Glatton was unusual in that she was the only ship of the line to be armed exclusively with carronades instead of the traditional long guns that other warships carried in this era. Carronades were half the weight of the equivalent cannon, and could be worked by fewer men. They could also fire much heavier shot; Glatton was armed with twenty-eight 64-pounder and twenty-eight 32-pounder carronades. This extremely heavy armament meant that the fourth rate Glatton could discharge a heavier and more destructive broadside than the mighty first-rate Victory.  The disadvantage of this weaponry was that due to the shorter barrel, carronades were only accurate at very close range. Therefore, in combat with a contemporary opponent, Glatton would have to endure the fire of the enemy long guns while closing the gap to point-blank range before she could effectively return fire — if indeed the enemy would allow her to approach so close.

In the Battle of Camperdown in 1797, under her first captain, Henry Trollope, this heavy armament allowed her to attack a French squadron consisting of a 50-gun ship, five frigates, a brig, and a cutter in the English Channel and drive them into Flushing.

At the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, she was commanded by Captain William Bligh, formerly of HMS Bounty.  Having spotted a Dutch frigate maneuvering to attack HMS Elephant, the flagship of Admiral Horatio Nelson, Bligh sailed directly into the line of fire and caught most of the enemy's broadside. The Glatton was severely damaged but remained afloat; the Elephant was saved.

This excellent HMS Glatton features:

• Scratch-built

• Plank-on-frame

• All parts are wooden or metal

• Fine deck details

• Realistic sails

36" L x 33" T x 7" midship x 15" widest spar    $690    S & H is $50

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