Types of warships of the 17th century. Ship of the line (sailing)

Bomber ship

Sailing 2-, 3-masted ship of the late 17th - early 19th centuries. with increased hull strength, armed with smooth-bore guns. They first appeared in France in 1681, in Russia - during the construction of the Azov Fleet. Bombardier ships were armed with 2-18 large-caliber guns (mortars or unicorns) to fight against coastal fortifications and 8-12 small-caliber guns. They were part of the navies of all countries. They existed in the Russian fleet until 1828

Brig

A military 2-masted ship with a square rig, designed for cruising, reconnaissance and messenger services. Displacement 200-400 tons, armament 10-24 guns, crew up to 120 people. It had good seaworthiness and maneuverability. In the XVIII - XIX centuries. brigs were part of all the world's fleets

Brigantine

2-masted sailing ship of the 17th - 19th centuries. with a straight sail on the front mast (foresail) and an oblique sail on the rear mast (mainsail). Used in European navies for reconnaissance and messenger services. On the upper deck there were 6- 8 small caliber guns

Galion

Sailing ship of the 15th - 17th centuries, predecessor of the sailing ship of the line. It had fore and main masts with straight sails and a mizzen with oblique sails. Displacement is about 1550 tons. Military galleons had up to 100 guns and up to 500 soldiers on board

Caravel

A high-sided, single-deck, 3-, 4-mast vessel with high superstructures at the bow and stern, with a displacement of 200-400 tons. It had good seaworthiness and was widely used by Italian, Spanish and Portuguese sailors in the 13th - 17th centuries. Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama made their famous voyages on caravels

Karakka

Sailing 3-mast ship XIV - XVII centuries. with a displacement of up to 2 thousand tons. Armament: 30-40 guns. It could accommodate up to 1200 people. Cannon ports were used for the first time on the karakka and guns were placed in closed batteries

Clipper

A 3-masted sailing (or sail-steam with a propeller) ship of the 19th century, used for reconnaissance, patrol and messenger services. Displacement up to 1500 tons, speed up to 15 knots (28 km/h), armament up to 24 guns, crew up to 200 people

Corvette

A ship of the sailing fleet of the 18th - mid-19th centuries, intended for reconnaissance, messenger service, and sometimes for cruising operations. In the first half of the 18th century. 2-masted and then 3-masted vessel with square rig, displacement 400-600 tons, with open (20-32 guns) or closed (14-24 guns) batteries

Battleship

A large, usually 3-deck (3 gun decks), three-masted ship with square rigging, designed for artillery combat with the same ships in the wake formation (battle line). Displacement up to 5 thousand tons. Armament: 80-130 smoothbore guns along the sides. Battleships were widely used in wars of the second half of the 17th - first half of the 19th centuries. The introduction of steam engines and propellers, rifled artillery and armor led in the 60s. XIX century to the complete replacement of sailing battleships with battleships

Flutes

A 3-mast sailing ship from the Netherlands of the 16th - 18th centuries, used in the navy as a transport. Armed with 4-6 cannons. It had sides that were tucked inward above the waterline. A steering wheel was used for the first time on a flute. In Russia, flutes have been part of the Baltic Fleet since the 17th century.

Sailing frigate

A 3-masted ship, second in terms of armament power (up to 60 guns) and displacement after the battleship, but superior to it in speed. Intended mainly for operations on sea communications

Sloop

Three-masted ship of the second half of the 18th - early 19th centuries. with straight sails on the forward masts and a slanting sail on the aft mast. Displacement 300-900 tons, artillery armament 16-32 guns. It was used for reconnaissance, patrol and messenger services, as well as a transport and expedition vessel. In Russia, the sloop was often used for circumnavigation of the world (O.E. Kotzebue, F.F. Bellingshausen, M.P. Lazarev, etc.)

Shnyava

A small sailing ship, common in the 17th - 18th centuries. in the Scandinavian countries and in Russia. Shnyavs had 2 masts with straight sails and a bowsprit. They were armed with 12-18 small-caliber cannons and were used for reconnaissance and messenger service as part of the skerry fleet of Peter I. Shnyava length 25-30 m, width 6-8 m, displacement about 150 tons, crew up to 80 people.

Schooner

A sea sailing vessel with a displacement of 100-800 tons, having 2 or more masts, is armed mainly with oblique sails. Schooners were used in sailing fleets as messenger ships. The schooners of the Russian fleet were armed with up to 16 guns.

Currently, a ship is called a warship. Tankers, bulk carriers, dry cargo ships, passenger liners, container ships, icebreakers and other representatives of the technical fleet of civil or merchant fleets are not included in this category. But once upon a time, at the dawn of shipping, when humanity was still filling the white spaces on sailing directions with the vague outlines of new islands and even continents, any sailing ship was considered a ship. Each of them had guns on board, and the crew consisted of desperate young men who were ready to do anything for the sake of profit and the romance of distant travels. Then, in these turbulent centuries, a division into types of ships occurred. The list, taking into account modern additions, would be very long, so it is worth focusing on sailboats. Well, maybe we can add some rowing ships.

Galleys

Getting into them is an unenviable lot. In ancient times, such punishment awaited inveterate criminals. They already existed in Ancient Egypt, Fincia, and Hellas. Over time, other types of ships appeared, but galleys were used until the Middle Ages. The main driving force was those same convicts, but they were sometimes assisted by sails, straight or triangular, mounted on two or three masts. By modern standards, these ships were not large, their displacement was only 30-70 tons, and their length rarely exceeded 30 meters, but in those distant times the size of the ships was not gigantic at all. The rowers sat in rows, according to historians, in no more than three horizontal tiers. The armament of galleys consists of ballistae and bow rams; in later centuries, these weapons were supplemented by artillery. The progress, that is, the speed of movement, was controlled by the overseers, setting the rhythm with special tambourines, and, if necessary, with a whip.

Barki

The types of sailing ships are little known to our contemporaries, but some of them are still familiar from regularly held parades and international regattas. The barques “Sedov” and “Kruzenshtern” have been preserved in Russia. These ships not only demonstrate their beauty to the whole world, but also contribute to the education of young sailors who undergo training on them in the traditions

So, a barque (the name of the species comes from the Flemish word “bark”) is a ship with a number of masts from three to five. All its sails are straight, with the exception of the mizzen (stern mast) rigging. Barks are quite large vessels, for example, “Kruzenshtern” has a length of about 115 meters, a width of 14 m, and a crew of 70 people. Since it was built in 1926, when steam engines were already widespread, its design also includes an auxiliary power plant with a capacity of almost one and a half thousand kilowatts, loaded in two constant steps. The speed of the vessel even today does not seem low; under sail, the speed of this barque reaches 17 knots. The purpose of the type, in general, was common for the merchant fleet of the 19th century - delivery of mixed cargo, mail and passengers along sea lines.

Brigantine raises sails

In fact, the same barques, but with two masts, are called brigantines. All differ in their purpose and navigability. Brigantines stand out for their speed and lightness. The sailing rig is mixed, with straight sails on the foresail (front mast) and oblique sails on the mainsail. Favorite ship of pirates of all seas. Historical sources mention brigantines with the so-called “Bermuda mainsail”, that is, a triangular sail stretched between the luff line and the luff, but none of the surviving representatives of the species can boast of it. However, these nuances are of interest only to specialists.

Frigates

As the fleet developed, some types of warships appeared, others disappeared, and still others acquired a different meaning. An example would be a frigate. This concept survived later types such as ironclads, dreadnoughts and even battleships. True, a modern frigate roughly corresponds to the Soviet concept of a large anti-submarine ship, but it sounds shorter and somehow more beautiful. In its original sense, it means a three-masted ship with one artillery deck for 20-30 guns. Beginning in the 17th century, the adjective “Dunkirk” was added to the word “frigate” for a long time, meaning its predominant use in a separate zone of the naval theater of operations adjacent to the Pas-de-Calais. This type was distinguished by its speed. Then, as the range of autonomy increased, they began to be called simply frigates. The displacement is average for that time, approximately. The most famous Russian frigate was called "Pallada", on which in 1855 a glorious expedition was undertaken to the shores of East Asia under the command of Admiral E.V. Putyatin.

