| Battleships intended for conquering domination at sea formed the core of navy since the middle XVII century. They featured the most
powerful weapons and the best navigability. European ships with rectangular rig were unusually fast as for sailing ships. Due to tall sides, these
ships' could withstand heavy weather. However, they were strongly dependent on wind. In the course of time, the rig was improved, and the ships'
displacement increased. Then vessels were armed with artillery placed at the sides. Before a battle, vessels formed a line, in combat the line
crumbled, and the battle turned into a messy scramble. Artillery was used ineffectively, and vessels often prevented each other to fire. Small
fire-ships stuffed with explosives and inflammables drifted down wind easily homed on their targets. Some battles were even won due to them.
By the middle XVII century vessels formed a strict in column, therefore they became much more efficient. However, for a fleet to be really
strong, the column had to consist of similar vessels; otherwise the enemy would always find a weak spot and breach the array. This was how the
battleships appeared. Gunsmiths established a repetition work on canons of standard calibers and made it possible to rank vessels depending on the
number of cannons onboard. In 1653 the British Admiralty divided ships into six ranks: 1st - more than 90 cannons, 2nd - more than 80 cannons, 3rd
- more than 50, 4th - more than 38, 5th - more than 18, and 6th - more than 6 cannons. This classification determined number of decks and the size
of ships. First three classes comprised battleships. A fine example of vessel features is given by the following specifications of English
battleship Royal Sovereign built in 1637 by Finneas Pett. Battery deck length - 53 m (174 ft); keel length - 47.2 m (155 ft); displacement - 2,000
tons; width - 15.3 m (50 ft); hold depth - 6,1 m (20 ft); 30 cannons were placed on the lower and the middle deck, 26 cannons on the upper deck,
14 ones under the forecastle, and 12 under the poop, with total of 82 cannons. |
