Warship Vasa Capsizes: Sweden's Pride Sinks on Launch
The Swedish warship Vasa capsized and sank in Stockholm harbor on August 10, 1628, barely twenty minutes into her maiden voyage. She had sailed less than 1,300 meters. The problem was fundamental: King Gustavus Adolphus had demanded a warship with two gun decks, but the hull was designed for one. The additional weight of 64 bronze cannons raised the center of gravity above the waterline. When a gust of wind heeled the ship, water poured through the open lower gunports. Between 30 and 50 people drowned. No one was punished because blame ultimately rested with the king. The Vasa sat on the sea floor for 333 years until a private salvage operation raised her in 1961. She is now the world's best-preserved 17th-century ship.
August 10, 1628
398 years ago
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