Man of war
Encyclopedia
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
and propelled primarily by sail
Sail
A sail is any type of surface intended to move a vessel, vehicle or rotor by being placed in a wind—in essence a propulsion wing. Sails are used in sailing.-History of sails:...
s, as opposed to a galley which is propelled primarily by oar
Oar
An oar is an implement used for water-borne propulsion. Oars have a flat blade at one end. Oarsmen grasp the oar at the other end. The difference between oars and paddles are that paddles are held by the paddler, and are not connected with the vessel. Oars generally are connected to the vessel by...
s. The man-of-war was developed in England in the early 16th century from earlier roundships with the addition of a second mast to form the carrack
Carrack
A carrack or nau was a three- or four-masted sailing ship developed in 15th century Western Europe for use in the Atlantic Ocean. It had a high rounded stern with large aftcastle, forecastle and bowsprit at the stem. It was first used by the Portuguese , and later by the Spanish, to explore and...
. The 16th century saw the carrack evolve into the galleon
Galleon
A galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship used primarily by European states from the 16th to 18th centuries. Whether used for war or commerce, they were generally armed with the demi-culverin type of cannon.-Etymology:...
and then the ship of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
.
Development
The man-of-war was developed in England in the 17th century. It derived from the carrackCarrack
A carrack or nau was a three- or four-masted sailing ship developed in 15th century Western Europe for use in the Atlantic Ocean. It had a high rounded stern with large aftcastle, forecastle and bowsprit at the stem. It was first used by the Portuguese , and later by the Spanish, to explore and...
ship design, which ultimately derived from the caravel
Caravel
A caravel is a small, highly maneuverable sailing ship developed in the 15th century by the Portuguese to explore along the West African coast and into the Atlantic Ocean. The lateen sails gave her speed and the capacity for sailing to windward...
. The caravel was a Portuguese type of ship invented for initiating the Discoveries, and then for trading and transporting goods to trading posts. Most of Europe used the cog
Cog (ship)
A cog is a type of ship that first appeared in the 10th century, and was widely used from around the 12th century on. Cogs were generally built of oak, which was an abundant timber in the Baltic region of Prussia. This vessel was fitted with a single mast and a square-rigged single sail...
for trading, until the Portuguese Prince Henry the Navigator built a larger version he called caravela or caravel. He built up a strong navy, not of powerful warships, but of scouting and trading ships, amounting to 300 caravels. In the late 15th century, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and other nations adapted the caravel and invented a new ship, the galleon
Galleon
A galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship used primarily by European states from the 16th to 18th centuries. Whether used for war or commerce, they were generally armed with the demi-culverin type of cannon.-Etymology:...
. In the early 16th century, Portugal created a smaller galleon called the carrack (nau in Portuguese). Henry VIII of England adapted it and called it a man-of-war, but Sir John Hawkins developed the legitimate man-of-war. The man-of-war was so successful that Sir Francis Drake created a smaller version he called the frigott or frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
. During the next two centuries, the man-of-war became even more popular. The most powerful warship in the world at the time was a Portuguese galleon that was nicknamed Botafogo (meaning "fire maker" or "spitfire").
Description
The man-of-war design developed by Sir John Hawkins had three masts which could be up to 200 feet long and could have up to 124 guns: 4 at the bow, 8 at the stern, and 56 in each broadside. All these guns required three cannon decks to hold them, one more than any earlier ship. It had a maximum sailing speed of eight or nine knots.See also
- Ship of the lineShip of the lineA ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
- Rating system of the Royal NavyRating system of the Royal NavyThe rating system of the Royal Navy and its predecessors was used by the British Royal Navy between the beginning of the 17th century and the middle of the 19th century to categorise sailing warships, initially classing them according to their assigned complement of men, and later according to the...
, which classified warships into six "rates", based on their armament. strongest as 1, weakest as 6.