GGG! Lanterna Flagships

 “If that Spaniard walks on my ship I'll hang him!”
- Attributed to Sebastian Venier

 

The mighty Venetian Flagship Lanterna!

This painting inspired the paint job. note the masts of the galley
behind Sebastian Vernier's flagship!

Ooh what Shiny Lanterns!  

Ahoy All! Today's featured post is all about the next ship ready for production for my upcoming Galley's Guns and Glory! The mighty Lanterna!

 

Painted and crewed "Christian" and unpainted "Turkish" variants.

 

The Lanterna or great galley was an oversized variant of the standard galley.  Measuring up to 180 feet long, and sporting 2-3 masts, they were slow ships and depending on overall size needed 200+ oarsmen to row. Lanternas were built for war transporting 400 soldiers into battle, and crshing the enemy with a great amount of ordnance in the bow. Named after the large lanterns mounted on the sterns which were used for signaling and recognition, the lanterna was most often used as flagships by commanders. Variations of the lanterna were called Petronas in Italian, and Capitanas in Spanish.

(Note- authors and historians are all over the place with actual numbers on ship and crew size, so I averaged for my models. Rest assured they are bigger than a galley and command attention on the battle field- erm sea)

 

 I’ve not found good references yet, but am guessing that Ali Pasha’s galley  the Sultana was also a Lanterna of great size.  It was reported that at the beginning of the battle one of his lanterns was struck by a cannon ball...   Anyone out there know or have good reference on this?  

Tell you what- first one to get me specs on Ali Pasha's Sultana- I'll send them a Turkish Lanterna model!  Let the blogging commence!

 

The exploded version of the Lanterna

 

Variations on a theme! 

Each city state or nation created their ships with slight differences based upon how they were going to use them, or just plain cultural aesthetics.  To follow up on this idea, I've created a "Christian" and "Turkish" Lanterna model. The differences lay in the bow spur and the length of the stern castle. Each model is provided with an open or fully covered "arumbada" (front fighting platform) and yard arms with or without furled sails. 

Turkish Lanterna showing off the three lanterns in the stern,
The open fighting platform, and the furled sails.

 

 

Cleary a Command Ship!

In Galleys Guns and Glory! the Lanterna packs a prodigious amount of bow ordnance, firing one large centerline gun and 4 standard flanking guns (and an extra one if its a Spanish ship). In a recent playtest at close range a Lanterna sank a  fresh Turkish galley in one cannonade! That was one of those hushed- then really loud moments from all players in the game!

Top down showing size differences.  

 

Well, that's all for now- next time we'll take a tour of Venice's Arsenal, and see what all the talk about a Secret weapon is about.

Until then, I leave you with this magnificent painting of Sebastian Venier- Lion of Venice- by one of my favorite mannerist painters- Tintoretto.

Ciao!

 

My first test drive and I get T-boned by the Turk!

 UPDATE:  Ship Rigging!

 

I had a couple of folks on the Miniatures Page asking about rigging of the ships. I'd planned on doing a more formal tutorial farther down the road, but for now- here's a few pics and the "cliffs notes" version.

Rigging is actually quite easy, and designed so a lout such as myself could do it! The rigging holes are laser cut so no pre drilling.  I start with pre assembling and painting the "top" and bottom halves of a ship.

Then, using a thicker nylon "button" or upholstery thread (because its sturdy) I cut a piece about a foot long. Yes this is much longer than you will need, but the waste of a bit of thread far outweighs your loss of patience when you keep losing it.

Making a sslip knot in the middle of the thread, I tie it then ( and this is important) super glue the knot in place. I set the knots to each of the sides and run the thread with both pieces per side. With the third hole in the front( which I do last) , I run the knot in the front of the mast and hit one hole on each side. 
As you bring the thread through the holes firmly super glue them into place. Hold them firm ( don't pull too hard) while they glue tight. just to make sure, I put glue in the bottom of the hole as well.

 Let the glue thoroughly dry, then trim the threads as close as you can near the bottom. then sand them all the way down the rest of the way. DONE!  all you have to do now is glue the top and bottom of the ships together with a good carpenter's type wood glue!