How Fire Ships Changed Naval Warfare

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Fire was one of the deadliest hazards aboard a wooden ship. The most terrifying incendiary weapon was the fireship. This was an old vessel, now useless or captured from the enemy, or even built for this nefarious purpose, loaded up with combustible materials, overcharged cannons, and other hellish devices, all arranged by a skeleton crew to be set alight, and directed upon the enemy. If another ship was rammed by this horrifying contraption, the hooks in their rigging would entangle the vessels, as the fire spread and engulfed the both of them. It was only a matter of time before it reached the powder magazine, and blew them both and all of the crew to Kingdom Come. A wise captain would get away in time: indeed, the purpose of fireships wasn’t necessarily to destroy the enemy, but to disrupt formations, allowing your forces to move in organized, and pick ‘em off.

Sources:
A New Voyage Round the World - William Dampier
A Pirate of Exquisite Mind - Diana & Michael Preston
An Universal Dictionary of the Maritime - William Falconer
Boarders Away II: With Fire - William Gilkerson
British Warships in the Age of Sail 1603-1714 - Rif Winfield
French Warships in the Age of Sail 1626-1786 - Rif Winfield
The Buccaneers of America - Alexandre Exquemelin
The Republic of Pirates - Colin Woodard
The Sloop of War, 1650-1763 - Ian McLaughlan

Music:
Nolo Mortem Peccatoris - Jon Sayles of jsayles.com
Twin Peaks | Ambient music - Nico Lujan
Fantasia(Thomas Lupo) - Jon Sayles of jsayles.com
Long Note One - Kevin MacLeod of incompetech.com
Strive - Jon Sayles of jsayles.com
DamaMay - Kevin MacLeod of incompetech.com

Footage credits:
On Stranger Tides
Black Sails Season 3 Episode 4

Timestamps:
0:00 Panama, 1685
4:46 Introduction
6:55 Construction
13:33 Tactics and use
18:49 Defending against them
23:48 HMS Phoenix
28:56 Credits