Ship's Master Gunner
Gunners were leaders of small man groups, who operated on the artillery. They watched for the safety of their man and usually aimed the cannons themselves.
It would take years of practice to become a good Gunner on a military ship. It was even harder on pirate ships because pirates rarely wanted to destroy other ships but rather to disable them Just for one canon to operate efficiently, four to six men was required to aim, fire, reset, swab and load. It was everything but an easy job. Also, coordination with other gunners was required.
To prevent commotion and random fire, usually the most experienced gunner was elected as a Master Gunner. He was the one who was giving orders when the captain was not around.
However, with all precautions, accidents still were an everyday thing. Canons could quickly overheat; they had excessive recoiling and people were working with powder (in dark or candle light).
The Master Gunner is in charge of the gunners. The gunners handle the cannons, balistas, and other projectile weapons. The Master Gunner makes sure that each of his gunners has the training they need, and is in charge of moving powder monkeys into gunner status. Since black powder is rare in Fearun they Master Gunner is sometimes the Master Archer who helps the other archers choose when to use plain arrows, flaming arrows, and when the right time to loose them is.
It would take years of practice to become a good Gunner on a military ship. It was even harder on pirate ships because pirates rarely wanted to destroy other ships but rather to disable them Just for one canon to operate efficiently, four to six men was required to aim, fire, reset, swab and load. It was everything but an easy job. Also, coordination with other gunners was required.
To prevent commotion and random fire, usually the most experienced gunner was elected as a Master Gunner. He was the one who was giving orders when the captain was not around.
However, with all precautions, accidents still were an everyday thing. Canons could quickly overheat; they had excessive recoiling and people were working with powder (in dark or candle light).
The Master Gunner is in charge of the gunners. The gunners handle the cannons, balistas, and other projectile weapons. The Master Gunner makes sure that each of his gunners has the training they need, and is in charge of moving powder monkeys into gunner status. Since black powder is rare in Fearun they Master Gunner is sometimes the Master Archer who helps the other archers choose when to use plain arrows, flaming arrows, and when the right time to loose them is.