Did a French cannonball sink the Mary Rose?
Since the day it sank, the sad fate of Henry VIII‘s favorite ship has been attributed to a combination of poor seamanship and a freak gust of wind. But new research conducted by scholars at the University of Portsmouth indicates that a cannonball from a French ship may have done the deed. A much smaller galley than the Mary Rose was — according to a period engraving of the battle, written accounts by eyewitnesses, knowledge of the winds on the day and modern mapping techniques — in the perfect position to fire a ball into the larger ship’s side. Those watching on shore would not have seen it, and if Henry found out about it later, he wouldn’t have wanted to give any credit to his enemies for the sinking of the pride of his fleet. Find out more in the article by Jasper Copping at the Telegraph,
