Henry VIII build the Mary Rose to be the queen of the British Navy. Unfortunately, she was build a little too top heavy.
Upon his ascension to the English throne in 1509, Henry VIII inherited a small but useful naval force. But, with the power of France on the rise, Henry decided to expand upon his small fleet and ordered the construction of two new, purpose-built warships. Up to this time, most cannon carrying warships had been converted from merchant ships.
The ships were constructed during the years of 1509-1510 and named the Mary Rose and the Peter Pomegranate. They were revolutionary in their design. Whereas before, warships had mounted their guns facing forwards, these two ships lined their guns along the side, and were the first warships capable of firing a broadside without tipping over. They were also the first ships to incorporate gun-ports, the small doors in the hull that could be opened to run out the guns or closed for better sailing.
When the two ships were completed, Henry VIII looked for an opportunity to attack the French. It came on August 10, 1512, when the Mary Rose lead a English fleet of 50 ships and surprised the French fleet at anchor in the port of Brest in Brittany. The battle proved a huge victory for the English fleet who captured or destroyed 32 French vessels including their flagship. Both the Mary Rose and the Peter Pomegranate were instrumental in the fighting, though the Mary Rose did run aground during the battle.
In 1528, another war with France looming, The Mary Rose was refitted. It is thought that another deck was added, and her guns were increased from 78 to 91. Although this made her one of the most intimidating warships in the world, it also made her dangerously top heavy.
As it turned out, it would be another 17 years before the full threat of the French truly materialized. In 1545, Francis I of France launched a fleet of 200 ships against England. This force was met by a fleet of 80 English ships just outside of Portsmouth. As the battle was slowly joined, the Mary Rose mysteriously capsized and sank. The battle itself proved indecisive.
There has never been a fully satisfactory explanation for the sinking of the Mary Rose. The French claim to have hit her, but this goes against most of the sources. Most likely, a poorly trained crew turned her too hard, and her heavy guns pulled her over. It is also possible that they had forgotten to close the gun ports before attempting the manoeuvre. Whatever the truth, nearly 700 men drowned with the vessel within sight of Portsmouth.
Later that year an attempt was made to raise the Mary Rose, but without success. Slowly she was forgotten. It is reported that the wreck was rediscovered in 1836, but it wasn't until 1971 that it was conclusively located again. Some years later, a trust was formed with the intention of raising the ship. In 1982, a large chunk of the wreck was raised, essentially one half of the length of the ship. This is now in the midst of a 20 year restoration project which involves spraying the wreck in a special wax.
This piece of the Mary Rose is the only example of an authentic 16th Century warship in existence.