Caravels

“She passed like a caravel...” is sung in a famous pop song. It doesn't hurt to study the types before composing lyrics for future hits. The compliment turned out to be somewhat ambiguous. Not every girl wants to be compared to a lifting, large and rather heavy vessel. In addition, the caravel’s nose is raised high, which can also be seen as an undesirable hint.

However, in general this type certainly has good seaworthiness. It is most famous for the fact that Columbus made his expedition to the shores of the New World on three caravels (“Santa Maria”, “Pinta” and “Nina”). Externally, they can be distinguished by the mentioned raised tanks (bow superstructures), as well as by sailing equipment. There are three masts, a foresail with straight sails, and the rest with lateen (oblique) sails.

Purpose: long-distance sea and transoceanic voyages.

The Russian word “ship” is morphologically derived from the word “caravel”. It gave its name to the famous French passenger airliner, which was very beautiful.

Clippers

All types of ships are created for fast sailing and are not always remembered, but there are exceptions. Someone will say the word “cruiser”, and immediately everyone around will think something - some “Aurora”, others “Varyag”. Regarding clippers, there is only one option - “Cutty Sark”. This ship with a long and narrow hull went down in history for several reasons, but its main and most important quality was speed. Delivering tea from China, quickly bringing mail to distant colonies and carrying out especially delicate orders from the queen was the lot of clipper ships and their crews. And these ships carried out their work until the advent of steamships, and in some cases even later.

Galleons

Looking through the ancient types of warships, one cannot help but recall the Great Armada, which competed with the British fleet in the 16th century. The main unit of this formidable force was the Spanish galleon. No sailing ship of that time could compare with it in perfection. At its core, this is an improved caravel, with a reduced tank superstructure (that same “raised nose” has practically disappeared) and an elongated hull. As a result, ancient Spanish shipbuilders achieved increased stability, reduced wave resistance and, as a result, increased speed. Maneuverability has also improved. Other types of warships of the 16th century looked shorter and too tall next to the galleon (this was a disadvantage, such a target was easier to hit). The outline of the poop (stern superstructure) acquired a rectangular shape, and the crew’s conditions became more comfortable. It was on galleons that the first latrines (latrines) appeared, hence the origin of this word.

The displacement of these “16th century battleships” ranged from 500 to 2 thousand tons. Finally, they were very beautiful, they were decorated with skillful carvings, and the nose was crowned with a majestic sculpture.

Schooners

There are types of large ships that have become “workhorses”, designed to transport a wide variety of cargo. Schooners occupy a special place among them. These are multi-masted vessels, distinguished by the fact that at least two of their rigs are oblique. They are topsail, staysail, Bermuda or gaff, depending on which masts are equipped with oblique sails. It should be taken into account that the line between a two-masted topsail or topsail schooner and a brigantine is very arbitrary. This type has been known since the 17th century. It reached its greatest popularity in the American merchant fleet, in particular Wolf Larsen, the character of Jack London, and his crew hunt on a schooner. Compared to it, other types of ships are more difficult to control (According to J. London, this process is accessible even to a lone sailor). Most often, schooners were two- and three-masted, but there are cases when the equipment was much more numerous. A kind of record was set in 1902, when a ship with seven masts (Thomas Double Lawson, Quincy Shipyard) was launched.

Other types of ships

Photos of sailboats arriving at the international regatta from all over the world are published in newspapers, magazines and on websites. Such a parade is always an event; the beauty of these ships is incomparable. Barques, brigantines, corvettes, frigates, clippers, ketches, and yachts represent all types of ships that, fortunately, have survived to this day. This spectacle distracts from everyday life and takes the viewer to bygone centuries, full of adventure and romance of distant travels. A real sailor must master the art of sailing navigation, as they believe in many countries, including ours. Having climbed up the shrouds, unfurled the sails and breathed in the free wind of the sea, you can take your seats at the modern control panels of dry cargo ships, bulk tankers and cruise ships. You can safely trust such a sailor with the fate of the cargo and the lives of passengers; he will not let you down.

Holland entered the ocean later than other powerful powers. America had already been discovered, Pope Alexander VI divided the entire New World between Spain and Portugal, and the English and French monarchs raised their hands over the overseas lands, and Holland, which was under the heel of the Spaniards, still did not have its own shipbuilding.

The impetus for its creation, perhaps, was the first major revolt of the Dutch bourgeoisie, which the Spanish governors imposed unaffordable taxes on. In 1567 Philip II, who reigned on the Spanish throne, sent an army to the Netherlands led by the merciless Duke of Alba, who brutally dealt with the rebels, executing over eight thousand people. The Spaniards could not contain the response wave of popular anger.

The Gezes, the first fearless sailors of Holland, took to the waterways and quickly took one coastal city after another. It cannot be said that the leader of the Dutch nobility, William of Orange, who mainly relied on mercenary troops, was aloof from the great battles for the independence of his country. But only the military successes of the naval forces and their resilient ships allowed the main thing to happen - in 1582.

The Netherlands finally declares King Philip deposed. One of the first creations of the free republic was the East India Company, founded in 1602. with the permission of the Estates General.

Dutch ships of the 17th century.

Thanks to its own well-built and durable fleet, the company, which received a monopoly on trade with Asian countries, soon becomes one of the richest in the world. A new type of merchant ship appears.

These ships had three masts and were armed with 16-20 small cannons, although they were not intended for combat. The average displacement of East Indian ships was about 600 tons. The ratio of hull length to width of ships of this type was even greater than that of the galleon.

To give the ship strength, the frames were placed at a short distance from each other, and in places where the masts were installed they were made double. The set was supported by horizontal and vertical brackets. The ship's hull was made of oak wood - in total, at least two thousand well-dried oak trees were required for its construction.

When cutting wood, care was taken to ensure that the bend of the fibers matched the shape of the part being cut. A part made in this way became “eternal.” They preferred to fasten oak planks to the frames using wooden tenons - iron nails rusted too quickly in salty sea water.

Meanwhile, nails were used to fasten less critical elements of the ship's structure. So, in order to protect the ship below the waterline from wood-boring beetles, the lower part of the hull was additionally sheathed with thin elm boards. The nails that secured this “second skin” were placed so tightly together that their heads formed an almost continuous iron coating.

Dutch gukor of the 17th century.

Knitsa is a wooden part that connects the beams to the frames.

Cat-beam - a beam for lifting the anchor from the fairlead to the upper deck using hoists.

A galley is a place on a ship for preparing food.

The spacious deck of East Indian ships was free, and in the bow it was limited by a transverse bulkhead (bikged). The protruding nasal tip - the latrine, the design of which was adopted from the galleys, was limited by smoothly curved slats (regels). In the low quarterdeck at the stern there were officer cabins with wide, bright windows.

A galley was usually equipped under the tank. Many new technical devices appeared that made the team’s hard work easier. For example, they begin to use a special cat-beam to lift the anchor. The pump helps sailors quickly pump out water that has leaked into the holds. And to load goods on merchant ships, horizontal winches were installed - windlasses.

Japanese drawing from the 17th century depicting a ship of the Dutch East India Company

The Dutch ships - pinnaces and flutes - that often flashed in Mediterranean waters, were in many ways superior to their southern competitors. The flute, 30-40 meters long, had a rounded stern with a superstructure. The sides in the upper part were too heaped inward, and the flute deck was very narrow.

Probably, this design decision was influenced by the size of the duty collected at that time by the Sunda customs: it was set depending on the width of the deck of the passing ship. The Dutch ships felt quite confident in the Pacific expanses. And after Holland established a monopoly on trade with Japan, for about a hundred years in a row not a single European ship under a different flag entered Japanese ports.

Dutch flute

A hoist is a lifting device consisting of two blocks through which a cable passes. Hoists provide a gain in strength by reducing the lifting speed.

Deck - gun deck on a sailing ship.

