A Brief History
On September 23, 1338, the English ship, Christofer (variously spelled Christopher, or Christophe) went into battle at Arnemuiden armed with 3 cannon and 1 hand gun. This battle would be the first known time in history when a ship saw combat using artillery. This battle was also significant as the first naval battle of the Hundred Years War.
Digging Deeper
The English had only 5 ships (“great carracks”) for the battle, but having cannon was a decided advantage. The French brought a large fleet of 48 galleys, and the overwhelming numbers proved decisive. Despite a furious battle, the French prevailed and cannon were on the losing side of the historic battle.
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