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hm_jollies2012-03-18 03:42 pm
sharpiefan) wrote in hm_jollies2012-03-18 03:42 pm
Sea Duty
From The Marine Volunteer: containing the exercise, firings, and evolutions of a battalion of infantry. To which is added sea-duty and a supplement by Terence O'Loghlen (from 1760) (p111)
When a Detachment of Marines is sent on Board of a Man of War, the Commanding Marine Officer should take their uniform Coats, Hats and Caps from them, also their white Shirts, a Pair of their Stockings and a Pair of Shoes, and lock them up in the Marine Store Room. Each Man's Necessaries should be tied up separately in a little Bundle, and tallied, to prevent Mistakes betwixt the Soldiers: By this Management the Mens Cloaths will be saved, and the Marine Officers will be qualified to turn out a clean well-dressed Guard for the Reception of a superior Officer, who is intitled to one; and when disembarked to do Duty with Land forces on Shore, they will be able to make a Soldier-like Appearance; besides, it prevents their selling their Necessaries for Spirits or Tobacco, which is commonly done on board a Ship. It will answer another very good Purpose, that when Marines get wet upon Deck in bad Weather, they will have dry clean Things to put on, which must be very conducive to the Preservation of their Health. Soldiers should always wear Sea Caps, Jackets and cheque Shirts on board a Ship.
The Marines should be exercised often, to keep them in Practice, that they may not forget the Whole of what they were taught on Shore. The best Method, in my Opinion, to exercise the Marines on board a Ship is, first to draw up the Soldiers in a single Rank round the Deck, facing inwards, and make them go through the Manual and Platoon Exercise in that Position: The Officer stands in the Center to give the Words of Command, and to see that every man is as attentive as if he had been ashore in Battalion. So soon as the Platoon Exercise is ended, the Detachment must be formed into three Ranks, at either side of the Deck, facing outwards, and subdivided into small Platoons, according as you have room. The Soldiers are then to get their Cartridges, and prime and load; upon which, the Preparative beats, and the Front Rank Men moves [sic] up to the Barricade, and the three Ranks perform the Parapet Firing.
When the Detachment fires six rounds the General beats: The Officer must then form his Detachment two deep and perform Parapet Firing in that Order. In those two Methods of performing Parapet Firing, the Soldiers should be accustomed to present obliquely to the Right and Left. No other Firing or Evolution should be attempted at Sea: It can answer no Purpose whatsoever to puzzle Men with Impracticabilities. Soldiers kept in constant Practice in the Manner prescribed, cannot forget more than they will be able to recover in two or three Days on Shore. Marines should be accustomed to fire frequently with Ball on board a Ship at a Mark hung for the Purpose from the Fore-Yard Arm.
if a man of war should happen to engage to Leeward, which many of our Sea Captains are fond of, to prevent an Enemy from running away, the Marines of Course must be drawn up to windward; in that Case, the Soldiers should be formed three deep, and perform the Parapet Firing by Ranks, in the Manner directed above: By this Method they will be qualified to keep up a successive almost incessant Fire upon the Enemy's Decks, which are open to them. Another Advantage results from it, which is, that the Men are covered from the Enemy's Musketry while they are loading; besides, I do not think that two Ranks can fire clear of the Barricade, which in reality is a Breast-Work, when the Soldiers are drawn up to Windward, especially if it blows fresh.
When a Ship of War engages to Windward, the Marines must be drawn up to Leeward, two deep, and they are to perform the Parapet Firings standing quite close to the Barricade; after they have once made ready, they should prime and load without moving their Feet, or coming to a Shoulder, which will save them two Motions, and consequently expedite the Firing. In this Case, a Platoon of the best Marksmen should be picked out, and ordered to take Arms and fire at the Enemy's Port-Holes: Two or three expert men killed at a Gun may silence for Half an Hour. Marine Officers ought to be particularly attentive to Time their Firings with the Motion of the Ship; that is to say, never give Fire but when the Ship is rising with the Wave: If you fire when she pitches, you hit nothing but Salt-Water.
