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>I never buy books by Mr. Shirokorad as they are >straight compilation of the previous works but this >time, as it was asked at the Forum, I went to a >book-shop to-day and buy this book. Yes, this is an >usual compilation, as Mr. Shirokorad is writing about >everything – from UFO to WWIII, some people think that >this is a group of authors (and not one). >About the questions raised: > >Shirokorad, unfortunately, gives no references to his >data; a bibliography of his book is well known to me, >and it is not foundation for his assertions as regards >of the ships’ armament; generally, almost all data and >ships’ plans (with few exceptions) are taken from >Chernyshev. > >Armament: before Establishment of 1805, 74c were armed >with long guns – 26-30+2-one-pood (7.7”) unicorns; >26-18+2-half-pood (6”) unicorns and 18-8-pdr. In 1805 >new Establishment was introduced with short (“Swedish >model”) guns of 36, 24 and 18-pdr (18-pdr – for the >upper-deck of 3-deckers only), and 6/8-pdr and/or >24-pdr carronades on upper works. But this took a long >of time, and navy in Russia at that time (1800s) was >of low priority due to full-scale land war with >Napoleon. Even in 1805, 74c of Vice-Adm. Senyavin >squadron were still armed in old style, with long 30- >and 18-pdr guns, and not only those of older classes >like Vsevolod (170-46’8-20’), but also of the newest >type of Selafail (178-48-19’3 – Selafail & Silnyy). >Nothing is known for sure about actual armament of >Russian 74c ships in 1806-1826 (with exception of the >Black sea fleet’s ships mentioned in Adm. Ushakov’s >squadron in 1798), but it seems that at least some of >them retained their old armament of 30- and 18-pdr >long guns. Therefore, armament of the Black sea fleet >SOLs Sv. Paraskeva 74 (1799) and Varakhail 68 (1800) >given in this book as 24-36+4 unicorns; 24-18+4 >unicorns and 18-8-pdr – is doubtful (same guns >although these ships are of different lasses!). This >concerns also other Black sea fleet’s SOLs built in >1797-99. In 1799 and later armament of the Black sea >SOL’s was still of long 30- and 18-pdr. > >Venus: mentioned as having 30-24 and 14-6 when >captured. She had only 28 gun-ports, so, how she could >have 30-24-pdr? In the official naval lists by >1.01.1806 & 1.01.1807 Venus is rated as 52c, probably >all her gun-ports on lower-deck had guns + a mixture >of 6# guns and 24# carronades. > >Data on armament in Shirokorad’s book should be taken >with reserve, there are numerous errors, I opened this >book by guess: >Gangut 84 (1825): 32-36, 22-12, 2-one-pood unicorns. >Evidently, 32-24 are omitted, and number of 36-pdr >should be 28. >Aleksandr Nevskiy 74 (1826): by 1828 – same as Gangut >above (32-36, 22-12, 2-one-pood unicorns); by 1832: >24-36+4-one-pood nicorns; 30-24-pdr carronades; 16-8 & >6-6 guns. This armament (1832) should be for 1826-28 >but instead of 30-24 carronades should be 30-24 short >guns (36-pdr guns are also short); in 1832 she was >razeed into a frigate with 30-36 short and 32-36 >carronades. >Svyatoy Pavel 84 (1794): >By 1792 (!): 13-30+11-24+2-one-pood >unicorns;24-12+2-half-pood unicorns; 16-6+2-18 >unicorns; by 1798: 24-36 etc – correct. But the >armament for 1792 is for the previous Svyatoy Pavel 66 >(1784-BU 1794). >Frigate Avrora 44 (1835): 32-24 carronades (!), 2-6 >carronades; 20-6-gunnades (!), 2-8 carronades, 2-8 >mortars. Actual armament: 24-24-pdr short+2-one-pood >unicorns; 18-24 carronades. >I saw these data only by chance, just opened the book. >This is a dangerous book.

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