Grace Dieu (ship)

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See Grace Dieu (disambiguation) for other Grace-Dieu, especially nautical, or HMS Grace Dieu

The yellow X marks the site of the wreck of HMS Grace Dieu

Grace Dieu was the flagship of Henry V of England, built to a three-layered^[1] clinker-built^[2] design by William Soper^[2], a burgess^[2] of Southampton and Clerk of the Kings Ships^[2] at a specially constructed^[3] dock near Town Quay^[2] in Southampton. She was designed to fight Genoan carracks^[2].

Commissioned in 1416 ^[2], Grace Dieu was completed in 1418 and was one of the largest wooden ships of its time, measuring 66.4 meters (218 feet) in length. She weighed 1,400 tons^[2].

Two other ships, Valentine and Falcon were built to escort her^[2].

Grace Dieu and her escorts appear to have only set sail once, in 1420, under the command of the Earl of Devon^[2]. The expedition sufferred a mutiny soon after leaving Southampton^[2] and diverted to St. Helens on the Isle of Wight^[2].

Subsequently, Grace Dieu was laid-up in the River Hamble. Already dismasted and stripped of equipment^[2], she was burnt to the waterline^[2] after being set abalze by a bolt of lightning in 1439^[2]. The remains of Grace Dieu are still in the River Hamble at Bursledon, near Southampton, Hampshire. The site was designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act on 5 February 1974 and was excavated by Channel 4's archaeology programme Time Team in 2004 for their 2005 series.