, the idea that you wouldn't hear them coming.

[elin-gregory.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, volunteering for experimental archaeology courses can be a bit risky. But then I wonder who was the brave man who first volunteered to eat winkles?

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Yep sound before shot I think. I'm sure I have read contemporary accounts of hearing a gun fired and then seeing the shot hitting home, or the splash as it falls short. The variation would depend on distance and weather conditions of course. I would expect chainshot to make a sound as it travels through the air, although whether you would hear that sound until is was about to impact is debatable.

[elin-gregory.livejournal.com]

I was working on the assumption that people in the bow might hear the whicker of it as it went over head to bring down yards on the mizzen mast but I think it might be safer not to mention it. the clincher is that Patrick O'Brien doesn't. :) can't argue with The Man.