A couple of decades pass, and in England, which did not want to come to terms with the loss of the title of “Queen of the Seas,” they begin to build military frigates. The ancestor of the first frigate, built in 1646 by the famous British shipbuilder Peter Pett, was a Dutch pinnace with its high stern superstructures, blind topmast and rich decor. But the frigate’s hull, slimmer than that of the pinnace, also turned out to be much more seaworthy.

In the 17th century this one-deck ship had the highest speed and was often used for cruising - frigates were used by many fleets as messengers and reconnaissance ships. During the battle, they supported other ships with artillery fire or went on board. Frigates, which at first were smaller in size than battleships, gradually become more massive and carry up to sixty artillery pieces.

The largest guns are beginning to be installed on four-wheeled carriages, which replaced the old two-wheeled ones. Along with iron guns, guns made of bronze are increasingly being used, although expensive, but much lighter and more reliable (iron guns often burst when fired, unable to withstand the shock wave). At the same time, attempts are being made, initially not very successful, to replace bronze cannons with cast iron ones. Guns are beginning to be unified depending on the weight of the cannonballs (for example, a one and a half ton culverin was classified as an 18-pound gun).

Stern of the Dutch flagship Zeeland, 1668.

While England is improving in the construction of warships, the Dutch merchant fleet is growing by leaps and bounds. By 1643, it numbered as many as 34 thousand ships! This figure, which is difficult to comprehend, but nevertheless completely reliable, is the best evidence of the vast experience accumulated by this time by the Dutch shipwrights. It is not without reason that the Tsar of All Rus' Peter I chose Holland to comprehend the art of shipbuilding, where he worked for about a year as a carpenter at the Saardam shipyards of the East India Company under the name of Peter Mikhailov.

By the way, the Russian Tsar also ordered his first 44-gun frigate from Holland. The ship, created by the famous Nikolos, received a very symbolic name - “Holy Prophecy”. However, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, because the history of the Russian regular military fleet dates back to even earlier times.

"Prince", 100-gun English ship 1672.

Eyeliners are wooden blocks without pulleys, having three holes for the passage of the cable. Served for covering standing rigging.

The topmast is a spar tree that is a continuation of the topmast.

Brahm is a word added to the name of all sails and gear belonging to the topmast.

Tank and quarters Model of the battleship Royal Sovereign, 17th century.

English battleship of the late 17th century.

By the end of the 17th century, the galleon finally gave way to terdek ships that were more advanced in hull design and decreased in height. Decorations, so as not to overload the bow and stern, are simplified and are now more in harmony with the overall appearance and character of the vessel. The sailing equipment of ships does not stand still either.

The descendants of the naves are universally armed with three masts with topsails and bramsails. On each mast, supported by shrouds and stays, three parts are already clearly distinguishable: the lower mast, the topmast and the topmast. The shrouds are stuffed with hoists, in which deadeyes are used instead of conventional blocks. Additional sails appear: foxes and underlisels. A lateen mizzen is firmly installed on the mizzen mast, and a straight blind is installed under the bowsprit.

English battleship "Sovereign of the Seas", 1637.

The bramsel is the third straight sail from the bottom; the name of the mast to which it belongs is added to its name.

Lisels are additional sails on ships with direct rigging. They set straight sails to help in light winds, and attached them to retractable spar trees on both sides of the yard - foxtails.

Underlisels - lower foxes.

The basis of all military fleets of the 17th century. become line ships. Why, in fact, linear? This name was given to them by the tactics of naval combat practiced at that time. In battle, the ships tried to line up in one line (wake column) so that during shooting they would be turned sideways to the enemy fleet, and during the enemy’s return salvo they would have time to turn their stern towards it. The fact is that the greatest damage to enemy ships was caused by a simultaneous salvo from all the onboard guns of a battleship.

Swedish warship "Vasa", 1628.

Battleships that convincingly demonstrated to each other the firepower of their powers always had battery decks. Depending on the displacement and the number of such decks, the British began to divide their ships into eight ranks. Thus, a ship of the first rank had a displacement of 5,000 tons and three decks with 110 guns, and a lighter 3,500-ton ship of the 2nd rank carried 80 guns on two battery decks. Later, the English system of ranking ships migrated almost unchanged to the rest of the European fleets - it was simply not possible to divide battleships according to any other criteria; their shipbuilders were too different.

An interesting example of Dutch shipbuilding architecture is the 100-gun, three-deck ship Queen Catherine, launched in 1664. With a length of 82m and a width of about 18m, the Queen Catherine was considered one of the largest Dutch-built ships. For the first time, a steering wheel was placed on the deck of the ship (on the quarterdeck), which became much easier to operate than a tiller. The ship had a short forecastle, to which two ladders led - on the starboard and left sides.

On the forecastle, not far from the foremast, hung a ship's bell, which set the "pace of life" of the ship. Between the forecastle and the mainmast there was a waist, on which a spire was installed for raising the anchor. In the same part of the ship a hold was built, and on the rostra there were four small boats - longboats. In terms of combat power, the ship was not inferior to a real naval base. Its armament included 60 heavy 42-pounder guns, thirty 24-pounder guns and ten 6-pounder guns. The heaviest ship artillery was located on the lower decks. Like all Dutch ships, the Queen Catherine had a wide bow, a rounded stern and boasted rich decorations.

One of the stages of the operation to raise the “Vase”

Rostra - part of the upper deck between the fore and main masts, where boats and a spare mast were located.

Gangway is the name of any staircase on a ship.

A lifeboat is a small vessel that is an auxiliary and (or) life-saving device on a ship.

In those days, people were still very keen on decorating large warships, which sometimes even led to tragic consequences, especially if the ship’s hull was built “by eye”. It is worth recalling the history of the famous Swedish “Vase”. This ship, built by order of King Gustav II Adolf, not only had to bear the honorary title of royal flagship, but also surpass in size all other ships of the Swedish fleet.

Coming out in August 1628 On its first voyage, the ship, carrying about 700 various decorations and sculptures, just a mile from the coast scooped up water with its cannon ports, tilted and, capsizing due to poor stability, sank in Stockholm Bay in front of onlookers. Not a single crew member managed to escape.

The 17th century was a rich period in the history of shipbuilding. Ships have become faster, more maneuverable, and more stable. Engineers learned to design the best examples of sailing ships. The development of artillery made it possible to equip battleships with reliable, accurate guns. The need for military action determined progress in shipbuilding.

The most powerful ship at the beginning of the century

The beginning of the 17th century marks the dawn of the era of battleships. The first three-decker was the British HMS Prince Royal, which left the Woolwich shipyard in 1610. The British shipbuilders took the prototype from the Danish flagship, and subsequently rebuilt and improved it several times.

Four masts were installed on the ship, two each for straight and lateen sails. The three-deck, originally 55-gun, ship in its final version in 1641 became 70-gun, then changed its name to Resolution, returned the name, and in 1663 already had 93 guns in its equipment.

• Displacement about 1200 tons;
• Length (keel) 115 feet;
• Beam (midship) 43 feet;
• Interior depth 18 feet;
• 3 full artillery decks.

As a result of battles with the Dutch, the ship was captured by the enemy in 1666, and when they tried to recapture it, it was burned and scuttled.

The most powerful ship at the end of the century

The French Soleil Royal was built by shipbuilders at the Brest shipyard 3 times. The first 1669 three-masted with 104 guns, created as an equal opponent to the British "Royal Sovereign", died in 1692. And in the same year, a new battleship was already built, armed with 112 guns and had:

• Guns 28 x 36-pounders, 30 x 18-pounders (on the middeck), 28 x 12-pounders (on the forward deck);
• Displacement 2200 tons;
• Length 55 meters (keel);
• Width 15 m (midship frame);
• Draft (interior) 7 m;
• A team of 830 people.

The third was built after the death of the previous one, as a worthy heir to the glorious traditions associated with this name.

New types of ships of the 17th century

The evolution of past centuries has shifted the emphasis of shipbuilding from the need to simply move safely across the seas, from the merchant ships of the Venetians, Hanseatics, Flemings and, traditionally, the Portuguese and Spaniards to overcome significant distances, to asserting the importance of dominance at sea and, as a result, defending their interests through military means actions.

