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San Diego sinking
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History | |
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Fate | Sunk December 14, 1600 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Galleon |
Tonnage | 300 tons |
Length | 115 ft (35 m) |
The galleon San Diego was built as the trading ship San Antonio before hastily being converted into a warship of the Spanish Navy. On December 14, 1600, the fully laden San Diego was engaged by the Dutch warship Mauritius under the command of Admiral Olivier van Noort a short distance away from Fortune Island, Nasugbu, Philippines. Since San Diego couldn't handle the extra weight of her cannons, which led to a permanent list and put the cannon portholes below sea level, she was sunk without firing a single shot in response.[1] The Dutch were later reported firing upon and hurling lances at the survivors attempting to climb aboard the Mauritius.
Nearly 400 years later, in 1992, the wreck was discovered[2] by French underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio[3] and a total of 34,407 artifacts and ecofacts were recovered from the shipwreck, including Chinese porcelain, Japanese katanas, Portuguese cannon and Mexican coin. The San Diego exhibition[4][failed verification] toured the globe before it started to be permanently displayed at the National Museum of Anthropology in Manila. The Naval Museum in Madrid has also featured a display.[5]