 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
.svg) Malta | |
| Launched | 21 December 1522 |
| Fate | Abandoned 1540 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Carrack |
| Tons burthen | 900 tons |
| Complement | 500 marines + unknown number of sailors |
| Armament | 50 guns |
Santa Anna was an early 16th-centurycarrack of thenavy of theKnights Hospitaller. The war ship was celebrated for her many modern features. While some authors view her lead sheathedhull as an early form ofironclad,[1] others regard it primarily as a means to improve her watertightness.[2]
Santa Anna was launched inNice on 21 December 1522,[2] one day before the Knights Hospitaller surrendered at thesiege of Rhodes (1522) under honorable terms.
Santa Anna's underwater hull was completely sheathed with lead plates. Above the waterline two of the six decks were also armoured with lead plates, which were fastened by bronze nails to the wooden hull.Santa Anna was designed to accommodate 500 marines besides her sailors and she featured large below-deck cabins and messes for her officers. The carrack housed a forge, where three weapon smiths could do maintenance work at sea. The ship even had several ovens and its own mill, in order to provide the crew with fresh bread. The ship also featured a garden on board with flowers hanging down from the stern gallery in boxes.[1]
In 1531,Santa Anna routed on its own anOttoman squadron of 25 ships.[3] One year later, the carrack took part in the expedition against thePeloponnese under the command ofAndrea Doria, during whichKoroni,Patras and the Turkish fortresses protecting the entry to theGulf of Corinth werejointly conquered.[3] In 1535Santa Anna fought in the successful campaign of theSpanish fleet underCharles V againstTunis, where the Spaniards managed to capture over 100 ships of theBarbary corsairs.[4] Her firepower contributed significantly in the assault on the fortressLa Goulette which controlled the entry to the harbour.[3]
Temporarily, the carrack was also employed as a wheat freighter, with an impressive capacity of up to 900 tons.[1] Only eighteen years after her launch,Santa Anna was stripped and abandoned in 1540 on the order of Grand MasterJuan de Homedes y Coscon.[2]