Most prominent armed ships from the 16th to 19th Century

Spanning a variety of ship designs from the 1500s to 1850, but typified by the galleon and ship of the line class of vessels, man of war ships were exemplars of ship-building expertise, delivering high manoeuvrability, storage capacity and firepower. They worked by taking the roundship and cog ship
designs that had been the staple for European trade, transport and warfare since medieval times both were powered by oars instead of sails  and added multiple masts, decks and cannons as well as more advanced rudder systems. These additions meant that long-scale voyages were now possible, opening up the largely uncharted world to nations and merchants looking to exploit the Earth’s natural resources  events that lead to the great Age of Discovery. One of the most notable man of war



Highly versatile and powerful ships capable of trade, diplomacy and combat, the man of war was the most prominent of armed ships from the 16th to 19th Century

15th-16th Century (caravel)
A small, highly manoeuvrable sailing ship developed in the 15th Century by the Portuguese, the caravel was the predominant exploration and trading vessel at the time operating in Europe and Africa. It was also used in naval warfare.
15th-16th Century (carrack) A three or four-masted ship used in Europe, the carrack is considered the forerunner of the great ships of the age of sail. Slightly larger than the caravel it could undertake longer trading journeys. It was armed with few cannons.
16th-18th Century (galleon) Used for both trade and warfare, the galleon evolved from the carrack,
 and included a lowered forecastle and elongated hull for improved stability and manoeuvrability.
 It had multiple cannons on multiple decks and became a major fighting ship.
17th-19th Century (frigate) Smaller than galleons, frigates were similar to ships of the line but were faster and lightly armed. They were often used for patrolling and escort missions as well as protecting trade ships and trade routes with their cannons and crew
17th-19th Century (ship of the line) The largest ships built in the great age of sail were ships of the line, massive warships designed to engage with each other in line warfare. These were primarily combat vehicles and sported monumental fire power.

One of the most notable man of war ship designs was that devised by Sir John Hawkins, treasurer and controller of the British Royal Navy for Elizabeth the 1st, and a key player in defeating the Spanish Armada in 1588. Hawkins’ man of war – a name chosen by Henry VIII – was adapted from the 

Spanish galleon and Portuguese carrack and had three masts, was 60 metres long and sported a maximum of 124 cannons, four at the front, eight at the back and 56 on each side. Powered by sail and with a high (for the time) top speed of nine knots, Hawkins’ man of war proved to be incredibly successful through the 17th and 18th Centuries. It was chosen and adapted by Sir Francis Drake on numerous expeditions. The last man of war ships to be designed were the grade-1 listed ships of the line in the late 18th and 19th Centuries. These were colossal warships designed to be used in line of battle warfare, a naval tactic where two columns of opposing ships would try to out-manoeuvre each other to bring their largest cannons into range of the enemy. They were built primarily for combat and, as demonstrated on Lord Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory – which sported a massive array of 32, 24 and 12-pounder cannons – were incredibly well-armed. For these first-rate ships of the line, trade was merely an afterthought, coming behind transport, diplomacy and combat in both functionally and priority.