Galleon (Age of Empires III)

A Galleon is a strong military ship that is similar to the Fluyt and is featured in Age of Empires II and Age of Empires III.

Game Info
The Galleon is a slow, but powerful military ship that is able to stock soldiers and is also a type of Treasure Ship. The Galleon is also very resistant to enemy building fire and can also train units for your army.

Real Info
The Galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship used by many civilizations of Europe during the 16th and 18th centuries. The Galleon could be used for war or commerce, but most were generally armed with culverins.

Galleons were the evolution of ships such as the Caravel, for the new great ocean voyages to far away lands. A lowering of the forecastle and elongation of the hull gave an unprecedented level of stability in the water, and reduced wind resistance at the front, leading to a faster, more maneuverable vessel. The Galleon differed from the older types primarily by being longer, lower and narrower, with a square tuck stern instead of a round tuck, and by having a snout or head projecting forward from the bows below the level of the forecastle. There are nationalistic disputes about the origin of the Galleon, which are complicated by its evolutionary development, but each Atlantic sea-power developed types suited to their needs, while constantly learning from their rivals.

The Galleon was powered entirely by sail, which carried up to three to five masts including a lateen sail which was to be used on the last or the third mast. They were used in both military and trade applications, most famously in the Spanish treasure fleet, and the Manila Galleons. In fact, galleons were so versatile that a single vessel may have been refitted for wartime and peacetime roles several times during its lifespan. The Galleon was the prototype of all three or more masted, square rigged ships, for over two and a half centuries, including the later full rigged ship.

The principal warships of the opposing English and Spanish fleets in the 1588 confrontation of the Spanish Armada were Galleons, with the modified English "race built" Galleons developed by John Hawkins proving decisive, while the more traditional Spanish galleons proved incredibly durable in the battles and in the great storm on the voyage home.