When a Man of War is ordered to be cleared for Action, one of the Marine Arm-Chests should be lashed upon the Grating abaft the Mizen-Mast, to hold Ammunition, which will give the Soldiers more Room to act, and perhaps prevent many Accidents that may happen in supplying them with Cartridges as often as they are wanted: And as Sea Engagements are sometimes tedious, I think the Ward-Room Arms should be brought upon Deck, in Case the Soldiers should have occasion for clean Muskets. If the Enemy should attempt boarding, the Marine Officer should draw up some of his Men, in a Rank entire, and post them wherever the Effort is most likely to take Place, so as to be qualified to receive the Assailants upon the Points of his Bayonets.
An Officer who commands a Detachment of Marines upon a Ship of war, should be peculiarly attentive and kind to the Sick; he ought to visit them once a Day at least, see that the Surgeon and his Mates give them the proper Attendance, and not let them want any Thing that can be had. He should also take Care that strict Justice is done to his People with Regard to their Provisions, and not let one of them go in Debt or take up Slops of any kind if it can possibly be avoided: At the same Time, mistaken Humanity ought not to influence him to overlook military Mis-demeanors; on the contrary, he should bring Delinquents to condign Punishment. This is the true Way for an Officer to make himself loved and feared by his Men, and then he will be sure to be obeyed. Private men have their Feelings as well as their Superiors, and often judge properly between Right and Wrong; which every Officer should consider who has a Command, be it great or small.
It is the Duty of every Marine Officer who has the Honour to command, or belong to a Detachment, to make the Marines exert themselves upon every Occasion for the Good of his Majesty's Service and to endeavour to promote Harmony and Unanimity between them and the Sea-men. However, he is not to suffer his Men to be beat or abused: A Soldier should never be struck at Sea or on Shore; the Articles of War are sufficiently rigorous to punish Offenders, and the Soldiers of a Patriot King who fight the Battles of their Country ought not to be treated like Slaves at the Option of hot-headed Individuals.
There are several Captains in the Royal Navy (to their Credit be it spoken) that will not punish Marines legally, with a dozen Lashes, without the Knowledge and Concurrence of their Own Officers; but those are Gentlemen who know the Service and likewise know the Decorum necessary to be observed between Gentleman and Gentleman, notwithstanding any local Superiority or Command.
When a Detachment of Marines is sent on Board of a Man of War, the Commanding Marine Officer should take their uniform Coats, Hats and Caps from them, also their white Shirts, a Pair of their Stockings and a Pair of Shoes, and lock them up in the Marine Store Room. Each Man's Necessaries should be tied up separately in a little Bundle, and tallied, to prevent Mistakes betwixt the Soldiers: By this Management the Mens Cloaths will be saved, and the Marine Officers will be qualified to turn out a clean well-dressed Guard for the Reception of a superior Officer, who is intitled to one; and when disembarked to do Duty with Land forces on Shore, they will be able to make a Soldier-like Appearance; besides, it prevents their selling their Necessaries for Spirits or Tobacco, which is commonly done on board a Ship. It will answer another very good Purpose, that when Marines get wet upon Deck in bad Weather, they will have dry clean Things to put on, which must be very conducive to the Preservation of their Health. Soldiers should always wear Sea Caps, Jackets and cheque Shirts on board a Ship.
The Marines should be exercised often, to keep them in Practice, that they may not forget the Whole of what they were taught on Shore. The best Method, in my Opinion, to exercise the Marines on board a Ship is, first to draw up the Soldiers in a single Rank round the Deck, facing inwards, and make them go through the Manual and Platoon Exercise in that Position: The Officer stands in the Center to give the Words of Command, and to see that every man is as attentive as if he had been ashore in Battalion. So soon as the Platoon Exercise is ended, the Detachment must be formed into three Ranks, at either side of the Deck, facing outwards, and subdivided into small Platoons, according as you have room. The Soldiers are then to get their Cartridges, and prime and load; upon which, the Preparative beats, and the Front Rank Men moves [sic] up to the Barricade, and the three Ranks perform the Parapet Firing.
