Gribshunden's artillery explained

"Launched in 1485 as the royal flagship of King Hans of Denmark and Norway, Gribshunden was one of the first warships in Europe designed to carry artillery. It was not only heavily armed, it was also appointed with everything the king might need to run the government, a floating castle, a daunting instrument of royal power with the flexibility of movement."

"The wreck was discovered by scuba divers in 1971, its structure and armaments preserved by the cold shipworm-less waters of the Baltic. Archaeological explorations began in 2001, and it was identified as the Gribshunden in 2002. It is the best-preserved ship from the Age of Discovery, and while it was a unique royal warship rather than an exploration vessel, its design and weaponry were virtually identical to those of the Spanish and Portuguese explorers."

Part of eleven cannons and their oak gun beds from the Gribshunden wreck were recovered after two decades of excavation and digitally reconstructed, illuminating early naval artillery development. Launched in 1485 as King Hans's royal flagship, Gribshunden combined heavy armament with accommodations for governance, functioning as a mobile royal stronghold. The ship sank in 1495 after an unexplained explosion while anchored off Ronneby; the king had disembarked for a Kalmar summit. The blast apparently struck below the waterline with no evidence of fire. The wreck, found in 1971 and identified in 2002, is exceptionally well preserved by Baltic conditions and mirrors contemporary Spanish and Portuguese warship design crucial to post-1492 voyages and European expansion.

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