HMS Victory

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HMS Victory

HMS Victory is a first rate ship of the line
Ship of the line

A ship-of-the-line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th century through the mid-19th century, to take part in the Naval tactics in the Age of Sail known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would maneuver to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear....
of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy

The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British Armed Forces . From the mid-18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early 1940s....
, started in 1759 and launched in 1765, most famous as Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar

The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the United Kingdom Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy , during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
. She is the oldest naval ship still in commission, and now sits in dry dock
Dry dock

A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform....
in Portsmouth
Portsmouth

Portsmouth city status in the United Kingdom located in the Counties of England of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is the UK's only island city and is located on Portsea Island....
, England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
as a museum ship
Museum ship

A museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes....
.

ecember 1758, the commissioner of Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard

Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham, Kent and one third in Chatham, Kent, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the English Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional defences....
was instructed to prepare a dry dock
Dry dock

A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform....
for the construction of a new first-rate
First-rate

First-rate was the designation used by the Royal Navy for its largest ship of the line, those mounting 100 guns or more on three gundecks.First-rate vessels carried over 800 crew and displaced in excess of 2,000 tons....
ship.

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Encyclopedia

HMS Victory is a first rate ship of the line
Ship of the line

A ship-of-the-line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th century through the mid-19th century, to take part in the Naval tactics in the Age of Sail known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would maneuver to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear....
of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy

The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British Armed Forces . From the mid-18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early 1940s....
, started in 1759 and launched in 1765, most famous as Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar

The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the United Kingdom Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy , during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
. She is the oldest naval ship still in commission, and now sits in dry dock
Dry dock

A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform....
in Portsmouth
Portsmouth

Portsmouth city status in the United Kingdom located in the Counties of England of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is the UK's only island city and is located on Portsea Island....
, England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
as a museum ship
Museum ship

A museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes....
.

Construction
In December 1758, the commissioner of Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard

Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham, Kent and one third in Chatham, Kent, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the English Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional defences....
was instructed to prepare a dry dock
Dry dock

A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform....
for the construction of a new first-rate
First-rate

First-rate was the designation used by the Royal Navy for its largest ship of the line, those mounting 100 guns or more on three gundecks.First-rate vessels carried over 800 crew and displaced in excess of 2,000 tons....
ship. This was an unusual occurrence at the time as the Royal Navy preferred smaller and more manoeuvrable ships, and it was unusual for more than two to be in commission simultaneously; during the whole of the 18th century only ten were constructed.

The outline plans arrived in June 1759 and were based on HMS Royal George
HMS Royal George (1756)

HMS Royal George was a 100-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Woolwich Dockyard to the draught specified by the 1745 Establishment, and launched on 18 February 1756....
which had been launched at Woolwich Dockyard
Woolwich Dockyard

Woolwich Dockyard was an England naval shipyard founded by King Henry VIII of England in 1512 to build his flagship Henri Gr?ce ? Dieu , the largest ship of its day....
in 1756. The naval architect chosen to design the ship was Sir Thomas Slade who, at the time, was the appointed Surveyor of the Navy
Surveyor of the Navy

The Surveyor to the Navy was a civilian officer in the Royal Navy. He was a member of the Navy Board from the inaugeration of that body in 1546, and held overall responsibility for the design of British warships, although until 1745 the actual design work for warships built at each Royal Dockyard was primarily the responsibility of the indiv...
. She was designed to carry at least 100 guns; in practice, her armament varied from 104 to 106 guns and carronade
Carronade

The carronade was a short smoothbore, cast iron cannon, developed for the Royal Navy by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, UK....
s.

