Warship (sail)
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While the first warships were powered by oars, sail power, using wind, dominated naval warfare until the early 19th century.
There was no single metric of combat efficiency. A smaller but faster ship might be a valuable scout, as long as it was faster than ships with more powerful guns. If there was a single metric, it was pure number of guns, not gun type or caliber. A ship might be described as USS Constitution (44), indicating 44 guns of all types, although some specifications omitted the lightest guns and short-ranged weapons such as carronades.
A much more formal system was principally used by the Royal Navy. [1]
| Type | Rate | Guns | Gun decks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ship of the line | 1st Rate | 100+ | 3 |
| 2nd Rate | 90-98 | 3 | |
| 3rd Rate | 64-80 | 2 | |
| Frigate (sail) | 4th Rate | 50-60 | 2 |
| 5th Rate | 32-40 | 1 | |
| 6th Rate | 20-28 | 1 | |
| Sloop-of-war | 16-20 | 1 | |
| Gun brig or cutter | 6-14 | 1 |
References
- ↑ Sailing Ship Rates, Globalsecurity