I am working on a new unit in my project titled "The Age of Gunpowder." In this section, I will explore the introduction of firearms on ships in the fourteenth century, the development of heavy ordnance on galleys and sailing ships during the 1400s and 1500s, and the decline of oared armed vessels in the 1700s. I am currently gathering additional data and have just begun the development process.
I read Anderson's "Oared Fighting Ships," focusing on his discussion of Mediterranean galleys, rowing alla sensile and al scaloccio, as well as the armament of the galleass.
Rodger's paper, "The Development of Broadside Gunnery," is also highly informative. In it, he discusses the effectiveness of heavy guns mounted on galleys and describes how sailing ships slowly attempted to match these oared vessels in speed, agility, and the capacity to mount heavy artillery.
I am currently editing a new chapter on naval tactics titled "The Fall of New Rome," which focuses on the tragic history of the Fourth Crusade. I have divided a lengthy excerpt into three parts. Part I is called "The Rendezvous at Venice." This section describes the gathering of the crusading host at the head of the Adriatic Sea and highlights the leaders' failure to cover the debt for maritime transportation.
