Today in History - 10th August10th August 1628 - Swedish warship sinks 1km into maiden voyage397 years ago today, the Vasa, a Swedish warship designed to be the most advanced in the world, sank in Stockholm harbour, just 1,300 metres into its maiden voyage. More than 30 people on board died, and the ship remained at the bottom of the Baltic Sea until 1961, when it was salvaged. Since 1988, the recovered Vasa has been on display at its own dedicated museum in the Swedish capital. The Vasa was built at the demand of King Gustavus Adolphus, who sought to expand his country's military after the outbreak of war with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The ship was constructed in Stockholm and was designed to be one of the most formidable and aesthetically impressive ships in the world, featuring 64 bronze canons. But despite appearing impressive, the Vasa had a major flaw. After construction, a balance test was carried out, during which 30 men ran side-to-side across the deck. This caused the ship to rock violently, making it evident that the balance of the ship was off, with there being far too much weight at the upper part of the hull compared to the lower part. However, the shipbuilders were under immense pressure from the King, and thus the go-ahead was given for the ship to make its maiden voyage. On the 10th August 1628, hundreds of people lined the shores of Stockholm to watch the Vasa depart for the first time. The ship was likely en route to the naval base of Älvsnabben, in the south of the Stockholm archipelago, before sailing into the wider Baltic Sea to unite with the rest of the Swedish navy and support its fight against Poland-Lithuania. However, just minutes after departure, the Vasa was caught by a strong gust of wind and capsized, killing between 30 and 50 people and leaving onlookers in shock. The only saving grace for the shipbuilders was that the King did not witness the disaster, as he was away on a military campaign. Follow our Instagram - @historic.jokes |
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