When the Detachment fires six rounds the General beats: The Officer must then form his Detachment two deep and perform Parapet Firing in that Order. In those two Methods of performing Parapet Firing, the Soldiers should be accustomed to present obliquely to the Right and Left. No other Firing or Evolution should be attempted at Sea: It can answer no Purpose whatsoever to puzzle Men with Impracticabilities. Soldiers kept in constant Practice in the Manner prescribed, cannot forget more than they will be able to recover in two or three Days on Shore. Marines should be accustomed to fire frequently with Ball on board a Ship at a Mark hung for the Purpose from the Fore-Yard Arm.
if a man of war should happen to engage to Leeward, which many of our Sea Captains are fond of, to prevent an Enemy from running away, the Marines of Course must be drawn up to windward; in that Case, the Soldiers should be formed three deep, and perform the Parapet Firing by Ranks, in the Manner directed above: By this Method they will be qualified to keep up a successive almost incessant Fire upon the Enemy's Decks, which are open to them. Another Advantage results from it, which is, that the Men are covered from the Enemy's Musketry while they are loading; besides, I do not think that two Ranks can fire clear of the Barricade, which in reality is a Breast-Work, when the Soldiers are drawn up to Windward, especially if it blows fresh.
When a Ship of War engages to Windward, the Marines must be drawn up to Leeward, two deep, and they are to perform the Parapet Firings standing quite close to the Barricade; after they have once made ready, they should prime and load without moving their Feet, or coming to a Shoulder, which will save them two Motions, and consequently expedite the Firing. In this Case, a Platoon of the best Marksmen should be picked out, and ordered to take Arms and fire at the Enemy's Port-Holes: Two or three expert men killed at a Gun may silence for Half an Hour. Marine Officers ought to be particularly attentive to Time their Firings with the Motion of the Ship; that is to say, never give Fire but when the Ship is rising with the Wave: If you fire when she pitches, you hit nothing but Salt-Water.
When a Man of War is ordered to be cleared for Action, one of the Marine Arm-Chests should be lashed upon the Grating abaft the Mizen-Mast, to hold Ammunition, which will give the Soldiers more Room to act, and perhaps prevent many Accidents that may happen in supplying them with Cartridges as often as they are wanted: And as Sea Engagements are sometimes tedious, I think the Ward-Room Arms should be brought upon Deck, in Case the Soldiers should have occasion for clean Muskets. If the Enemy should attempt boarding, the Marine Officer should draw up some of his Men, in a Rank entire, and post them wherever the Effort is most likely to take Place, so as to be qualified to receive the Assailants upon the Points of his Bayonets.
An Officer who commands a Detachment of Marines upon a Ship of war, should be peculiarly attentive and kind to the Sick; he ought to visit them once a Day at least, see that the Surgeon and his Mates give them the proper Attendance, and not let them want any Thing that can be had. He should also take Care that strict Justice is done to his People with Regard to their Provisions, and not let one of them go in Debt or take up Slops of any kind if it can possibly be avoided: At the same Time, mistaken Humanity ought not to influence him to overlook military Mis-demeanors; on the contrary, he should bring Delinquents to condign Punishment. This is the true Way for an Officer to make himself loved and feared by his Men, and then he will be sure to be obeyed. Private men have their Feelings as well as their Superiors, and often judge properly between Right and Wrong; which every Officer should consider who has a Command, be it great or small.
It is the Duty of every Marine Officer who has the Honour to command, or belong to a Detachment, to make the Marines exert themselves upon every Occasion for the Good of his Majesty's Service and to endeavour to promote Harmony and Unanimity between them and the Sea-men. However, he is not to suffer his Men to be beat or abused: A Soldier should never be struck at Sea or on Shore; the Articles of War are sufficiently rigorous to punish Offenders, and the Soldiers of a Patriot King who fight the Battles of their Country ought not to be treated like Slaves at the Option of hot-headed Individuals.
There are several Captains in the Royal Navy (to their Credit be it spoken) that will not punish Marines legally, with a dozen Lashes, without the Knowledge and Concurrence of their Own Officers; but those are Gentlemen who know the Service and likewise know the Decorum necessary to be observed between Gentleman and Gentleman, notwithstanding any local Superiority or Command.