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HISTORY
The VICTORY was a five-deck, three-masted ship of the line. She
was a first-class vessel with three gun decks, 104 cannons and a
crew of 850. The ship was designed by Sir Thomas Slade and built
between 1759 and May 1765 at Chatham Shipyard. The launching
took place on 7th May 1765, after which she layed at anchor in
the Medway for thirteen years without being put to any
particular use.
In 1795 the VICTORY sailed under the command of Admiral Hotham
to the Mediterranean where she served successfully in combat at
Cape Vincent. In February 1797, under Admiral John Jervis, she
participated in the victorious Battle af Cape Vincent, only to
be taken out of service temporarily upon her return to Chatham
in November of the same year. In 1801, she went into dock far
two years, during which time the vessel was given her
present-day appeareance. In 1805 the VICTORY was Captain
Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar, and under his
command she engaged in combat with Admiral Villeneuve's ships,
the BUCENTAURE and the REDOUTABLE. This battle decided the fate
of Napoleanic Europe.
"At one o'clock in the afternoon the BUCENTAURE sailed into the
lee of the VICTORY and presented her stern. As she sailed slowly
past, the VICTORY fired the 68 cannons on her fore deck knocking
down everybody on deck and in the cabins of the BUCENTAURE and
so rendered 300 crewmen unfit for battle. As there was no wind,
the BUCENTAURE could not escape and received salvo after salvo
from the VICTORY's 50 port broadside". (Barrot de Gaissard
"Marine de Guerre à voiles 1750 - 1850").
Although the French defeat was decisive, a seaman firing from
the main top of the REDOUTABLE fatally wounded Nelson who had
been in command during the battle with Captain Hardy as his
righthand man. |
