What does flogging mean?

Question

US Navy had this as a punishment years ago.

Answer 1

is the act of whipping (Latin flagellum, "whip") the human body. Specialised implements for it include rods, switches and the cat-o-nine-tails. Typically, whipping is performed on unwilling subjects as a punishment; however, flagellation can also be submitted to willingly, or performed on oneself, in religious or sadomasochistic contexts.

Answer 2

Flogging

In theory a captain could only order a maximum of 12 lashes, any more was supposed to be dealt with by a court martial. This rule was routinely broken quite openly, with captains writing in their journals the number of lashes awarded for each flogging. Up to 72 lashes would be unlikely to attract the attention of the Admiralty.
The men accepted this, the punishments handed out by court martial tended to be much more severe, possibly as a deterent to asking for a court martial. George Melvin of the Antelope received 300 lashes for desertion from a court martial. The limit on captains was removed in 1806, the new regulations stated that a captain was not to order punishment 'without sufficient cause, nor even with greater severity than the offence shall really deserve.' As a punishment flogging seems to have been fairly ineffective, even as a deterent, with the same man frequently being flogged for the same offence time and again. A harsh or sadistic captain could make the crews life a misery, and such ships tended to see a rise in desertions.
Flogging itself was carried out by the bosuns mate with a cat of nine tails. The punishment was generally carried out the day after the offence, and the bosuns mate made a new cat for each flogging. The cat itself was heavier than the version used in the army, made of a rope handle about two feet long and an inch in diameter to which the nine tails of line were attached. The line was a quarter inch diameter and about two feet long. The whole thing weighed just under a pound. Once finished it was put into a red baize bag until needed.

The flogging began with the order for all hands to muster aft to witness punishment. The offender was generally lashed to an upturned grating. The officers stood to one side in full dress uniform and the marines lined up aft. The captain would read out the Article of War that the offender had broken and then the order would be given to lay on the dozen lashes. If more than a dozen had been ordered then a second bosuns mate would lay on the next twelve.
The force of the blows can be shown by the fact that a standard cat of nine tails was easily capable, when wielded by an average man, of braking a one inch by one inch length of knot free pine in half. The effect on the victims back was said to resemble scorched and blackened meat.
The severest form of flogging was a flogging round the fleet. The number of lashes was divided by the number of ships in port and the offender was rowed between ships for each ships company to witness the punishment.
The acceptance of flogging by the sailors to maintain discipline, is hard to measure. In the Great Mutinies at the Nore and Spithead, flogging was not mentioned in the sailors list of complaints. In fact whilst the ships were under control of the mutineers, they ordered floggings to be carried out. But Samuel Leech in his memoirs spends much time railing against the injustice of flogging.
I should mention that the US had long ago dropped this as a punishment, remember "Glory"? That would and could have never happened!

Answer 3

I don't believe the US Navy ever flogged any one. This punishment was one where the arms & hands were outstreatched and tied then your back is whipped repeatedly with a bull whip.

Answer 4

Flogging is usually used on a horse ..eg ...the jockey flogged his horse during a race.

So the 'flogging' term if used on human would mean 'whipping' ,

Answer 5

Flogging = beating

Answer 6

right it skill to be overwhelmed with a whip. yet here in Australia we've a slang term (a minimum of my era did i'm uncertain those days) intending to scouse borrow some thing. working example "He flogged it off me."

Answer 7

It means they would tie you to a pole on deck and you would be whipped on your back any number of lashes depending upon the degree of the offense.
The whip would rip the skin from your back and often leave deep scars provided the person didn't die from infection.

Answer 8

beaten with a whip, also to whip like a loose sail or rope does in the wind. The word also applies like beating before or against the wind, sailing the ship in a storm.

Answer 9

Getting whipped

Answer 10

The abolition of slavery act does not apply to members of the armed forces,or prisoners,at least not in Britain.