May 7, 1765 HMS Victory was launched from the old dock at Chatham Royal Dockyard. In subsequent years, he gained fame for participating in the American Revolutionary War and in the battle of the British naval forces with the Franco-Spanish fleet. In 1805, the ship became famous as the flagship of Vice Admiral Nelson in the greatest naval battle of Great Britain at Trafalgar, during which the French and Spaniards were defeated.
The most famous fact
There have been many famous warships in the history of the United Kingdom's navy, but the first-rank ship of the line of the Royal Navy of Great Britain can rightfully claim to be one of the most famous of them. It was he who served as the flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar.
The death of Admiral Nelson aboard this ship during the Battle of Trafalgar is a landmark moment in history. He was mortally wounded on 21 October 1805 by a French sailor. After the shot, Nelson was carried to the orlop, the deck where the cabins were located.officers and where other wounded sailors and officers were awaiting medical attention. Three hours later he died, but Britain won.
History
The early history of the Victory is less well known. In 1765 he was first launched. Was in reserve at Chatham for 13 years before becoming one of the most successful naval ships of all time. He led fleets in a series of history-changing wars, including the American Revolutionary War.
After forty years of fighting, the British Royal Navy's first-class ship of the line achieved glory at the Battle of Trafalgar. Nevertheless, even after this, she continued to serve in the B altic and other seas before her warship career ended in 1812. Coincidentally, he was 47 years old, the same age as Admiral Nelson when he died.
Save
On January 12, 1922, after many years of mooring in the harbor, the ship was decided to be preserved for posterity. At the same time, he was placed in Dock No. 2 in Portsmouth, the oldest dry dock in the world, which is still in use. The ship's condition was so bad that she could no longer safely stay afloat. During the initial period of restoration, from 1922 to 1929, much structural repair work was carried out above the waterline and mid deck. In 1928, King George V was able to present a plaque commemorating the completion of the work, although restoration and maintenance continued under the supervision of the Marine Society.research.
Further restoration
Recovery was put on hold during World War II, and in 1941 the Victory took additional damage when a bomb dropped by a Luftwaffe hit her forward. The Germans, in their propaganda broadcasts, claimed to have destroyed the ship, but the Admir alty denied this claim.
In 2016, after the completion of all the restoration work, Victory was presented to the public. A special itinerary of the ship excursion was prepared for visitors. Now they can follow in the footsteps of Nelson, his most famous admiral, from the moment the ship set off on her decisive voyage to Cape Trafalgar to the terrible battle with the French.
Stages of a ship's life
Its construction began in 1759. After being launched in 1765, the Victory remained in reserve until 1778, when she was re-armed for the first time. In the same year, she took part in the Battle of Ushant against the French fleet and subsequently needed minor repairs due to damage received during the battle.
The next stage is from 1780 to 1799. At this time, the ship sailed under the flag of Lord Samuel Hood, participating in battles in the Mediterranean Sea.
In 1797 Victory changed its status. First, she was converted into a hospital ship, and then practically turned into a prison ship. In fact, this could put an end to the existence of a military sailing ship. After the loss of the 98-gun battleship 2nd rank HMSImpregnable in 1799, it was decided to continue to use the "Victory" for its intended purpose. She was sent for overhaul in Chatham.
Trafalgar and Portsmouth Time
Between 1800 and 1803 a major repair of the Victory was made at Chatham. At the same time, her armament was updated in accordance with the latest instructions from the Naval Board. His appearance has changed a lot.
Many internal changes have also been made, including a properly designed infirmary. Admiral Nelson's ship Victory was now painted with yellow and black stripes. When the work was completed, its appearance was very similar to the current one. It was his restoration team that decided to recreate it in the 1920s.
By the beginning of the second decade of the 20th century, the condition of the Victory ship was so bad that it could no longer stay afloat. Its appearance continued to change after the overhaul of 1814-1816. In the end, it was not the same ship as Nelson knew it.
Key Features
A new first-class design has been developed by Inspector of the Navy Sir Thomas Slade. The length of the keel was to be 79 meters, the height of the ship - 62.5 meters, the displacement - 2162 tons, the crew - about 850, and the armament - more than 100 guns. Their number in different years varied from 100 to 110.
The maximum speed of the ship was 11 knots (20.3 km/h). About 6,000 trees went into the construction, mostly oaks from Kent, New Forest andGermany. It was the Navy's sixth Victory model. One ship of the same name under the command of Sir John Hawkins fought the Spanish Armada in 1588. Another with 80 guns was launched in 1666, and the fifth, launched in 1737, sank in 1744.
Battle history
The keel of the most famous ship in the history of the Royal Navy was laid down in the old dock (now Victory Dock) at Chatham Dockyard in Kent. Admir alty officer William Pitt Sr. attended the event, as the government announced a major program to build first-class battleships and frigates a year earlier.
After the completion of the frame, the ship was usually left in the dock for several months. After numerous victories in the Seven Years' War in 1759, it seemed that a ship of this class would no longer be needed, and its construction was suspended for three years. Work began again in the autumn of 1763, and it was finally lowered on May 7, 1765. The musicians played "Rule, Britannia, the Seas".
It wasn't until 1778, during the American Revolutionary War, that the new Victory was needed and taken out of reserve, when Admiral August Keppel raised his flag over her. Under him, and then under Admiral Richard Kempenfelt, she participated in two battles in Ushant, and in 1796 she flew under the flag of Admiral Sir John Jervis in the battle of Cape St. Vincent.
Although the ship was one of the fastest in the fleet, it was considered too old and was actually "demoted", but in 1800at the urging of Lord Nelson, the admir alty had it completely refurbished. In 1803, the most glorious period in the history of the ship began when Nelson raised his flag on it at Portsmouth. It was the Victory who transmitted his signal: "Britain awaits" in Trafalgar, on this ship he died, and the same ship returned his body to England.
