Isometric showing positions of the guns recovered from the Mary Rose (green guns are extrapolated)
There were seven broadside guns
found on the starboard side of the main deck, presumably matched
by a similar number on the missing port side. Other heavy guns
were found on the upper and castle decks.
These guns were a mixture of muzzle-loading cast bronze guns and breech-loading wrought iron guns. The bronze guns rested on elm carriages with four small solid wheels. These enabled them to be run back for cleaning and loading. The iron shot they fired were capable of damaging the hull, upper works and rigging of opposing vessels as well as killing the crew.
The iron guns were made of a number of staves, or bars, of iron which were formed into a cylinder around a mandrel. Collars and hoops of wrought iron were heated and slipped over the cylinder. As these cooled, they contracted to form a reinforced tube. Although the breech was by no means gas-tight, these guns were powerful enough to heavily damage another ship at close range. This has been demonstrated in field trials using a replica iron gun. These guns could fire stone shot, iron shot, or a vicious Tudor version of cannister shot consisting of chopped flint.
Shot and shot moulds
from the
Mary Rose
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