29. A Poorly Thought Solution Dooms the Pride of the English Navy
The becalmed Mary Rose and English fleet were in trouble at the 1545 Battle of the Solent. They were sailing ships, and without wind, they could not maneuver. The French galleys attacking them, propelled by oars, had no such trouble. The French galleys were on the verge of a victory over the immobilized English sailing ships, until the wind finally picked up. Sailing out in a stiff breeze, the Mary Rose led the English counterattack, and the outgunned French galleys suddenly became the ones in trouble.
However, the Mary Rose’s first broadside caused her to heel or lean over to her starboard side. Her lower gun deck’s gun holes, now lower and closer to the water’s surface thanks to the additional weight of the 1536 upgrade, dipped into the sea. Water rushed in through the open gun holes and the crew was unable to correct the sudden imbalance. Guns, ammunition, and cargo shifted to the submerging side of the ship, causing it to tilt even further, and the Mary Rose sank quickly, taking nine-tenths of her crew with her.