From boarding combat to gun-armed sailing fleets

What was naval warfare like between Viking longships and the Anglo-Dutch Wars?

Close combat and missile troops dominated for centuries, with cannon gradually displacing archers as naval artillery and engagement ranges improved.

Early and medieval naval fighting was close, violent, and heavily dependent on people using bows or other hand weapons. After Rome, naval artillery developed slowly; a medieval English fleet would be more sail-dependent and carry many longbowmen, even though a Roman fleet could be larger. Cannon gradually pushed archers aside as their effectiveness and range increased, with muskets adding another layer of shipboard firepower. These changes connect galley-era combat with the recognizable gun-armed sailing warship.