STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN—The Guardian reports that a shipwreck discovered in 2021 has been identified as the Applet by researchers from the Vrak Museum of Wrecks. Launched in 1629, the Applet was built by the same shipbuilder who constructed the Vasa, a warship that sank with 64 cannon near Stockholm on its maiden voyage. Maritime archaeologist Jim Hansson said that the wreckage looked similar to Vasa, but its identity as a sister ship was confirmed through measurements and wood samples. The hull of the Applet is preserved up to the lower gundeck, while parts of its sides have fallen off, he added. The ship had been decommissioned by Sweden’s royal navy and scuttled to serve as underwater spike strips to damage enemy vessels. “With Applet, we can add another key piece of the puzzle in the development of Swedish shipbuilding,” Hansson explained. For more on Vasa, go to "History's 10 Greatest Wrecks...Mary Rose and Vasa."