Initially, merchant ships began to be militarized to counteract pirates, and by the 17th century, a class of only warships was finally formed, and a separation of the merchant and military fleets took place.

The shipbuilders and, of course, the Dutch provinces succeeded in building the navy. The galleon, the basis of the power of the squadrons of Spain and England, originated from the Portuguese shipbuilders.

17th century galleon

Shipbuilders in Portugal and Spain, who played a significant role until recently, continued to improve traditional ship designs.

In Portugal at the beginning of the century, 2 types of ships appeared with new hull proportions in the ratio of length to width - 4 to 1. These are a 3-masted pinnace (similar to a flute) and a military galleon.

On galleons, guns began to be installed above and below the main deck, highlighting battery decks in the design of the ship, port-cells for guns were opened on board only for combat, and were battened down to avoid flooding with waves of water, which, given the solid mass of the ship, would inevitably flood it; warheads were hidden in holds below the waterline. The displacement of the largest Spanish galleons of the early 17th century was about 1000 tons.

The Dutch galleon had three or four masts, up to 120 feet long, up to 30 feet wide, 12 feet low. draft and up to 30 guns. For ships with such a proportion of long hulls, speed was added by the number and area of ​​sails, and additionally by foils and underlisels. This made it possible to cut the wave steeper into the wind compared to rounded hulls.

Linear multi-deck sailing ships formed the backbone of the squadrons of Holland, Britain, and Spain. Three- and four-deck ships were the flagships of squadrons and determined military superiority and advantage in battle.

And if battleships constituted the main combat power, then frigates began to be built as the fastest ships, equipped with a small number of guns of one closed firing battery. To increase speed, the sail area was increased and the curb weight was reduced.

The English ship Sovereign of the Seas became the first classic example of a battleship. Built in 1637, armed with 100 guns.

Another classic example was the British frigate - reconnaissance and escort of merchant ships.

Actually, these 2 types of ships became an innovative line in shipbuilding and gradually replaced the European galleons, galliots, flutes, and pinnaces, which were obsolete by the middle of the century, from shipyards.

New technologies of the navy

The Dutch for a long time maintained the dual purpose of the ship during construction; shipbuilding for trade was their priority. Therefore, regarding warships, they were clearly inferior to England. In the middle of the century, the Netherlands built the 53-gun ship Brederode, similar to the Sovereign of the Seas, its flagship of the fleet. Design parameters:

• Displacement 1520 tons;
• Proportions (132 x 32) ft.;
• Draft - 13 ft.;
• Two artillery decks.

Flutes "Schwarzer Rabe"

At the end of the 16th century, the Netherlands began to build flutes. Due to the new design, the Dutch flute had excellent seaworthiness and had:

• Shallow draft;
• Fast sailing rig that allowed steep sailing to the wind;
• High speed;
• Large capacity;
• A new design with a length-to-width ratio starting from four-to-one;
• Was cost effective;
• And the crew is about 60 people.

That is, in fact, a military transport ship to transport cargo, and on the high seas to repel an enemy attack, and to quickly break away.

Flutes were built at the beginning of the 17th century:

• About 40 meters long;
• About 6 or 7 m wide;
• Draft 3÷4 m;
• Load capacity 350÷400 tons;
• And a weaponry of 10÷20 guns.

For a century, flutes dominated all seas and played a significant role in wars. They were the first to use a steering wheel.

From the sailing running equipment, topmasts appeared on them, the yards were shortened, the length of the mast became longer than the ship, and the sails became narrower, more convenient to control, and small in size. Sails of the main, foresails, topsails, topsails on the main and foremasts. On the bowsprit there is a rectangular blind sail, a bomb blind. On the mizzen mast there is a slanting sail and a straight cruisel. A smaller upper crew was required to operate the sailing rig.

17th century warship designs

The gradual modernization of artillery pieces began to allow their successful use on board a ship. The important characteristics in the new battle tactics were:

• Convenient, quick reloading during the battle;
• Conducting continuous fire with intervals for reloading;
• Conducting targeted fire over long distances;
• An increase in the number of crew, which made it possible to fire during boarding conditions.

Since the 16th century, the tactics of dividing combat missions within a squadron continued to develop: some of the ships retreated to the flanks to conduct long-range artillery fire on a concentration of large enemy ships, and the light vanguard rushed to board the damaged ships.

British naval forces used these tactics during the Anglo-Spanish War.

The wake column during the review in 1849

Ships are classified according to the purpose of their use. Rowing galleys are being replaced by sailing cannon ships, and the main emphasis is transferred from boarding to destructive gunfire.

The use of heavy large-caliber weapons was difficult. Increased number of artillery crews, significant weight of the gun and charges, destructive recoil force for the ship, which is why it was impossible to fire salvos simultaneously. The emphasis was on 32...42-pound guns with a barrel diameter of no more than 17 cm. For this reason, several medium guns were preferable to a pair of large ones.

The most difficult thing is the accuracy of the shot in conditions of pitching and recoil inertia from neighboring guns. Therefore, the artillery crew needed a clear sequence of salvos with minimal intervals, and the training of the entire crew of the team.

Strength and maneuverability have become very important: it is necessary to keep the enemy strictly on board, not allow them to go to the rear, and be able to quickly turn the ship around on the other side in case of serious damage. The length of the ship's keel was no more than 80 meters, and in order to accommodate more guns, they began to build upper decks; a battery of guns was placed on each deck along the side.

The coherence and skill of the ship's crew were determined by the speed of maneuvers. The highest manifestation of skill was considered to be the speed with which a ship, having fired a salvo from one side, managed to turn its narrow bow into the oncoming salvo of the enemy, and then, turning on the opposite side, fired a new salvo. Such maneuvers made it possible to receive less damage and inflict significant and rapid damage to the enemy.

Worth mentioning are the numerous military rowing vessels used throughout the 17th century. The proportions were approximately 40 by 5 meters. Displacement is about 200 tons, draft is 1.5 meters. A mast and lateen sail were installed on the galleys. For a typical galley with a crew of 200 people, 140 oarsmen were placed in groups of three on 25 banks on each side, each with his own oar. The oar bulwarks were protected from bullets and crossbows. Guns were installed at the stern and bow. The purpose of the galley attack is boarding combat. Cannons and throwing weapons began the attack, and when they approached, boarding began. It is clear that such attacks were designed for heavily loaded merchant ships.

The most powerful army at sea in the 17th century

If at the beginning of the century the fleet of the winner of the Great Spanish Armada was considered the strongest, then later the combat effectiveness of the British fleet fell catastrophically. And failures in battles with the Spaniards and the shameful capture of 27 English ships by Moroccan pirates finally diminished the prestige of British power.

At this time, the Dutch fleet takes a leading position. This is the only reason why its rapidly growing neighbor encouraged Britain to build up its fleet in a new way. By the middle of the century, the flotilla consisted of up to 40 warships, six of which were 100-gun. And after the Revolution, combat power at sea increased until the Restoration. After a period of calm, towards the end of the century Britain was again asserting its power at sea.

From the beginning of the 17th century, the flotillas of European countries began to be equipped with battleships, the number of which determined their combat strength. The first 3-deck linear ship is considered to be the 55-gun ship HMS Prince Royal of 1610. The next 3-deck HMS “Sovereign of the Seas” acquired the parameters of the production prototype:

• Proportions 127 x 46 feet;
• Draft - 20 feet;
• Displacement 1520 tons;
• The total number of guns is 126 on 3 artillery decks.

Placement of guns: 30 on the lower deck, 30 on the middle deck, 26 with a smaller caliber on the upper deck, 14 under the forecastle, 12 under the poop. In addition, the superstructures have many embrasures for the guns of the remaining crew on board.

After three wars between England and Holland, they united in an alliance against France. By 1697, the Anglo-Dutch alliance was able to destroy 1,300 French naval units. And at the beginning of the next century, led by Britain, the alliance achieved an advantage. And the blackmail of the naval power of England, which became Great Britain, began to determine the outcome of the battles.

Naval tactics

Previous naval wars were characterized by disorderly tactics, with skirmishes between ship captains and no structure or unified command.

