Shahararren wanda aka azabtar da Caronades
Jirgin ruwa mai saukar ungulu na Amurka kamar Essex, ya fi yawa amma ya gaza nunawa fiye da manyan jiragen ruwa na kundin tsarin mulki. Misalin lokaci. Marubucin zanen: Jean-Jerome Beaujan
Caronades, takamaiman bindigogin jirgin ruwa na ƙarshen karni na XNUMX, masu gajere da gajere, amma mai tsananin haske dangane da girmansu, sun taka muhimmiyar rawa a yaƙe-yaƙe na ruwa na wancan lokacin da kuma a farkon rabin ƙarni na gaba, kodayake a lokacin. a lokaci guda kuma sun wuce gona da iri da kuma danganta ayyukansu ba wai nau'ikan jiragen ruwa da suke da matukar muhimmanci ba. Kuma sanannen wanda aka azabtar da su ba jirgin ruwa ne da aka harba daga caronades ba, amma akasin haka - wanda dole ne ya mika wuya ga abokan gaba, saboda makamansa sun ƙunshi bindigogi da yawa na wannan ƙirar.
Haihuwar jirgin ruwan Essex
Ginin jirgin ruwa na Amurka a ƙarshen karni na XNUMX yana da takamaiman fasali da yawa. Sojojin ruwa sun sha wahala daga rashin kuɗi na yau da kullun wanda ya haifar, a tsakanin sauran abubuwa, ta hanyar babban rashin jin daɗi ga gwamnatin tsakiya mai ƙarfi, son kai da son rai sosai a cikin al'umma, da imani cewa babu buƙatar ƙirƙirar wasu rukunin yaƙi fiye da waɗanda ke ba da kariya. . bakin tekun (an fahimta sosai a matsayin haramtattun ayyuka). Akwai kuma fahimtar cewa ba zai yiwu a daidaita lambobi ba - cikin lokaci mai ma'ana - manyan sojojin ruwa na Turai na al'ada, irin su Burtaniya, Faransanci, Sifen ko ma Dutch. Wasu barazanar da ke kunno kai, kamar ayyukan ’yan fashi da makami na Arewacin Afirka ko kuma sojojin Napoleon na yaƙi da safarar ƴan kasuwan Amurka, an yi ƙoƙarin fuskantar su ta hanyar kera ƙananan jiragen ruwa, masu ƙarfi sosai a rukuninsu, ta yadda ba za su iya yin aiki da yawa ba. ƙungiyoyi kuma suna gudanar da ayyuka masu girma, har ma da lashe duels. Wannan shi ne yadda aka ƙirƙira shahararrun manyan jiragen ruwa na ƙungiyar Tsarin Mulki.
Suna da nakasu da gazawarsu, baya ga haka, da farko ba a karbe su da himma da fahimta ba, don haka su ma Amurkawa sun tsara wasu sassa na gargajiya. Daya daga cikinsu shi ne jirgin Essex mai dauke da bindiga 32. An gina shi a lokacin yakin Quasi-War tare da Faransa da kudi daga asusun jama'a.
An tsara zane na William Hackett kuma wanda ya gina shi shine Enos Briggs na Salem, Massachusetts. Bayan shimfida keel a ranar 13 ga Afrilu, 1799, an ƙaddamar da rukunin a ranar 30 ga Satumba, tr. kuma an kammala ranar 17 ga Disamba, 1799. Takin da aka yi na gine-gine yana da ban mamaki, ko da yake a zamanin jiragen ruwa na katako, lokacin da kayan gini dole ne su tsufa kafin a yanke abubuwa da kuma a kowane mataki na taro, wannan bai haifar da dadewa ba na jirgin ruwa. Ga wanda bai kai dubu 10 ba. Ga mutanen Salem, gina irin wannan babban jirgin ya kasance wani muhimmin al'amari. Duk da haka, a lokacin ƙaddamar da Essex, dauke da babban baturi tare da bindigogi 12-pounder, bai bambanta da sauran raka'a na wannan rukuni ba. Daga cikin jiragen ruwan Faransa 61 da ke hidimar aiki, 25 na wannan ajin; daga cikin 'yan Burtaniya 126, rabin yawansu. Amma sauran sun ɗauki manyan bindigogi masu nauyi (wanda ya ƙunshi bindigogi 18- da 24-pounder). A cikin ajin sa, Essex an daidaita shi sosai, kodayake ba za a iya kwatanta aikin sa daidai da na jiragen ruwa na Faransanci ko na Biritaniya ba saboda tsarin ma'auni daban-daban a cikin kowane jirgin ruwa.
Essex ya tashi a cikin ruwa a ƙarshen Disamba 1799, tare da rakiyar ayari zuwa Indies Gabas ta Holland. Ta tabbatar da cewa jirgin ruwa ne wanda zai iya jure yanayin yanayi mai tsanani kuma yana da sauri sosai, tare da babban ƙarfin riƙewa, mai sarrafawa, da kyau a cikin iska, ko da yake yana da yawa (sway na tsawon lokaci). Duk da haka, kamar yadda za a yi tsammani daga aikin gaggawa, tun a farkon 1807 an gano manyan kasoshi na farar itacen oak na Amurka sun lalace kuma dole ne a maye gurbinsu da sababbin bishiyoyin itacen oak, kamar yadda benaye, katako da katako ya kasance. maye gurbinsu. zuwa 1809. A lokacin gyaran gyare-gyaren, an ɗaga igiyoyi masu ɗorewa na gefe kuma an rage maƙasudin ciki na bangarorin.
Jirgin yana cikin sabis na yaƙi daga Disamba 22, 1799 zuwa Agusta 2, 1802, daga Mayu 1804 zuwa Yuli 28, 1806, kuma daga Fabrairu 1809 zuwa Maris 1814. Fata ko shiga cikin Tekun Pacific. An sami gagarumin sauyi a cikin makamanta. Da farko dai, a watan Fabrairun 1809, caronades mai nauyin kilo 32 ya bayyana a kan bene na aft da fore, wanda ya kara nauyin salvo na gefe da kusan sau biyu da rabi! Mafi mahimmancin gyare-gyare shine maye gurbin a watan Agusta 1811 na babban baturi mai nauyin kilo 12 tare da caronades 32-pounder. Gaskiya ne, godiya ga wannan, nauyin wideside ya karu da wani 48%, amma wannan kuma yana nufin cewa an sanye shi da bindigogi, wanda, daga cikin 46 dogayen cannons da caronades, shida kawai zasu iya yin wuta daga al'ada.
Marubucin hoton: Jean-Jerome Boja
