I've read of the impressive speed differentials between ships of the line and clippers but have been unable to find any specifics on how these were exploited in combat. Was there a time when these much faster ships were brought to bear against traditional warships? Were there great limitations on their fighting potential due to weight concerns or size, or perhaps due to varied waterways? Finally, any reading recommendations on the subject would be greatly appreciated.
Classical Clipper ships were first built in the 1830s. The last American Clippers were built in the 1860s. The last British Clippers in the 1870s.
Clippers were built for speed. The trade-off was that they could carry less cargo than slower ships of similar size. As such, clippers were used in trades such as the tea trade or the passenger trade (from the East Coast of the US to the California gold rush) where there was a premium for speed.
No classical clipper ships were designed for warfare, and none was ever used in combat.
Much smaller precursors to the classical clipper ships were the "Baltimore Clippers" (usually topsail schooner rigged, with a reputation for speed). These were used as privateers and blockade runners by the Americans in the War of 1812 (the Baltimore Clipper type was developed soon after the American Revolution).
In the war of 1812, Baltimore Clippers were credited with capturing or sinking more than 500 British ships and contributed to the more than $40m of prizes in ships and cargo which American Privateers captured from the British.
The Baltimore Clipper "Chasseur", under Captain Thomas Boyle managed to capture 45 British merchant ships in one five month cruise, becoming perhaps the most successful American Privateer of the War and earning his ship the nickname, "The Pride of Baltimore". (After the War, in the China trade, she set a record of 95 days from Canton to the Virginia Capes, which lasted for 16 years, until bested by the clipper "Atlantic", so she was a very fast ship for her time.)
http://www.maritimeheritage.org/ships/baltimoreClippers.html http://www.georgianindex.net/America/ships/aships.html
Another precursor to the classical clippers were the American and British "Opium Clippers" used in the opium trade to China. These were also smaller than the classical clippers and usually schooner rigged. They were not employed in war, but sometimes were armed, and occasionally fought off Chinese pirates. (The British opium clipper "Eamont", for example, fought off an attack by pirates while she was at anchor in Formosa.)
During the first Opium War, many owners increased the armaments on their opium clippers. Three Opium clippers, the "Cowasjee Family" (owned by Indian merchant families) , the "Sylph" and the "Lady Hayes" (both owned by Jardine Matheson) were sailing in company among islands along the coast of China when they were surrounded and attacked by Chinese War Junks. They fought their way out, sinking many of the junks in the process.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylph_(ship)
Baltimore clippers performed very well as privateers, as their speed allowed them to capture large numbers of the slower British merchant ships.
Opium clippers managed to fight off pirates and Chinese junks.
None of these clipper types were built as warships, and they could not carry large batteries of cannon.
The more famous and larger clippers of the classic era were built as merchant ships, and did not feature in combat. By the time they were being built, warships were already being built with steam engines (which clippers did not have) and the day of the all sailing warship was vanishing.