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The Swedish warship Vasa sank in Stockholm harbour on its maiden voyage in 1628 and was raised, largely intact, 333 years later.

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The story behind the card

King Gustavus Adolphus ordered Vasa during his war with Poland–Lithuania, and with 64 guns on two decks it was one of the most heavily armed ships of its time. On 10 August 1628 it set off before watching crowds, heeled over in a gust after about 1,300 metres and sank; between 30 and 50 people died. The hull was too narrow and the upper decks too heavy for the ballast below. Most of its bronze cannons were salvaged in the 17th century, then the wreck was forgotten until Anders Franzén found it in 1956. The cold, brackish Baltic has none of the shipworms that eat sunken timber elsewhere, so when Vasa was lifted in 1961 more than 95 per cent of the ship was original. More than 45 million people have seen it since.

Türkçe oku
İsveç savaş gemisi Vasa, 1628'de ilk seferinde Stockholm limanında battı; 333 yıl sonra büyük ölçüde sağlam hâlde denizden çıkarıldı.

Kral II. Gustav Adolf, Vasa'yı Lehistan-Litvanya'ya karşı savaşırken yaptırdı; iki güvertesindeki 64 topuyla gemi, döneminin en ağır silahlı gemilerinden biriydi. 10 Ağustos 1628'de, izleyen kalabalığın önünde yola çıktı; yaklaşık 1.300 metre gittikten sonra bir rüzgârla yan yattı ve battı. Kazada 30 ile 50 arasında insan öldü. Gövde fazla dar, üst güverteler de alttaki safraya göre fazla ağırdı. Bronz toplarının çoğu 17. yüzyılda çıkarıldı; batık ise 1956'da Anders Franzén onu bulana dek unutuldu. Baltık'ın soğuk ve az tuzlu suyunda, başka denizlerde batık keresteyi yiyen gemi kurtları yaşamaz. Bu yüzden Vasa 1961'de çıkarıldığında geminin yüzde 95'inden fazlası özgün parçalardan oluşuyordu. O günden bu yana gemiyi 45 milyonu aşkın kişi gördü.

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Background reading: Vasa (ship)
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