The keel
Keel

In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, the construction is dated from this event, with only the ship's Ship_naming_and_launching considered more significant in its creati...
was laid on 23 July 1759 in the Old Single Dock (since renamed No. 2 Dock and now Victory Dock), and the name was finally chosen in October 1760. It was to commemorate the Annus Mirabilis
Annus mirabilis

Annus mirabilis is a Latin phrase meaning "wonderful year" or "year of wonders" . It was used originally to refer to the year 1666, but is today also used to refer to different years with events of major importance such as 1905 when Albert Einstein published his breakthrough Annus Mirabilis papers on Physics....
or Year of Victories, of 1759. In that year of the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War

The Seven Years' War lasted between 1756?1763 and involved all of the major European powers of the period. The war pitted Kingdom of Prussia and Kingdom of Great Britain and a coalition of smaller German states against an alliance consisting of Archduchy of Austria, Early Modern France, Russian Empire, Kingdom of Sweden, and Electorate of Sa...
, land victories had been won at Quebec
Battle of Quebec

Battle of Quebec can mean:* Battle of Quebec , English attack during the Nine Years War* Quebec Expedition , failed British attempt to capture the city during the War of the Spanish Succession...
, Minden
Battle of Minden

In the Battle of Minden, a Kingdom of Prussia-Electorate of Hanover-Kingdom of Great Britain army under Prince Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-L?neburg defeated a ancien regime army under the Louis Georges ?rasme de Contades on 1 August 1759 during the Seven Years' War....
and naval battle
Naval battle

A naval battle is a battle fought using ships or other waterborne vessels. Most naval battles have occurred at sea, but a few have taken place on lakes or rivers....
s had been won at Lagos and Quiberon Bay
Battle of Quiberon Bay

The naval Battle of Quiberon Bay took place on 20 November 1759 during the Seven Years' War in Quiberon Bay, off the coast of France near St....
. There were some doubts whether this was a suitable name since the previous first-rate Victory
HMS Victory (1737)

HMS Victory was a 100-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built to the dimensions of the 1719 Establishment#1733 proposals of the 1719 Establishment at Portsmouth Dockyard, and launched on 23 February 1737....
had been lost with all on board in 1744.

Once the frame
Structural system

The term structural system or structural frame in structural engineering refers to structural load-resisting sub-system of a structure. Structural system transfers loads through interconnected List of structural elements or members....
had been constructed, it was normal to cover the ship up and leave it for several months to season. However, the end of the Seven Years' War meant that she remained in this condition for nearly three years, which helped her subsequent longevity. Work restarted in autumn 1763 and she was finally launched
Ship naming and launching

The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old....
on 7 May 1765, having cost £63,176 and 3 shilling
Shilling

The shilling is a unit of currency used in current and former Commonwealth of Nations countries, and continued to be used in countries that left the commonwealth, such as Republic of Ireland and Tanzania....
s (present day £50 million) and used around 6000 trees, 90% of which were oak
Oak

The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of about 400 species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus , which are listed in the List of Quercus species, and some related genera, notably Lithocarpus....
and the remainder elm
Elm

Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus, family Ulmaceae. Elms first appeared in the Miocene period about 40 million years ago....
, pine
Pine

Pines are Pinophyta trees in the genus Pinus, in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species....
and fir
Fir

Firs are a genus of between 45-55 species of evergreen Pinophyta in the family Pinaceae. All are trees, reaching heights of 10-80 m tall and trunk diameters of 0.5-4 m when mature....
.

Because there was no immediate use for her, she was placed in ordinary—in reserve, roofed over, demasted and placed under general maintenance—moored in the River Medway
River Medway

The 'River Medway', which is almost entirely in Kent, England, flows for from just inside the West Sussex border to the point where it enters the Thames Estuary....
for 13 years until France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
joined the American War of Independence.

In March 1778, John Lindsay
John Lindsay (admiral)

Sir John Lindsay Order of the Bath was a British naval officer of the 18th century, and the father of Dido Elizabeth Belle....
was appointed her first captain, but he was transferred to captain in May 1778 when Admiral the Honorable Augustus Keppel decided to raise his flag in Victory. She was commissioned
Ship commissioning

Commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military forces....
in May 1778 under the command of Rear Admiral John Campbell (1st Captain) and Captain Jonathan Faulknor
Jonathan Faulknor the elder

Captain Jonathan Faulknor was one of a five-generation Faulknor family of Northamptonshire-born men who became Royal Navy officers in the 18th century. He commanded HMS Victory at the battle of Ushant ....
(2nd Captain), with the flag of Admiral Keppel. She was armed with smooth bore, cast iron
Cast iron

Cast iron usually refers to Gray iron, but also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys, which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy....
cannon
Cannon

A cannon is any tubular piece of artillery, that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellants to launch a projectile over a distance....
thirty 32- and 42-pounders (15 and 19 kg), thirty 24-pounders (11 kg), and forty 12-pounders (5 kg). Later, she also carried two carronade guns, firing 68-lb (31 kg) round shot.

