SUTTON Travels: Battle of Trafalgar

29 April 2017

HMS Victory Portsmouth

HMS Victory by Geoff W. Sutton

HMS Victory was Lord Nelson's flagship in the Battle of Trafalgar 1805. On 7 May 1765m HMS Victory left the Chatham Royal Dockyard, The ship was active during the American War for Independence, the French Revolution and the war against Napoleon.

For the British, HMS Victory is remembered for the greatest naval victory led by Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson in the Battle of Trafalgar when the British defeated the French and Spanish fleets.

The restored 104-gun-ship is an attraction at the Historic Dockyards, Portsmouth, UK. HMS Victory saw some service in the early 1800s. The ship was placed in permanent dry dock in 1922.

HMS Victory was manned by a crew of over 800. With a maximum of 37 sails (5,400 square yards), it could achieve a speed of 9 knots about 10 mph). The three heavy masts are too much for the ship to bear and will be replaced with lighter materials for the display. More than 6,000 trees were felled to build the ship--most were oak. The ship's cordage ran to 26 miles. The weight of the cannons is too much for the ship to support in dry dock.

The presentation at the Dockyards focuses attention on the Battle of Trafalgar 21 October 1805. Nelson led 27 British ships against the 33 ships of the French and Spanish. After a five-hour battle, the British destroyed 19 enemy ships and lost none; however, Nelson was shot by a French sniper and died within a half-hour. His grand funeral took place at St. Paul's in London and a statue was raised in his honour at Trafalgar Square.

Where Nelson fell

During the Battle of Trafalgar, the crew numbered 821, which included 31 boys. Most crew were seamen (500) who sailed and fought. The tour includes a look at multiple decks and reveals insights into the accommodations of officers as well as the work areas for craftsmen and other crew members. An audio guide describes the scene.

A selection of my photos follows.