Galleys Still RuleWhen the Spanish Armada sets sail for England, the vessels carry plenty of troops, but little ammunition for the cannons. The big guns are expected to be useful only during the first few minutes of battle, prior to boarding. The English and Dutch vessels that meet and defeat the Armada depend more on firepower. The ships are maneuvered to keep clear of the Spanish fleet, while gradually reducing it by relatively long-range fire. This isn't particularly effective, but it keeps the enemy at a distance, and preserves their ships until a combination of shallow water and unfavorable winds eventually drives the Spanish out to sea, unable to deploy their troops. |
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Transition to Sail War galleys are shallow, light vessels that use a bank of rowers to produce a sudden burst of speed. This allows approaching and boarding the enemy vessel. Galleys can be built quickly and cheaply, which helps account for their early dominance in Mediterranean engagements. Pure sailing ships are initially relatively small, having been derived from coastal trading vessels designed to carry cargo, not cannons. Rigging is still evolving. Large triangular sails, hung on long tilted yards, are the only type of sail used on galleys. Pure sailing craft often mix triangular sails with an array of rectangular sails, set on horizontal yardarms. The two pictures at left depict typical battles of the period, with a mix of vessels and rigging arrangements. | |||||||||
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Lure of Distant Markets The single element most responsible for the transition to pure sailing ships is the desire for commercial gain, not military mastery. During the long periods between naval engagements, the business of most captains is shipping. And in 1500, the hot commodities are all located far from home. The map above shows the location of the products commanding the highest prices in Europe. Almost all come from India, China or the Spice Islands (Indonesia). There is also growing demand for a way to get African slaves to European markets, without having to trek overland the entire way. The desire to gain access to all these markets drives a period of innovation in ship design that will produce vessels capable of long, open-ocean crossings. | |||||||||
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Bypassing the Arabs The products from Asia are already accessible via existing Arab trading routes, both land and sea, which connect India and China with Mediterranean ports in the Middle East. But Arabs control the entire network, and are not inclined to give Christians a break on prices. For centuries, there's nothing to be done about this. But European shippers are gradually becoming more ambitious, and begin searching for ways to set up their own, rival network, that will bypass the Arab stranglehold altogether. All they need are bigger ships. The Portuguese become leaders in this area, gradually making longer trips further and further south, in an attempt to get around the bottom of Africa. By 1500, they finally succeed. | |||||||||
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Portuguese Lead the Way The vessel the Portuguese finally settle on is shown at the lower left. It mounts galley-style sails on a deep-bodied hull capable of riding out storms at sea. These vessels are quite small at first, lacking a dedicated gun deck, but the deep hull provides enough stowage space to bring back a profitable load from Asian ports. At first, this is just India. But by establishing a string of trading posts (ORANGE dots), the Portuguese are gradually able to get all the way to the Spice Islands, where big money can be made. To do so, they had to contend with the Arabs, who have previously enjoyed exclusive access to these markets. The Portuguese eventually put together fleets powerful enough to seize strategic Arab ports (BLUE dots), including some in the Persian Gulf. | |||||||||
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Bringing out the Big Guns The key development of the new warships is increased size. A bigger, deeper hull allows the addition of a dedicated gun deck, above the cargo hold, capable of carrying a row of powerful cannons. Warships in 1600 might mount 10 guns (as cannons come to be called) on a side, which is sufficient firepower to keep galleys at a safe distance. These larger vessels are, in effect, floating gun platforms. This was equivalent to the development of field artillery for the battlefield, because naval gun platforms are mobile. You can take them to India, for instance, and blow the Arabs out of their cozy trading posts. The ability to easily exert military power from a distance enables European monarchs to establish and maintain far-flung colonies, for the first time. | |||||||||