In service

First Battle of Ushant
Keppel put to sea from Spithead
Spithead

Spithead is an area of the Solent and a roadstead off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds, except those from the southeast....
on 9 July, 1778, with a force of thirty ships of the line
Ship of the line

A ship-of-the-line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th century through the mid-19th century, to take part in the Naval tactics in the Age of Sail known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would maneuver to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear....
and, on 23 July, sighted a French
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
fleet of twenty-nine ships 100 miles (160 km) west of Ushant
Ushant

Ushant is an island in the English Channel which marks the north-westernmost point of European France. It belongs to Brittany and is in the traditional region of Bro-Leon....
. The French Admiral, Louis Guillouet, comte d'Orvilliers
Louis Guillouet, comte d'Orvilliers

Louis Guillouet, comte d'Orvilliers was a French people admiral.D'Orvilliers was born in Moulins, Allier, but spent most of his childhood in Cayenne, capital of the French colony French Guiana, where his father was governor....
, who had orders to avoid battle, was cut off from Brest
Brest, France

Brest is a city in the Finist?re Departments of France in Bretagne in northwestern France.Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Brittany peninsula, Brest is an important port and naval base....
but retained the weather gage
Weather gage

The weather gage is a nautical term used to describe the advantageous position of a fighting sailing vessel, relative to another. The term is from the Age of Sail, and is now antiquated....
. Two of his ships escaped into port leaving him with twenty-seven. The two fleets manoeuvred during shifting winds and a heavy rain squall until a battle
Battle of Ushant (1778)

}|-||}The Battle of Ushant took place on 27 July 1778, during the American War of Independence, fought between French and Kingdom of Great Britain fleets 100 miles west of Ushant, a French island at the mouth of the English Channel off the north-westernmost point of France....
became inevitable with the British more or less in column and the French in some confusion. However, the French managed to pass along the British line with their most advanced ships. At about a quarter to twelve Victory opened fire on the Bretagne
French ship Bretagne (1766)

The Bretagne was a large 110-gun three-decker French First-rate ship of the line, built at Brest, France, which became famous as the flagship of the Brest Fleet during the American War of Independence....
of 110 guns, which was being followed by the Ville de Paris
French ship Ville de Paris (1764)

The Ville de Paris was a large three-decker French ship of the line that became famous as the flagship of the Comte de Grasse during the American War of Independence....
of 90 guns. The British van escaped with little loss but Sir Hugh Palliser
Hugh Palliser

Admiral Sir Hugh Palliser, 1st Bart , was an officer of the Kingdom of Great Britain Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War....
's rear division suffered considerably. Keppel made the signal to follow the French but Palliser did not conform and the action was not resumed. Keppel was court martialled and cleared and Palliser criticised by an inquiry before the affair turned into a political argument.

Second Battle of Ushant
In March 1780 Victorys hull was sheathed
Copper sheathing

Copper sheathing was the practise of protecting the under-water hull of a ship or boat through the use of copper plates affixed to the outside of the hull....
with 3,923 sheets of copper below the waterline to protect it against shipworm
Shipworm

Shipworms are not worms at all, but rather a group of unusual saltwater clams with very reduced shells, notorious for boring into wooden structures that are immersed in sea water, such as piers, docks and wooden ships....
. On 2 December, 1781 the ship, now commanded by Captain Henry Cromwell and bearing the flag of Rear Admiral Richard Kempenfelt
Richard Kempenfelt

Richard Kempenfelt was a Kingdom of Great Britain rear-admiral.He was born at Westminster. His father, a Sweden, is said to have been in the service of James II of England, and subsequently to have entered the British army....
, sailed with eleven other ships of the line, a 50-gun fourth-rate
Fourth-rate

