Page 18 - History of War - Issue 18-15

THEMARYROSE
Frontline

Henry VIII’s fl agship is famed for THEMARYROSE
its demise, but the subject of the
largest maritime archaeological TYPE OF SHIP: CARRACK, WARSHIP ARMAMENT: 250 LONGBOWS, 9,600 ARROWS

excavation ever undertaken has ORIGIN: PORTSMOUTH, HAMPSHIRE, ENGLAND 50 HANDGUNS
150 BOARDING PIKES
COMMISSIONED: 1511
much more to it than meets the eye LENGTH: 45 METRES (147 FEET) 150 BILLS
CREW: 415 (EXCLUDING OFFICERS AND RETINUES): 3 LARGE INCENDIARY DARTS
200 MARINERS, 30 GUNNERS, 185 SOLDIERS 91 GUNS:
15 CARRIAGE-MOUNTED CAST-BRONZE
MUZZLELOADERS
24CARRIAGE-MOUNTEDWROUGHT-IRON
NETTING BREECHLOADERS
Netting strung above the upper deck
between the castles was a deterrent 30WROUGHT-IRONBREECH-LOADING
to boarders, but also prevented the SWIVELGUNS
crew escaping as the ship sank. 20HAND-HELD/SHIP-SUPPORTEDCAST-IRON
Of the 500 men on board, only MUZZLE-LOADINGGUNS
between 30 and 35 survived. 2TOPGUNS
ANTI-BOARDING MEASURES
Spot fi nds of archery equipment on the
upper deck in the waist of the ship indicate
that archers were moving about during the
battle in anticipation of close-quarters
actions and anti-boarding manoeuvres.

BLINDS
Someofthe‘blinds’inthewaist
of the ship on the upper deck
were removable so archers and
soldiers with handguns could be
positioned there.

GUN DECK FIREPOWER
Seven broadside guns were stationed
at lidded gun ports supporting a
mixture of cast-bronze muzzle loaders SHOT LOCKERS
and wrought-iron breech loaders. The three main shot
During the excavation, all were found lockers. 1,248 cast iron
on their wooden carriages. shot, 387 stone shot,
REASON FOR SINKING composite shot and
The Mary Rose sank due to water canister shot have been
pouring in through her starboard gun found during excavation.
ports. The gun port lids were found LOGS
open and hinged back against the Substantial amounts
side of the ship. of quartered logs were
found, which was a
store of wood for the
Mary Rose.
FOOD STORES
Butchered half carcasses of pork
(headless and split down the centre)
were found in one area. The position
they were in suggested that they had
been hung and were probably salted.