SEVASTOPOL, November 20. /TASS/. Archeologists have excavated a shipwreck site of the Portsmouth battleship near the town of Kronstadt in northwestern Russia, discovering what could be centuries-old cannons taken from Swedish vessels as trophies following the Russian Navy’s first artillery victory back in 1719, researchers from the Institute of History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences told TASS.
"The Portsmouth is a remarkable ship in Russian history, and somewhat of a mystery. Only enthusiasts had examined it until recently, but this year, researchers from the Institute of History of Material Culture, backed by the Island of Forts non-profit organization and the Russian Defense Ministry’s Expeditionary Center, for the first time carried out a full-fledged archaeological operation. Once field work was over, it took us some time to process and analyze everything and draw conclusions, and now, we are preparing the first piece of information for publication," the institute’s researcher Viktor Vakhonyeev said.
Important victories and tragic demise
Built by Dutch shipbuilders and launched in 1714, the Portsmouth battleship has a special place in Russian history. In the 1719 Battle of Osel Island, it showed what a force it was.
"It so happened that the ship had to take on an entire Swedish squadron by itself in the first three hours of the battle. The Portsmouth lost some of its rigging and sustained damage but still, it was able to fire its cannons. As a result, the Russian Navy secured its first victory in an artillery battle, forcing all three Swedish vessels to surrender," Vakhoneyev explained.
In the fall of 1719, the Portsmouth and the London, which had been built together, ran ashore. Help arrived soon, with Russian Emperor Peter the Great leading the rescue operation. However, a storm came the next day, eventually causing both battleships to sink.
Cannons and other artifacts
The Portsmouth’s remains lie at a relatively shallow depth of eight meters but archeologists still faced a lot of difficulties at the site. The water is very muddy in this part of the bay and researchers had to work tactilely because even with lighting devices, visibility did not exceed 30 centimeters.
"As for our discoveries, the coolest thing is the cannons. We found 18 intact cannons and the fragments of another six. One of the working theories was that the fragments had been used as ballast. These cannons must have been damaged beyond repair during the Battle of Osel Island," Vakhoneyev specified.
Many cannons carry monograms, indicating their producer or the customer. Peter the Great’s monogram is easy to distinguish.
"Three of the cannons carry the IEC mark on their right trunnion. The same mark had earlier been found on cannons retrieved from the London ship, as well as on cannons discovered in other countries, namely in Indonesia, near the North Carolina coast and the Netherlands. After doing some research, we found out that it was the trademark of a foundryman from the Swedish town of Arendal named Jesper Eliasson. That said, the cannons were cast in Sweden and - we believe - could have been taken as trophies in the Battle of Osel Island," Institute of History of Material Culture staff member Vasily Petrovsky said.
A total of over 60 artifacts have been found. Apart from the cannons, there are cannonballs and the so-called "grape" buckshot, which has been preserved almost intact. It used to be attached to a wooden base in fabric pouches like a bunch of grapes and blasted out of a cannon. Researchers also discovered a wooden pistol stock from the 18th century and a cast-iron plate with an embossed image of a landsknecht.
"We also found rigging fragments and structural elements of the ship. We have already come to understand the design of the London as it has been fully dismantled, brought to the shore and rebuilt, with [its fragments] prepared for display. However, there are no reliable images of the Portsmouth, and it was previously assumed that the two battleships were similar in appearance. However, it is now clear that the Portsmouth’s design was absolutely different, so further examination is necessary," Vakhoneyev added.