The discovery of new lands led to colonial seizures, the expansion of trade by sea. Strong powers took measures to protect their interests. Therefore, regular navies consisting of various ships were introduced.
Galleon is an essential part of such fleets. It was the Spanish galleons who transported the treasures that gained fame. What was this ship and when did it appear?
The appearance of the galleons
Galleon is a sailing ship of impressive size. It was first mentioned at the beginning of the sixteenth century. In Spain, a ship was built that was supposed to fight with the Barbarian pirates.
The forerunners of the galleons are considered sailing-oar boats of small sizes, such as caravels and karakk. The last ship was Magellan's favorite. Karakk also used Christopher Columbus in his 1492 campaign.
New ships retained the ability to use oars, but primarily became sailing ships.
Design
Galleon is a ship, the creation of which is claimed by several states. The vessel differed in design and construction from each country. They built ships of three sizes, depending on the displacement.
Types of galleons:
- small ones - up to 400 tons;
- medium - up to 800 tons;
- large - up to 1200 tons.
Typically, the galleon was created by a high-breasted vessel with a high stern, having the likeness of a tower. There was only one cannon deck on the ship. The hull was distinguished by a noticeable blockage of the side. It served as a kind of fortress during boarding fights.
Changing the tank superstructure with an extension of the hull increased stability and reduced wave resistance. The ship became fast and maneuverable.
Distinctive features of the galleon:
- longer, lower, straighter body;
- rectangular feed;
- a latrine on the nose that protruded forward;
- straight sails were used
- lining with boards was not overlapped;
- two to seven decks.
The hull of the galleon was built of hardwood, for example, oak. The mast was made of pine. This made the ship cheaper in construction.
The hull of the ship was usually painted black. Other colors were also used:
Gilding was applied to the bow and the balcony at the stern.
The main problem of the galleons
Ships had many enemies in the form of enemy guns, waves and reefs. But the wooden vessel had more insidious pests. They became mollusk woodworms. They tried to fight with them:
- lubricated the underwater part of the vessel with various compositions and paints;
- hard varieties of trees were used;
- increased the thickness of the skin.
But nothing helped. In warm waters, mollusks punched passages in galleons, destroying their integrity. Sailors called pests "shipworms."
Armament
Galleons as warships were used quite often. Previously, in general, the concept between a merchant and a warship was conditional. Merchant ships were often attacked, so they had to defend themselves.
For the first time on the galleon guns began to be installed above and below the main deck. As a result, battery decks appeared. They began to place medium-caliber guns.
The armament of the galleons consisted of thirty guns of various calibers - from six to nineteen centimeters. The ship also housed a large number of portable musketons. They were shot through loopholes.
The Age of the Galleons
Galleon, whose history of creation is associated with European maritime powers, was used from the sixteenth to eighteenth century. At first these were small vessels, but in the third part of the sixteenth century the Spaniards began to build large vessels.
It was the Spaniards who were the first to actively use the galleons. However, their experience was quickly borrowed by other European countries:
- England.
- Sweden.
- Holland.
- France.
Soon the galleons of these powers plowed the oceans.
The most famous galleon was the Golden Doe. This corsair ship belonged to Sir Francis Drake. On it, he successfully captured and sent galleons of Spain to the seabed. Another English ship called Rivenge in 1591 alone fought with the Spanish flotilla.
Galleons of different countries
Sea ships (galleons) were built by large sea powers. They had common structural elements. But also had many differences.
The naval powers realized the importance of artillery, so they tried to protect the visible part of the ship with armor. But soon, such attempts stopped. The galleons were so heavy that they could not carry armor plates on themselves.
Each maritime power developed its own rules of proportions, as well as sizes in shipbuilding. For example, cargo was important for merchant ships. Warships were valued for speed and maneuverability.
The most famous were the Spanish galleons. What is known about them?
Spanish galleons
Galleon is a ship that has been used in Spain as a military transport ship for two centuries. Usually it had fifty to eighty guns and six hundred crew members. It consisted of soldiers and sailors.
Galleons in Spain were built according to the instructions of the Courtyard of Madrid. Everything was under control - from the choice of raw materials for construction to the tilt angle of the stem.
Spanish shipbuilders were sometimes addicted to gigantomania. They built galleons of huge sizes at that time. So "Madre de Dios" had a displacement of 1,600 tons. The ship "Santisima Trinidad" displacement indicators exceeded 2000 tons.
The Spaniards built their galleons in two shipyards. One was located in the north of the Basque Country and was called La Coruni. The second was located in Qadish and Seville. By the beginning of the seventeenth century, the Spaniards were able to build ships in the New World. For this, Havana shipyards were used. There was the best raw material - mahogany.
The Spaniards used galleons to transport large loads. There are cases when gold was transported on them. They were also part of the Invincible Armada. At the end of the sixteenth century, the English fleet, manned by galleons, defeated the Invincible Armada. What is known about the galleons of Great Britain?
English galleons
By the seventeenth century, the center of shipbuilding crossed to England. At the shipyards of the island began to build the most durable ships. They were distinguished by their reliability. Thanks to the introduction of advanced technologies, the UK was able to achieve power in the marine field.
In the sixteenth century, the English galleons were strongly influenced by the Venetian masters. During the time of Elizabeth I, they were made of small and medium sizes. On average, their displacement did not exceed 500 tons. The crew of one galleon consisted of 250 people.
The English galleon was significantly different from the Spanish trading option. The types of warships differed depending on such key indicators as payload and armament. The British accepted the idea of the ship de Charles, who was originally from Brest. It was to create cannon ports. For this, holes for cannon trunks were cut in the sides. This allowed to strengthen the combat power of the English fleet.
Galleon Sunset
Galleon is a ship that has been constantly improved. There were two main lines of development of galleons. The first was Anglo-Danish. The ships of this line were high-speed and well suited for artillery battles. The second line was Spanish-Portuguese. Ships were built with the expectation of boarding, they had archaic tower-like structures. As a result, the Anglo-Danish ships proved their advantage.
Gradually, ships began to replace battleships and frigates. But the galleons continued to be used until the eighteenth century.