Why in the past were European ships built with high wooden "castles" fore and aft?
to have better view
to manage the deck more easily
to improve ship defense
to improve ship stability
These were built to better resist boarding, commonly used in the naval warfare (especially by pirates). Boarders needed to attack these castles with great difficulty, while archers or harquebusiers could sweep the enemy decks.
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Answers by country
to have better view
to manage the deck more easily
to improve ship defense
to improve ship stability
answers
Egypt
13
Greece
21
Germany
105
the Netherlands
35
Czech Republic
10
South Africa
12
Republic of Ireland
24
Israel
10
Canada
39
New Zealand
70
Singapore
11
the United Kingdom
226
Australia
47
Poland
17209
Sweden
15
the United States
531
India
134
Ukraine
10
the Philippines
27
Unknown
16