Black Seas – Optional Sterns & Figureheads

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  • October 12, 2019 at 12:25 am #169760
    scottmaynard98
    Participant

    Hello everyone

    Having got a couple of frigates via Wargames Illustrated and now in the Master and Commander set, I am now a little stuck and how to configure them for each nation. The 3 Stern plates and 3 figure heads offer quite a few combinations, I just dont really know what country really used what the most.

    As I am almost entirely new to age of sail ships, I am not really familiar with the shipbuilding traditions of each nation and wondered if anyone had any guides / resources / books they would recommend on where to best learn which nation used which figureheads for example or which of the optional ship rears best suit what nations.

    Im sure it does not really matter and all comes down to personal preference, but just wondered if certain nations went more commonly with certain configurations or standards

    Thanks!

    October 12, 2019 at 8:34 am #169762
    John
    Participant

    U can use any on any nation as a lot of ship were taken as prizes (Captured) and then use in the navy of the country that won them and in many case they were taken several time so a quick paint job and then in the enemies hand and this can mean there is historical evidence of some ships change countries on numerous occasions. After Trafalgar a lot of the captured French ship were put into the service of the royal navy once repairs and a quick paint job was done on them

    October 12, 2019 at 4:51 pm #169776
    invisible officer
    Participant

    Difficult question. In 1796, the Admiralty tried to abolish figureheads altogether on new ships, but …… many sailors felt a ship without a figurehead would be an unlucky vessel.

    So some captains paid for one from own pocket.

    Captured ships got often renamed and lost the figurehead that had a Connection with the name.

    It took some time to make a captured one fit into RN, new guns (British and French Pounds being different), stores that the tars liked,(not again frog master). Worse for the French with British food 😉

    The figureheads on the model should fit the name. A lovely girl at HMS Gorgon or a horse head at HMS Greyhound….

    Post 1815 figureheads came back into official RN fashion, .

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