Old Ford said:Upon reading the above information, it is daunting the carnage the sailing crew had to endure, in a toe to toe battle, with little chance to escape harm.
Fred
Yes. In my readings it is evident that being on a ship during battle was horrific. Before the battle started the decks were covered with sand to give a grip for the barefoot sailor when the decks became coated with blood. The 'slivers' were often fairly large pieces of sharp edged wood. The ships physician was kept busy doing amputations and trying to stop bleeding. After a battle one chore was to toss the pile of arms and legs overboard. Personally, I simply cannot imagine the actual horror of being in one of those battles.