Since 1618, the British Admiralty introduced ranking of its warships

• Ships Royal, 40...55 guns.
• Great Royals, about 40 guns.
• Middle Ships. 30...40 guns.
• Small Ships, including frigates, less than 30 guns.

The British developed linear combat tactics. According to its rules were followed

1. Peer-to-peer formation in wake columns;
2. Building an equal-strength and equal-speed column without breaks;
3. Unified command.

What should ensure success in battle.

The tactics of equal-rank formation excluded the presence of weak links in the column; the flagships led the vanguard, the center, the command and brought up the rear. A unified command was subordinate to the admiral, and a clear system for transmitting commands and signals between ships appeared.

Naval battles and wars

Battle of Dover 1659

The first battle of the fleets a month before the start of the 1st Anglo-Dutch War, which formally gave it its beginning. Tromp with a squadron of 40 ships set off to escort and protect Dutch transport ships from English corsairs. Being in English waters close to a squadron of 12 ships under command. Admiral Burn, the Dutch flagships did not want to salute the English flag. When Blake approached with a squadron of 15 ships, the British attacked the Dutch. Tromp covered a caravan of merchant ships, did not dare to get involved in a long battle, and lost the battlefield.

Battle of Plymouth 1652

Took place in the First Anglo-Dutch War. de Ruyter took command of the Zeeland squadron of 31 troops. ship and 6 fire ships in defense of the trade caravan convoy. He was opposed by 38 soldiers. ships and 5 fire ships of the British forces.

When the Dutch met, they divided the squadron; some of the English ships began to pursue them, breaking the formation and losing the advantage in firepower. The Dutch, using their favorite tactic of shooting at masts and rigging, disabled some of the enemy ships. As a result, the British had to retreat and go to the ports for repairs, and the caravan safely left for Calais.

Battles of Newport 1652 and 1653

If in the battle of 1652 Ruyter and de Witt, having united 2 squadrons of 64 ships into a single one - the vanguard of Ruyter and the center of de Witt - the squadron, gave an equal battle to Black's 68 ships. Then in 1653, the squadron of Tromp, who had 98 ships and 6 fire ships against the 100 ships and 5 fire ships of the English admirals Monk and Dean, was significantly destroyed when trying to attack the main forces of the British. Ruyter, rushing into the wind as a vanguard, attacked the English. the vanguard of Admiral Lauzon, he was energetically supported by Tromp; but Admiral Dean managed to come to the rescue. And then the wind subsided, an artillery exchange began until darkness, when the Dutch, having discovered a lack of shells, were forced to quickly leave for their ports. The battle showed the superiority of the equipment and weapons of the English ships.

Battle of Portland 1653

Battle of the First Anglo-Dutch War. Convoy under command. Admiral M. Tromp of 80 ships was accompanied in the English Channel by a returning caravan of 250 merchant ships loaded with colonial goods. Having met with a fleet of 70 British ships under command. Admiral R. Blake, Tromp was forced into battle.

For two days of fighting, changing winds did not allow groups of ships to line up; The Dutch, pinned down by the defense of transport ships, suffered losses. And yet, at night, the Dutch were able to break through and leave, ultimately losing 9 military and 40 merchant ships, and the British 4 ships.

Battle of Texel 1673

Victory of de Ruyter with admirals Bankert and Tromp over the Anglo-French fleet at Texel in the third Anglo-Dutch war. This period was marked by the occupation of the Netherlands by French troops. The goal was to recapture the trade caravan. 92 ships and 30 fire ships of the Allies were opposed by a Dutch fleet of 75 ships and 30 fire ships.

Ruyter's vanguard managed to separate the French vanguard from the British squadron. The maneuver was a success and, due to the disunity of the allies, the French chose to keep the flotilla, and the Dutch managed to crush the British center in a brutal battle that lasted many hours. And as a result, having ousted the French, Bankert came to reinforce the Dutch center. The British were never able to land troops and suffered heavy losses in manpower.

These wars of advanced sea powers determined the importance of tactics, formations and firepower in the development of the navy and the art of warfare. Based on the experience of these wars, classes of division into ranks of ships were developed, the optimal configuration of a linear sailing ship and the number of weapons were tested. The tactics of combat between enemy ships was transformed into a combat formation of a wake column with coordinated artillery fire, quick formation and unified command. Boarding combat was becoming a thing of the past, and strength at sea influenced success on land.

17th century Spanish fleet

Spain continued to form its armadas with large galleons, the unsinkability and strength of which were proven by the results of the battles of the Invincible Armada with the British. The artillery the British had was unable to inflict damage on the Spaniards.

Therefore, Spanish shipbuilders continued to build galleons with an average displacement of 500 ÷ 1000 tons and a draft of 9 feet, creating an ocean-going ship - stable and reliable. Such ships were equipped with three or four masts and about 30 guns.

In the first third of the century, 18 galleons with up to 66 guns were launched. The number of large ships exceeded 60 against 20 large royal ships of England and 52 of France.

The features of durable, heavy ships are their high resistance to staying in the ocean and combating water elements. Installing straight sails in two tiers did not provide maneuverability and ease of control. At the same time, the lack of maneuverability was compensated by excellent survivability during storms in terms of strength parameters, and the versatility of galleons. They were used simultaneously for trade and military operations, which were often combined during an unexpected meeting with the enemy in the vast waters of the ocean.

The extraordinary capacity made it possible to equip ships with a decent number of weapons and take on board a large crew trained for combat. This made it possible to successfully carry out boarding - the main naval tactics of battles and capture of ships in the arsenal of the Spaniards.

17th century French fleet

In France, the first battleship "Crown" was launched in 1636. Then the rivalry with England and Holland at sea began.

Ship characteristics of a three-masted two-deck "" 1st rank:

• Displacement more than 2100 tons;
• Length on the upper deck is 54 meters, along the waterline 50 m, along the keel 39 m;
• Width 14 m;
• 3 masts;
• Mainmast 60 meters high;
• Sides up to 10 m high;
• The sail area is about 1000 m²;
• 600 sailors;
• 3 decks;
• 72 different-caliber guns (14x 36-pounders);
• Oak body.

The construction required about 2 thousand dried trunks. The shape of the barrel was matched to the shape of the ship part by matching the bends of the fibers and the part, which gave special strength.

The ship is famous for eclipsing the Sovereign of the Seas, the British masterpiece Sovereign of the Seas (1634), and is now considered the most luxurious and beautiful ship of the sailing era.

Fleet of the United Netherlands Provinces of the 17th century

In the 17th century, the Netherlands fought endless wars with neighboring countries for independence. The maritime confrontation between the Netherlands and Britain had the character of internecine rivalry between neighbors. On the one hand, they were in a hurry to control the seas and oceans with the help of the fleet, on the other, to oust Spain and Portugal, while successfully carrying out robbery attacks on their ships, and on the third, they wanted to dominate as the two most militant rivals. At the same time, dependence on corporations - the owners of the ships, which financed shipbuilding, overshadowed the importance of victories in naval battles, which stopped the growth of the Dutch maritime industry.

The formation of the power of the Dutch fleet was facilitated by the liberation struggle with Spain, the weakening of its strength, and numerous victories of Dutch ships over the Spaniards during the Thirty Years' War by its end in 1648.

The Dutch fleet was the largest, numbering 20 thousand merchant ships, and a huge number of shipyards operated. Actually, this century was the Golden Age of the Netherlands. The Netherlands' struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire led to the Eighty Years' War (1568-1648). After the completion of the war of liberation of the Seventeen Provinces from the rule of the Spanish monarchy, there were three Anglo-Gol. wars, a successful invasion of England, and wars with France.

3 Anglo-Dutch wars at sea tried to determine a dominant position at sea. By the beginning of the first, the Dutch fleet had 75 warships along with frigates. The available warships of the United Provinces were scattered around the world. In case of war, warships could be chartered, or simply hired from other European states. The designs of the “pinnace” and “Flemish carrack” were easily upgraded from a merchant vessel to a military vessel in case of war. However, apart from Brederode and Grote Vergulde Fortuijn, the Dutch could not boast of their own warships. They won battles through courage and skill.

