16th Century European Battle of the Sea

 Special soldiers armed with swords and circular shields were favored by many armies from the 15th to 17th centuries. Shield swordsmen were commonly referred to as Spadacino or Espadacin, or "soldiers with shields" (Roturalo, Rodello, Londelier, Targetier, etc.).  Bernal Díaz del Castillo, a shield inspector for the Cortes army, uses both expressions in his book, The Conquest of the New Espanya, which interestingly describes the war against Astec.  From the 16th to the early 17th centuries, the troops aboard the oars-laden combat galley and Galeas, and the battlefield sailing ships, Karak and Galeon, are divided into two styles. The first types of troops are soldiers, including armor-clad shields called "corset men" and halberd soldiers. These troops served as sailors supporting close combat at the time. The second type of force is, of course, a necessary element in any type of ship, fire rifles. Even in battles on the ground, fire rifles and muskets are sometimes in a back-and-forth situation, but they can still be protected by hiding behind the pike's long-walled walls. But fire rifles fighting on decks can't get that benefit -- there's no Pike line to protect them to protect themselves. (However, at the same time, there is no threat from the enemy cavalry.) Because of these conditions, there were two choices for fire rifles fighting in the naval battle. - It was either wielding a firearm like a club (in a very emergency situation, not in a normal case), or putting the gun down on one side and pulling out a sword. In the 16th century, most fire rifles carried swords and many daggers. Although fire rifles were not treated as specialists in close combat, they often had to use swords in large-scale battles (especially around the 16th century)I was learning the basic fencing skills. Heavy (but removable) on the current portion of the galleys belonging to the Holy Alliance during the Battle of LepantoWood bulletproof walls were up. The bulletproof walls protected the old man and the firearm from small firearm attacks.    The Spanish were the bravest and most experienced combatants in the close-knit warships. Both the Spanish galley and sailing ships were built to match the tactics of the close-knit army.  In contrast, the Portuguese had been the leader in long-range shelling using deep-sea vessels (Carabel and Karak) since about 1500. The Portuguese maintained this tradition until it was annexed by Spain in 1580. The British preferred the Battle of the Ships until William Towerson's fleet was defeated by the Portuguese fleet in 1550. Shocked by long-range cannons on the Portuguese front, the British continue their research to increase the destructive power of their own cannons. At the end of the 16th century, the reasonable successor to Portuguese Carabel, armed with heavy artillery, was the British-held Reis Bild Galleon. In the Battle of the Galician in the Mediterranean Sea, as mentioned above, the Espanyas preferred a close fight, so they had heavily armed forces on board the ship. (Soldados) The Venetians, suffering from chronic shortages of troops, preferred long-range artillery instead of back-and-forth combat, and fired accurately at the central part of their galley to neutralize or sink enemy ships. Venetian gunnery was much more advanced than the Turks and Espanyas, and the enemy and allies used to fire shells at unimaginable distances.    It is part of a famous painting depicting the Battle of Lepanto. It shows the Galician Capitana of Sebastiano Beniero, president of the Council and commander of the Venetian military alliance. The person with the white beard standing on the far right side of the painting is Beniero. Several roturalis standing behind the gunmen prepare to jump into the Ottoman galley while the gunmen fire (the soldier shown on the left has already crossed the bow)The soldier, presumably an officer, is waving a flag bearing the lion of Saint Mark. Some Venetian soldiers only draw swordsHe is seen storming the enemy ship. These are probably gunners who put down their guns, brandish their swords, and attempt a close match. It is also interesting to note that most of the gunmen wore sheet metal chest armor. - It seems clear that he is heavily armed in preparation for maritime battles that are likely to take place. Spanish fire fighters, who fought in Mexico and the Philippines, also wore various kinds of armor such as chain armor and Brigandine because they were often in a back-and-forth situation.    Don Juan's flagship, Realle, is said to have carried 300 gunmen and 100 "noble adventurers."  P.S - Captain Andre Pesoa and his crew, who killed the Japanese soldiers who stormed the Portuguese merchant ship Senhora de Grasa from Nagasaki, Japan in 1610, are likely armed with cut-and-thrust sods and shields.   Battle of the Tokugawa Shogunate and Portuguese Merchant Marine