A warship built to intimidate an empire sank 1,300 metres into its first voyage

Sweden's Vasa launched in 1628 as one of the most heavily armed warships afloat, but a top-heavy design with too little ballast made it dangerously unstable. A gust of wind on its maiden voyage knocked it onto its side, flooding the open gun ports, and it sank in Stockholm harbour in front of a crowd who had gathered to watch it sail. It was raised, largely intact, in 1961.

— Swedish Board of Admiralty, 1628, Board of Admiralty inquiry into the loss of Vasa