By the Second Anglo-Dutch War in 1665, van Wassenaar's squadron was able to assemble 107 ships, 9 frigates and 27 lower ships. Of these, 92 are armed with more than 30 guns. The number of crews is 21 thousand sailors, 4800 guns.

England could oppose 88 ships, 12 frigates and 24 inferior ships. A total of 4,500 guns, 22 thousand sailors.

In the most disastrous battle in the history of Holland, the Battle of Lowestoft, the Flemish flagship, the 76-gun Eendragt, was blown up along with van Wassenaar.

17th century British fleet

In the middle of the century, there were no more than 5 thousand merchant ships in Britain. But the navy was significant. By 1651, the Royal Navy squadron already had 21 battleships and 29 frigates, with 2 battleships and 50 frigates being completed on the way. If we add the number of free-hire and chartered ships, the fleet could reach up to 200 ships. The total number of guns and caliber were unrivaled.

Construction was carried out at the royal shipyards of Britain - Woolwich, Davenport, Chatham, Portsmouth, Deptford. A significant part of the ships came from private shipyards in Bristol, Liverpool, etc. Over the course of the century, growth gradually increased with the predominance of the regular fleet over the chartered one.

In England, the most powerful battleships were called Manovar, as the largest, with the number of guns exceeding a hundred.

To increase the multi-purpose composition of the British fleet in the middle of the century, more combat ships of smaller types were created: corvettes, bombards.

During the construction of frigates, the number of guns on two decks increased to 60.

In the first Battle of Dover with the Netherlands, the British fleet had:

60-push. James, 56-push. Andrew, 62-push. Triumph, 56-push. Andrew, 62-push. Triumph, 52-push. Victory, 52-push. Speaker, five 36-guns, including President, three 44-guns, including Garland, 52-guns. Fairfax and others.

What the Dutch fleet could counter:

54-push. Brederode, 35-push. Grote Vergulde Fortuijn, nine 34-guns, the rest of lower ranks.

Therefore, the reluctance of the Netherlands to engage in open water combat according to the rules of linear tactics becomes obvious.

Russian fleet of the 17th century

As such, the Russian fleet did not exist before Peter I, due to the lack of access to the seas. The very first Russian warship was the two-deck, three-masted "Eagle" built in 1669 on the Oka River. But it was built at the Voronezh shipyards in 1695 - 1696 from 23 rowing galleys, 2 sailing-rowing frigates and more than 1000 ships, barques, and plows.

Ship "Eagle" 1667

The parameters of the 36-gun frigates “Apostle Peter” and “Apostle Paul” are similar:

• Length 34 meters;
• Width 7.6 m;
• 15 pairs of oars to ensure maneuverability;
• Flat-bottomed body;
• The anti-boarding sides are curved inward at the top.

Russian masters and Peter himself in 1697 The frigate Peter and Paul was built in Holland.

The first ship to sail into the Black Sea was the Fortress. From the shipyard at the mouth of the Don in 1699:

• Length - 38 meters;
• Width - 7.5 m;
• Crew - 106 sailors;
• 46 guns.

In 1700, the first Russian battleship “God's Predestination”, intended for the Azov flotilla, left the Voronezh shipyard, and it was rebuilt by Russian craftsmen and engineers. This three-masted ship, equal to IV rank, had:

• Length 36 meters;
• Width 9 m;
• 58 guns (26x 16-pounder guns, 24x 8-pounder guns, 8x 3-pounder guns);
• A team of 250 sailors.

17th Century Navy The 17th century was a rich period in the history of shipbuilding. Ships have become faster, more maneuverable, and more stable. Engineers learned to design the best examples of sailing ships. The development of artillery made it possible to equip battleships with reliable, accurate guns. The need for military action determined progress in shipbuilding. The most powerful ship at the beginning of the century The beginning of the 17th century marks the dawn of the era of battleships. The first three-decker was the British HMS Prince Royal, which left the Woolwich shipyard in 1610. The British shipbuilders took the prototype from the Danish flagship, and subsequently rebuilt and improved it several times.

HMS “Prince Royal” 4 masts were erected on the ship, two each for straight and lateen sails. The three-deck, originally 55-gun, ship in its final version in 1641 became 70-gun, then changed its name to Resolution, returned the name, and in 1663 already had 93 guns in its equipment. Displacement about 1200 tons; Length (keel) 115 feet; Beam (midship) 43 feet; Interior depth 18 feet; 3 full artillery decks. As a result of battles with the Dutch, the ship was captured by the enemy in 1666, and when they tried to recapture it, it was burned and scuttled. The most powerful ship at the end of the century

Soleil Royal The French “Soleil Royal” was built by shipbuilders at the Brest shipyard 3 times. The first 1669 three-masted with 104 guns, created as an equal opponent to the British "Royal Sovereign", died in 1692. And in the same year, a new battleship was already built with an armament of 112 guns and had: 28 x 36-pound guns, 30 x 18-pound guns (on the middeck), 28 x 12-pound guns (on the front deck); Displacement 2200 tons; Length 55 meters (keel); Width 15 m (midship frame); Draft (interior) 7 m; A team of 830 people. The third was built after the death of the previous one, as a worthy heir to the glorious traditions associated with this name. New types of ships of the 17th century The evolution of past centuries shifted the emphasis of shipbuilding from the need to simply move safely across the seas, from the merchant ships of the Venetians, Hanseatics, Flemings and, traditionally, the Portuguese and Spaniards to overcome significant distances, to the affirmation of the importance of dominance at sea and, as a result, defending their interests through military action. Initially, merchant ships began to be militarized to counteract pirates, and by the 17th century, a class of only warships was finally formed, and a separation of the merchant and military fleets took place. The shipbuilders of England and, of course, the Dutch provinces of the Netherlands succeeded in building a navy. The galleon, the basis of the power of the squadrons of Spain and England, originates from the Portuguese shipbuilders.

17th century galleon Having played a significant role until recently, shipbuilders in Portugal and Spain continued to improve traditional ship designs. In Portugal at the beginning of the century, 2 types of ships appeared with new hull proportions in the ratio of length to width - 4 to 1. These are a 3-masted pinnace (similar to a flute) and a military galleon. On galleons, guns began to be installed above and below the main deck, highlighting battery decks in the design of the ship, port-cells for guns were opened on board only for combat, and were battened down to avoid flooding with waves of water, which, given the solid mass of the ship, would inevitably flood it; warheads were hidden in holds below the waterline. The displacement of the largest Spanish galleons of the early 17th century was about 1000 tons. The Dutch galleon had three or four masts, up to 120 feet long, up to 30 feet wide, 12 feet low. draft and up to 30 guns. For ships with such a proportion of long hulls, speed was added by the number and area of ​​sails, and additionally by foils and underlisels. This made it possible to cut the wave steeper into the wind compared to rounded hulls. Linear multi-deck sailing ships formed the backbone of the squadrons of Holland, Britain, and Spain. Three- and four-deck ships were the flagships of squadrons and determined military superiority and advantage in battle. And if battleships constituted the main combat power, then frigates began to be built as the fastest ships, equipped with a small number of guns of one closed firing battery. To increase speed, the sail area was increased and the curb weight was reduced.

"Sovereign of the Seas" The English ship "Sovereign of the Seas" became the first classic example of a battleship. Built in 1637, armed with 100 guns. Another classic example was the British frigate - reconnaissance and escort of merchant ships. Actually, these 2 types of ships became an innovative line in shipbuilding and gradually replaced the European galleons, galliots, flutes, and pinnaces, which were obsolete by the middle of the century, from shipyards. New technologies of the navy The Dutch for a long time maintained the dual purpose of the ship during construction, shipbuilding for trade was their priority. Therefore, regarding warships, they were clearly inferior to England. In the middle of the century, the Netherlands built the 53-gun ship Brederode, similar to the Sovereign of the Seas, its flagship of the fleet. Design parameters: Displacement 1520 tons; Proportions (132 x 32) ft.; Draft - 13 ft.; Two artillery decks.

