††††Cannon revolutionised war tactics at sea. By 1500 AD French ships had gun ports cut in their sides, for firing broadsides. Their guns were muzzle-loaders, made of brass or iron. In 1514 King Henry VIII of England decided he wanted purpose-built warships. 'The Great Harry' was the finest example. It had 21 heavy bronze guns, 231 lighter guns and a crew of 700 men.
During the Middle Ages all ships were made of wood, although in 1596 Admiral Visunsin of Korea developed the first iron clad warship. During the 1700s, ships were still built of wood, usually oak because of its strength. It took over 2000 trees to build one ship, such as HMS Victory, Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
