An enviable fate was in store for him. She was to become the flagship of the Swedish Royal Navy. Therefore, he got the majestic, dynastic name "Vase" - in honor of the surname of the grandfather of the Swedish king Gustav II Adolf. When the ship was still on the slipway, thousands of curious people came to look at this handsome man. A four-deck ship of forty-eight meters in length, with three masts, 64 bronze cannons, which were located in three rows on each side, could not fail to arouse the admiration of contemporaries for the audacity of engineering. The main thing is that it had to have an unprecedented speed for that time and overtake any ships. The valiant king himself took an active part in its construction. It was he who insisted that the ship be as narrow as possible - no wider than twelve meters. Due to this, it would significantly increase its speed and become more maneuverable. The king made many more interesting proposals, which, of course, were taken into account during the construction. Although some of them caused concern among engineers. But who would dare to argue with the king?
No one has ever built such ships. Even France, which claimed the title of the first naval power, had nothing of the kind. The high stern of the "Vase" was richly decorated with carvings, and in the center of it the coat of arms of Gustav II Adolf sparkled.
Thanks to its design, the Vaza was to become the pride of Sweden, the thunderstorm of the seas, and the king himself, a successful warrior and favorite of all Swedes, had high hopes for the ship: together with the Vaza, Sweden was to regain its heroic sea spirit, regain its former glory their Viking ancestors and become the ruler of the seas.
There was a Thirty Years War. England, France and the Netherlands sought to win Sweden over to their side, wanted her to fight against Germany, her longtime naval rival. Gustav II Adolf understood that it would be impossible to cope with Germany without a powerful fleet. So the "Vaza" made grandiose plans, and three more, about the same ships, were built behind it.
On the day of 10 (20 - according to the new style) August 1628, it seemed that the whole of Stockholm rushed to the embankment. Everyone wanted to see the solemn moment when the ship will set off on its maiden voyage - to the island of Beckholm. And, of course, the king himself with his magnificent retinue was going to attend this solemn event.
… And then the moment came when the three-masted ship opened its snow-white sails. The weather was quite windy, but the sea remained calm. The anchor chain thundered, the orchestra played a hymn, deafening cheers echoed from the shore. According to a long-established ceremony in honor of the first sailing, as the first water baptism, the port guns were to be fired from the shore first. And then, on the high seas, the Vaza will fire a return salvo from all 64 guns.
Everything happened according to a long tradition. As soon as the ship moved away from the pier, a powerful volley of the coastal battery sounded. When the smoke cleared, all those present saw that the handsome ship "Vaza" seemed to be frozen in the roadstead, all its cannon ports on all three decks were open: the frigate was preparing for a return volley. The crowd froze in anticipation of the rumble of 64 bronze cannons.
And the shots rang out. It was such an incredible roar that many ladies covered their ears in surprise. The entire ship was enveloped in white powder smoke. And then something incredible happened. After the return volley, the ship began to somehow unnaturally bend its port side, alarm cries were heard, and suddenly there was a strange roar. Obviously, the cannons began to rapidly move to the port side, and the ends of the masts sank lower and lower. When water hit the open cannon ports on the lower deck, the ship began to heel even more, and at the same moment a whirlpool formed. The ship collapsed completely and literally disappeared under water. On the surface there were only the ends of the masts, boards, and the heads of several sailors stuck out. "Vaza", having failed to go out on the first sea voyage, sank to the bottom.
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Nobody could understand anything. Turn all eyes to the king. He stood pale, looked at the death of his beloved brainchild and also did not understand anything. What happened? A gross mistake made? A mistake that cost Sweden not only the flagship, but also took the best sailors to the bottom?
With the death of "Vaza", the ambitious plans of the Swedish king and the warlike plans of Sweden to become the first sea power were canceled. England, France and Holland could reconsider their positions in relation to Sweden. And who, in such conditions, could become a new ally of a country that does not have a powerful fleet? But who made such a fatal mistake?
Then no one would dare to answer this question unequivocally: it is too dangerous. Rumors were different. Some believed that the guns were too heavy and the simultaneous firing caused a recoil from which the ship jerked and swayed. They even talked about the fact that some "Flying Dutchman" decided to destroy the enemy handsome ship, swooped down and turned it over. There were many more assumptions and conjectures, but the real secret of the sinking of the ship lurked at the bottom. It remained undisclosed for a long time. During the reign of King Gustav, however, attempts were made to get at least guns from the day, but they were all unsuccessful. Despite the fact that the depth in this place was shallow. When the depth was measured, it turned out that the distance to the bottom was only 33 meters. Only in 1664, with the help of a diving bell, it was possible to raise the first bronze cannon from the "Vaza". A year later, they managed to get another 53, and the release of the ship itself from underwater captivity took place only three centuries later.
The rise of the "Vaza" occupied the minds of many Swedish shipbuilders, but this required significant funds and required special equipment. It appeared only at the end of the fifties of our century. In 1958, Swedish amateur archaeologist Anders Fansen decided to investigate the vessel and the possibilities of lifting it. He gathered a group of the same enthusiasts as himself, organized a society for raising the "Vaza" and received money from shipping companies for it. The necessary equipment was purchased on them.
First, the divers examined the bottom and approaches to the ship. Then six channels were flushed under the vessel using powerful monitors. Steel cables were passed through them, which were fixed on pontoons, and then automatic winches were used. They did not raise the ship to the sea surface. Still, at one time it had a displacement of 1400 tons and could tip over when it was lifted. In addition, they feared damage it. And what was the need to raise the "Vase" to the surface of the sea? It would also make it difficult to maneuver. And then they found a solution easier - to tow the Vaza under water. The main thing is to take the ship to shallow water and there to start restoration and restoration work.
It was in shallow water that its new measurements were made, it was then that engineers tried to give an answer to the riddle that tormented everyone: why did such a powerful new ship capsize?
And the culprit of the tragedy was found. It turned out to be King Gustav himself, under whose tireless control the "Vase" was being built. It was he who did not listen to the objections of the engineers and insisted that the "Vaza" be a narrow vessel - twelve meters wide with a length of 48 meters. Due to its "narrowness", the center of gravity shifted: 64 bronze cannons weighed eighty tons - the ship could easily capsize.
Now the ship has been restored and turned into a museum. The remains of twenty-five sailors were buried on the shore. Recently, Swedish anthropologists opened the grave to study the remains. And now a new sensation! The skull, once discovered near the helm, belonged to a woman! But this is not enough: traces of an ax blow were found on the skull, which blew off the bridge of the nose, shattered the jaw, the eye socket and part of the left temple. All this is evidence of some terrible tragedy that took place on the ship 370 years ago. Why was the woman on board? Who was she? Why was she killed in such a terrible way? A whole chain of mysteries, the solution of which, perhaps, will lead to important adjustments in the history of Sweden.
ON THE. Ionina, M. N. Kubeev