Flutes "Schwarzer Rabe" At the end of the 16th century, the Netherlands began to build flutes. Due to the new design, the Dutch flute had excellent seaworthiness and had: Shallow draft; Fast sailing rig that allowed steep sailing to the wind; High speed; Large capacity; A new design with a length-to-width ratio starting from four-to-one; Was cost effective; And the crew is about 60 people. That is, in fact, a military transport ship to transport cargo, and on the high seas to repel an enemy attack, and to quickly break away. Flutes at the beginning of the 17th century were built: About 40 meters long; About 6 or 7 m wide; Draft 3÷4 m; Load capacity 350÷400 tons; And a weaponry of 10÷20 guns. For a century, flutes dominated all seas and played a significant role in wars. They were the first to use a steering wheel. From the sailing running equipment, topmasts appeared on them, the yards were shortened, the length of the mast became longer than the ship, and the sails became narrower, more convenient to control, and small in size. Sails of the main, foresails, topsails, topsails on the main and foremasts. On the bowsprit there is a rectangular blind sail, a bomb blind. On the mizzen mast there is a slanting sail and a straight cruisel. A smaller upper crew was required to operate the sailing rig. Designs of warships of the 17th century The gradual modernization of artillery guns began to allow their successful use on board a ship. Important characteristics in the new battle tactics were: Convenient, fast reloading during the battle; Conducting continuous fire with intervals for reloading; Conducting targeted fire over long distances; An increase in the number of crew, which made it possible to fire during boarding conditions. Since the 16th century, the tactics of dividing combat missions within a squadron continued to develop: some of the ships retreated to the flanks to conduct long-range artillery fire on a concentration of large enemy ships, and the light vanguard rushed to board the damaged ships. British naval forces used these tactics during the Anglo-Spanish War.

The wake column during a review in 1849. Ships are classified according to the purpose of their use. Rowing galleys are being replaced by sailing cannon ships, and the main emphasis is transferred from boarding to destructive gunfire. The use of heavy large-caliber guns was difficult. Increased number of artillery crews, significant weight of the gun and charges, destructive recoil force for the ship, which is why it was impossible to fire salvos simultaneously. The emphasis was on 32...42-pound guns with a barrel diameter of no more than 17 cm. For this reason, several medium guns were preferable to a pair of large ones. The most difficult thing is the accuracy of the shot in conditions of pitching and recoil inertia from neighboring guns. Therefore, the artillery crew needed a clear sequence of salvos with minimal intervals, and the training of the entire crew of the team. Strength and maneuverability have become very important: it is necessary to keep the enemy strictly on board, not allow them to go to the rear, and be able to quickly turn the ship around on the other side in case of serious damage. The length of the ship's keel was no more than 80 meters, and in order to accommodate more guns, they began to build upper decks; a battery of guns was placed on each deck along the side.

Galley 17th century The coherence and skill of the ship's crew were determined by the speed of maneuvers. The highest manifestation of skill was considered to be the speed with which a ship, having fired a salvo from one side, managed to turn its narrow bow into the oncoming salvo of the enemy, and then, turning on the opposite side, fired a new salvo. Such maneuvers made it possible to receive less damage and inflict significant and rapid damage to the enemy. It is worth mentioning the galleys - numerous military rowing vessels used throughout the 17th century. The proportions were approximately 40 by 5 meters. Displacement is about 200 tons, draft is 1.5 meters. A mast and lateen sail were installed on the galleys. For a typical galley with a crew of 200 people, 140 oarsmen were placed in groups of three on 25 banks on each side, each with his own oar. The oar bulwarks were protected from bullets and crossbows. Guns were installed at the stern and bow. The purpose of the galley attack is boarding combat. Cannons and throwing weapons began the attack, and when they approached, boarding began. It is clear that such attacks were designed for heavily loaded merchant ships. The most powerful army at sea in the 17th century If at the beginning of the century the fleet of the winner of the Great Spanish Armada was considered the strongest, then later the combat effectiveness of the British fleet fell catastrophically. And failures in battles with the Spaniards and French, the shameful capture of 27 English ships by Moroccan pirates finally diminished the prestige of British power. At this time, the Dutch fleet takes a leading position. This is the only reason why its rapidly growing neighbor encouraged Britain to build up its fleet in a new way. By the middle of the century, the flotilla consisted of up to 40 warships, six of which were 100-gun. And after the Revolution, combat power at sea increased until the Restoration. After a period of calm, towards the end of the century Britain was again asserting its power at sea. From the beginning of the 17th century, the flotillas of European countries began to be equipped with battleships, the number of which determined their combat strength. The first 3-deck linear ship is considered to be the 55-gun ship HMS Prince Royal of 1610. The next 3-deck HMS “Sovereign of the Seas” acquired the parameters of the production prototype: Proportions 127x46 feet; Draft - 20 feet; Displacement 1520 tons; The total number of guns is 126 on 3 artillery decks. Placement of guns: 30 on the lower deck, 30 on the middle deck, 26 with a smaller caliber on the upper deck, 14 under the forecastle, 12 under the poop. In addition, the superstructures have many embrasures for the guns of the remaining crew on board. After three wars between England and Holland, they united in an alliance against France. By 1697, the Anglo-Dutch alliance was able to destroy 1,300 French naval units. And at the beginning of the next century, led by Britain, the alliance achieved an advantage. And the blackmail of the naval power of England, which became Great Britain, began to determine the outcome of the battles. Tactics of naval battles Previous naval wars were characterized by disorderly tactics, there were skirmishes between ship captains, and there were no schemes or unified command. Since 1618, the British Admiralty introduced the ranking of its warships Ships Royal, 40...55 guns. Great Royals, about 40 guns. Middle Ships. 30...40 guns. Small Ships, including frigates, less than 30 guns. Next, the ranks were numbered. And later the 1st rank consisted of up to 100 guns, a crew of up to 600 sailors; 6th rank - a dozen guns and less than 50 sailors.