In the British Royal Navy, a fourth-rate was, during the first half of the 18th century, a ship of the line mounting from 46 up to 60 guns. While the number of guns stayed subsequently in the same range up until 1817, after 1756 the ships of 50 guns and below were considered too weak to stand in the line of battle, although the remaining 60-...
, and five frigate
Frigate

A frigate is a warship. The term has been used for warships of many sizes and roles over the past few centuries.In the 18th century, the term referred to ships which were as long as a ship-of-the-line and were square rig on all three masts , but were faster and with lighter armament, used for patrolling and escort....
s, to intercept a French convoy
Convoy

A convoy is a group of vehicles traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas....
that had sailed from Brest on 10 December. Not knowing that the convoy was protected by twenty-one ships of the line under the command of Luc Urbain de Bouexic, comte de Guichen
Luc Urbain de Bouexic, comte de Guichen

Luc Urbain de Bou?xic, comte de Guichen - France admiral; entered the navy in 1730 as "garde de la Marine," the first rank in the corps of royal officers....
, Kempenfelt ordered a chase when they were sighted on 12 December and began the Second Battle of Ushant. When he noted the French superiority he contented himself with capturing fifteen sail of the convoy. The French were dispersed in a gale and forced to return home.
Battle of Cape St. Vincent
In 1796 Captain Robert Calder
Robert Calder

Admiral Sir Robert Calder, 1st Baronet, Order of the Bath was a United Kingdom naval officer who served in the Seven Years' War, the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars....
(First Captain) and Captain George Grey (Second Captain) commanded Victory under Admiral Sir John Jervis
John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent

Admiral of the Fleet John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent Order of the Bath Privy Council of the United Kingdom Royal Navy was an Admiral in the Royal Navy....
's flag. Sir John Jervis sailed from the Tagus
Tagus

The Tagus is the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. It measures 1,038 kilometers in length, 716 km of which are in Spain, 47 km as border between Portugal and Spain and the remaining 275 km in Portugal, where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Lisbon....
on 18 January, 1797; after being reinforced on 6 February by five ships from England his fleet consisted of fifteen sail of the line and six frigates. On 14 February the Portuguese
Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Located in southwestern Europe, Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east....
frigate Carlotta, commanded by a Scotsman named Campbell with a Portuguese commission, brought news that a Spanish fleet was close. Jervis manoeuvred to intercept, and the Battle of Cape St Vincent
Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1797)

In the Battle of Cape St Vincent a Royal Navy fleet under John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent defeated a larger Spain fleet under Jos? de C?rdoba near Cabo de S?o Vicente, Portugal....
was joined. Principe de Asturias, leading the Spanish leeward division, tried to break through the British line ahead or astern of Victory, but Victory poured such a tremendous fire into her, followed by several raking broadsides, that the whole Spanish division wore round and bore up. Horatio Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson

Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bront?, Order of the Bath was a United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland flag officer famous for his participation in the Napoleonic Wars....
, in HMS Captain
HMS Captain (1787)

HMS Captain was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 26 November 1787 at Limehouse.At the start of the French Revolutionary War, she was part of the Mediterranean fleet which occupied Toulon at the invitation of the Royalists in 1793 before being driven out by Revolutionary troops in an action where Napole...
(primarily), also played a decisive role in this action.

Reconstruction
In February 1798 Victory was stationed at Chatham
Chatham, Medway

Chatham is a large area within Medway, Kent, in South East England. It developed around a 17th-century naval dockyard on the River Medway, and was once a separate town....
under the command of Lieutenant J. Rickman. On 8 December, unfit for service as a warship, she was ordered to be converted to a hospital ship
Hospital ship

A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a healthcare facility or hospital; most are operated by the military forces or navy of various countries around the world, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones....
to hold wounded French and Spanish prisoners of war. In 1799, Rickman was relieved by Lieutenant J. Busbridge.

