Pirate Weapons

 

The most important weapons on a pirate ship were the guns. These weapons could fire a solid ball of iron weighing 15kg over distances of four kilometres. A single hit could be enough to stop a small merchant ship. Pirates also used the guns to fire lengths of iron chain. These would tear sails and rigging, bringing even the largest ship to a sudden halt.

 

 

 

Pirates fire a cannon at a merchant ship. The pirates would hope to disable a ship and make it helpless, ready for them to board.

 

 

 

 

You Must Be Joking

 

The pirate flag, the Jolly Roger, was a black flag decorated with a design of a skull and bones. It was a well-known signal that if the target ship surrendered at once, nobody would be hurt. If the merchant crew fought back, they could expect little mercy.

 

 

 

Can You Believe It?

 

Pirates always carried a cutlass.

 

NO. They were issued only when a fight was about to start. Weapons on board pirate ships were usually kept locked away so that the pirates did not use them in fights between themselves.

 

 

 

Boxed feature

 

Pirate Firearms.

 

If a ship did not surrender at once, pirates would get close enough to jump on board and fight the opposing crew with swords and firearms. Pistols and muskets took a long time to reload and did not work at all if they got wet. Most pirates would carry two pistols and a cutlass.