Ships of War

The warship is the most potent symbol of power at sea and the spearhead of technology afloat. In any century their loss in battle or by storm or disaster has always been a great tragedy and the basis of great myths and legends. Today these legends have been made reality by the skills of marine archaeologists who have brought legendary ships like the Wasa and the Mary Rose back to light. Even more spectacular survivals remain underwater, still lying where they sank, now to be revealed by a new generation of archaeologists. Space-age technology, the same which found the tragic remains of the shuttle Challenger is used to chart the reality of America's most famous civil war battleship, the USS Monitor, a ship which revolutionised the navies of the world.