Hole #4

Did you know?

Governments in the 15^th and 16^th centuries would commonly authorize a private person or ship to attack enemy vessels during wartime. Such an arrangement was a huge benefit to smaller naval powers, since these “privateers” would disrupt enemy commerce and pressure opposing navies to deploy warships to protect merchant trade. The cost of these privateer missions were also not borne by the host nation, but instead financed by private investors who split the money earned from captured goods.