Quote:
Originally Posted by Expat Canuck
Bingo! Was not the British armed forces the only ones at that time to practice with actual ammunition as opposed to just running drills?
I could be wrong, I'm a bit fuzzy on my facts for this point in history.
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You and JAD are both correct in a sense.
The Royal Navy placed great value on gunnery, especially a high rate of fire, which is why they tended to win.
But powder and shot were not always available in great quantities and it was left to individual captains to determine how heavily their crews drilled.
Some were like Broke and others were not.
Broke and his Shannons were certainly prepared for their battle and it showed rather dramatically. They "wanted the win" and got it.
I do wonder how they would have faired against Stephen Decauter and
United States or Isaac Hull and
Constitution.