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Why were cannons on battleships mounted on wheels instead of being attached to the deck? According to a cautionary pirate tale, which may or may not be true, a ship called the Ocean Queen was captured in about 1820 by a French pirate, Captain la Bouche, and adapted for use as a pirate ship. The ship was relatively small, a little under 100 tons, and was equipped with 28 guns. As was the custom in the pirating trade, Captain la Bouche would sail alongside a merchant ship, run up the Jolly Roger pirate flag, and fire a broadside at the other ship if it did not surrender at once. (A "broadside" is the firing of all guns along one side of the ship at the same time.) When the Ocean Queen set off to hunt for unsuspecting ships, a young mate was put in charge because Captain la Bouche was sailing another ship. The ocean was rough, so the mate decided to bolt the guns firmly to the deck to prevent them from rolling about as the ship rocked from side to side. What happened when the Ocean Queen fired a broadside at another ship with the guns still bolted to the deck?
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