The British developed linear combat tactics. According to its rules, peer-to-peer formation in wake columns was observed; Building an equal-strength and equal-speed column without breaks; Unified command. What should ensure success in battle. The tactics of equal-rank formation excluded the presence of weak links in the column; the flagships led the vanguard, the center, the command and brought up the rear. A unified command was subordinate to the admiral, and a clear system for transmitting commands and signals between ships appeared. Naval battles and wars Battle of Dover 1659 The first battle of the fleets a month before the start of the 1st Anglo-Dutch War, which formally gave it its beginning. Tromp with a squadron of 40 ships set off to escort and protect Dutch transport ships from English corsairs. Being in English waters close to a squadron of 12 ships under command. Admiral Burn, the Dutch flagships did not want to salute the English flag. When Blake approached with a squadron of 15 ships, the British attacked the Dutch. Tromp covered a caravan of merchant ships, did not dare to get involved in a long battle, and lost the battlefield. Battle of Plymouth 1652 Took place in the First Anglo-Dutch War. de Ruyter took command of the Zeeland squadron of 31 troops. ship and 6 fire ships in defense of the trade caravan convoy. He was opposed by 38 soldiers. ships and 5 fire ships of the British forces. When the Dutch met, they divided the squadron; some of the English ships began to pursue them, breaking the formation and losing the advantage in firepower. The Dutch, using their favorite tactic of shooting at masts and rigging, disabled some of the enemy ships. As a result, the British had to retreat and go to the ports for repairs, and the caravan safely left for Calais. Newport battles of 1652 and 1653 If in the battle of 1652, Ruyter and de Witt, having united 2 squadrons of 64 ships into a single squadron - the vanguard of Ruyter and the center of de Witt - a squadron, gave an equal battle to Black's 68 ships. Then in 1653, the squadron of Tromp, who had 98 ships and 6 fire ships against the 100 ships and 5 fire ships of the English admirals Monk and Dean, was significantly destroyed when trying to attack the main forces of the British. Ruyter, rushing into the wind as a vanguard, attacked the English. the vanguard of Admiral Lauzon, he was energetically supported by Tromp; but Admiral Dean managed to come to the rescue. And then the wind subsided, an artillery exchange began until darkness, when the Dutch, having discovered a lack of shells, were forced to quickly leave for their ports. The battle showed the superiority of the equipment and weapons of the English ships. Battle of Portland 1653 Battle of the First Anglo-Dutch War. Convoy under command. Admiral M. Tromp of 80 ships was accompanied in the English Channel by a returning caravan of 250 merchant ships loaded with colonial goods. Having met with a fleet of 70 British ships under command. Admiral R. Blake, Tromp was forced into battle. For two days of fighting, changing winds did not allow groups of ships to line up; The Dutch, pinned down by the defense of transport ships, suffered losses. And yet, at night, the Dutch were able to break through and leave, ultimately losing 9 military and 40 merchant ships, and the British 4 ships. Battle of Texel 1673 Victory of de Ruyter with Admirals Bankert and Tromp over the Anglo-French fleet at Texel in the third Anglo-Dutch War. This period was marked by the occupation of the Netherlands by French troops. The goal was to recapture the trade caravan. 92 ships and 30 fire ships of the Allies were opposed by a Dutch fleet of 75 ships and 30 fire ships. Ruyter's vanguard managed to separate the French vanguard from the British squadron. The maneuver was a success and, due to the disunity of the allies, the French chose to keep the flotilla, and the Dutch managed to crush the British center in a brutal battle that lasted many hours. And as a result, having ousted the French, Bankert came to reinforce the Dutch center. The British were never able to land troops and suffered heavy losses in manpower. These wars of advanced sea powers determined the importance of tactics, formations and firepower in the development of the navy and the art of warfare. Based on the experience of these wars, classes of division into ranks of ships were developed, the optimal configuration of a linear sailing ship and the number of weapons were tested. The tactics of combat between enemy ships was transformed into a combat formation of a wake column with coordinated artillery fire, quick formation and unified command. Boarding combat was becoming a thing of the past, and strength at sea influenced success on land. Spanish fleet of the 17th century Spain continued to form its armadas with large galleons, the unsinkability and strength of which were proven following the battles of the Invincible Armada with the British. The artillery the British had was unable to inflict damage on the Spaniards. Therefore, Spanish shipbuilders continued to build galleons with an average displacement of 500 ÷ 1000 tons and a draft of 9 feet, creating an ocean-going ship - stable and reliable. Such ships were equipped with three or four masts and about 30 guns.

In the first third of the century, 18 galleons with up to 66 guns were launched. The number of large ships exceeded 60 against 20 large royal ships of England and 52 of France. The features of durable, heavy ships are their high resistance to staying in the ocean and combating water elements. Installing straight sails in two tiers did not provide maneuverability and ease of control. At the same time, the lack of maneuverability was compensated by excellent survivability during storms in terms of strength parameters, and the versatility of galleons. They were used simultaneously for trade and military operations, which were often combined during an unexpected meeting with the enemy in the vast waters of the ocean. The extraordinary capacity made it possible to equip ships with a decent number of weapons and take on board a large crew trained for combat. This made it possible to successfully carry out boarding - the main naval tactics of battles and capture of ships in the arsenal of the Spaniards. French fleet of the 17th century In France, the first battleship "Crown" was launched in 1636. Then rivalry with England and Holland at sea began. Ship characteristics of the three-masted, two-deck “La Couronne” of the 1st rank: Displacement of more than 2100 tons; Length on the upper deck is 54 meters, along the waterline 50 m, along the keel 39 m; Width 14 m; 3 masts; Mainmast 60 meters high; Sides up to 10 m high; The sail area is about 1000 m²; 600 sailors; 3 decks; 72 different-caliber guns (14x 36-pounders); Oak body.

The construction required about 2 thousand dried trunks. The shape of the barrel was matched to the shape of the ship part by matching the bends of the fibers and the part, which gave special strength. The ship is famous for eclipsing the Sovereign of the Seas, the British masterpiece Sovereign of the Seas (1634), and is now considered the most luxurious and beautiful ship of the sailing era. Fleet of the United Provinces of the Netherlands in the 17th century In the 17th century, the Netherlands fought endless wars with neighboring countries for independence. The maritime confrontation between the Netherlands and Britain had the character of internecine rivalry between neighbors. On the one hand, they were in a hurry to control the seas and oceans with the help of the fleet, on the other, to oust Spain and Portugal, while successfully carrying out robbery attacks on their ships, and on the third, they wanted to dominate as the two most militant rivals. At the same time, dependence on corporations - the owners of the ships, which financed shipbuilding, overshadowed the importance of victories in naval battles, which stopped the growth of the Dutch maritime industry. The development of the power of the Dutch fleet was facilitated by the liberation struggle with Spain, the weakening of its strength, and numerous victories of Dutch ships over the Spaniards during the Thirty Years' War by its end in 1648. The Dutch fleet was the largest, numbering 20 thousand merchant ships, and a huge number of shipyards were operating. Actually, this century was the Golden Age of the Netherlands. The Netherlands' struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire led to the Eighty Years' War (1568-1648). After the completion of the war of liberation of the Seventeen Provinces from the rule of the Spanish monarchy, there were three Anglo-Gol. wars, a successful invasion of England, and wars with France. 3 Anglo-Dutch wars at sea tried to determine a dominant position at sea. By the beginning of the first, the Dutch fleet had 75 warships along with frigates. The available warships of the United Provinces were scattered around the world. In case of war, warships could be chartered, or simply hired from other European states. The designs of the “pinnace” and “Flemish carrack” were easily upgraded from a merchant vessel to a military vessel in case of war. However, apart from Brederode and Grote Vergulde Fortuijn, the Dutch could not boast of their own warships. They won battles through courage and skill. By the Second Anglo-Dutch War in 1665, van Wassenaar's squadron was able to assemble 107 ships, 9 frigates and 27 lower ships. Of these, 92 are armed with more than 30 guns. The number of crews is 21 thousand sailors, 4800 guns. England could oppose 88 ships, 12 frigates and 24 inferior ships. A total of 4,500 guns, 22 thousand sailors. In the most disastrous battle in the history of Holland, the Battle of Lowestoft, the Flemish flagship, the 76-gun Eendragt, was blown up along with van Wassenaar. British fleet of the 17th century In the middle of the century, there were no more than 5 thousand merchant ships in Britain. But the navy was significant. By 1651, the Royal Navy squadron already had 21 battleships and 29 frigates, with 2 battleships and 50 frigates being completed on the way. If we add the number of free-hire and chartered ships, the fleet could reach up to 200 ships. The total number of guns and caliber were unrivaled. Construction was carried out at the royal shipyards of Britain - Woolwich, Davenport, Chatham, Portsmouth, Deptford. A significant part of the ships came from private shipyards in Bristol, Liverpool, etc. Over the course of the century, growth gradually increased with the predominance of the regular fleet over the chartered one. In England, the most powerful battleships were called Manovar, as the largest, with the number of guns exceeding a hundred. To increase the multi-purpose composition of the British fleet in the middle of the century, more warships of smaller types were created: corvettes, sloops, bombards. During the construction of frigates, the number of guns on two decks increased to 60. In the first Battle of Dover with the Netherlands, the British fleet had: 60 guns. James, 56-push. Andrew, 62-push. Triumph, 56-push. Andrew, 62-push. Triumph, 52-push. Victory, 52-push. Speaker, five 36-guns, including President, three 44-guns, including Garland, 52-guns. Fairfax and others. What the Dutch fleet could counter: 54 push. Brederode, 35-push. Grote Vergulde Fortuijn, nine 34-guns, the rest of lower ranks. Therefore, the reluctance of the Netherlands to engage in open water combat according to the rules of linear tactics becomes obvious. Russian fleet of the 17th century As such, the Russian fleet did not exist before Peter I, due to the lack of access to the seas. The very first Russian warship was the two-deck, three-masted "Eagle" built in 1669 on the Oka River. But the first flotilla was built at the Voronezh shipyards in 1695 - 1696 from 23 rowing galleys, 2 sailing-rowing frigates and more than 1000 ships, barques, and plows.