Page 13 - History of War - Issue 18-15

FRONTLINE: WARSHIPS

CARRACK The Royal Navy was so strong that Facts
they used gunboat diplomacy with
AN EFFECTIVE DESIGN THAT WAS A no fear of a backlash from the 5about
weak and uncoordinated junks
FORERUNNER FOR THE BIGGER AND
BETTER VESSELS THAT FOLLOWED
Founded: 14th century WARSHIPS
Country: Italy
Originating in the navies of the
Mediterranean powers, carracks were small
three or four-masted boats and a precursor THE TRIREME CREW
to galleons. They were used in both a Thesewarshipswouldhavebeen
trading and military capacity. The most CHINESEWARJUNK nothingifitweren’tforalargearmyof
famous of the military carracks was the slaverowers.Eachtriremecouldhave
Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s flagship. THE CLASSIC BOAT THAT BECAME DATED WHEN upto170mensatbeneaththedeck
TRYING TO DEFEND CHINA’S ECONOMIC INTERESTS with next-to-no protection against
New ship designs like the Founded: 19th century oncoming rams.
carrack made cross- Country: China
Atlantic journeys to the Junks had been around for centuries but were primarily used
New World possible GUNBOAT DIPLOMACY
for merchant shipping until the Opium Wars. Constructed TheRoyalNavywassostronginthe
tocombattheWesternpowers,theywerenomatchfor 19thcenturythatitcouldintimidate
the British vessels and were defeated in their droves. This any area it wanted to conquer with the
pavedthewayforanewdirectionofarmouredandsteam- threat of the cannons from its galleons
powered ships. andshipsoftheline.
TRIREME REFITTING AND RENEWAL
Manywarshipswererefittedsooften
THE MARITIME BEHEMOTH OF THE ANCIENT ERA duringtheirlifetimes,thatverylittleof
First use: c. 700 BCE theiroriginalmaterialsremainedand
Country: Ancient Greece, Ancient Phoenicia, they were considered in many ways
Ancient Rome entirely different ships.
Many ancient empires based their navies on the design of
this ship. Triremes used bronze-capped rams at their front
to smash rivals out of the water. The design was later taken
b h R il i d d b ll h

Above: The Constitution in battle
with the HMS Guerriere

Above: The trireme’s
tactic was to ram and
then board the rival ship
with hoplites and archers