However, on 8 October 1799 was lost off Chichester
Chichester

Chichester is a cathedral city status in the United Kingdom in West Sussex, England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Ancient Rome past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings....
, having run aground on her way back to Portsmouth
Portsmouth

Portsmouth city status in the United Kingdom located in the Counties of England of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is the UK's only island city and is located on Portsea Island....
after escorting a convoy to Lisbon
Lisbon

Lisbon is the Capital and largest city of Portugal. It is also the seat of the Lisbon and capital of the Lisbon region. Its municipalities of Portugal, which matches the city proper excluding the larger continuous conurbation, has a municipal population of 564,477 in , while the Lisbon Metropolitan Area in total has around 2.8 million inha...
. She could not be refloated and so was stripped and dismantled. Now short of a first rate, the Admiralty
Admiralty

The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. Originally exercised by a single person, the office of Lord High Admiral was from the 18th century onward almost invariably put "in commission", and was exercised by a Board of Admiralty....
decided to recondition Victory. Work started in 1800 but as it proceeded an increasing number of defects were found and the repairs developed into a very extensive reconstruction. The original estimate was £23,500 but the final cost was £70,933.

Extra gun ports were added, taking her from 100 guns to 104, and her magazine
Magazine (artillery)

Magazine is the name for an item or place within which ammunition is stored. It is taken from the Arabic word "makahazin" meaning "warehouse"....
lined with copper. Her figurehead
Figurehead

A figurehead is a carved wooden decoration, often female or bestial, found at the prow of ships largely made between the 16th and 19th century....
was replaced along with her masts
Mast (sailing)

The mast of a sailing ship is a tall, vertical, or near vertical, spar, or arrangement of spars, which supports the sails. Large ships have several masts, with the size and configuration depending on the style of ship....
and the paint scheme changed from red to the black and yellow seen today. Her gun ports were originally yellow to match the hull but later repainted black, giving a pattern later called the "Nelson chequer"
Nelson Chequer

The Nelson Chequer was a specific colour-scheme adopted by vessels of the Royal Navy, modelled on that used by Admiral Horatio Nelson. It consisted of bands of black and yellow paint along the sides broken up by black gunports....
, which was adopted by all Royal Navy ships after the Battle of Trafalgar. The work was completed on 11 April 1803 and the ship left for Portsmouth on 14 May under her new captain, Samuel Sutton.

Nelson
Vice-Admiral Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson

Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bront?, Order of the Bath was a United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland flag officer famous for his participation in the Napoleonic Wars....
hoisted his flag in Victory on 16 May 1803 with Samuel Sutton as his flag captain
Flag captain

In the Royal Navy, a flag captain was the captain of an admiral 's flagship. During the 18th and 19th centuries, this ship might also have a "captain of the fleet", who would be ranked between the admiral and the "flag captain" as the ship's "First Captain", with the "flag captain" as the ship's "Second Captain"....
and sailed to assume command in the Mediterranean on 20 May. Nelson transferred to the faster frigate
Frigate

A frigate is a warship. The term has been used for warships of many sizes and roles over the past few centuries.In the 18th century, the term referred to ships which were as long as a ship-of-the-line and were square rig on all three masts , but were faster and with lighter armament, used for patrolling and escort....
Amphion
HMS Amphion (1798)

HMS Amphion was a 32-gun fifth rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She served during the Napoleonic Wars.Amphion was built by Betts, of Mistleythorn, and was launched on 19 March 1798....
on 23 May.

On 28 May Captain Sutton captured the French Embuscade
HMS Ambuscade (1773)

HMS Ambuscade was a 32-gun frigate of the Royal Navy.She was built in Depford in 1773.During the Revolutionary wars, as she blockaded Rochefort, she was captured in the Action of 14 December 1798 and brought in French service as Embuscade....
of 32 guns, bound for Rochefort
Rochefort

Rochefort may refer to:...
from San Domingo. Victory rejoined Lord Nelson off Toulon
Toulon

Toulon is a city in southern France and a large military harbour on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-C?te-d'Azur regions of France, Toulon is the Prefectures in France of the Var departments of France, in the former provinces of France of Provence....
on 30 May when Captain Sutton exchanged commands with the captain of Amphion, Thomas Masterman Hardy.

Victory was passing the island of Toro
Bocas del Toro

Bocas del Toro is the capital of the Panamanian province of the Bocas del Toro Province. It is a small city and a world-renowned tourist resort located on the island of Isla Colon in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago in the Caribbean Sea off the northwest coast of Panama....
on 4 April, 1805, when HMS Phoebe
HMS Phoebe (1795)

HMS Phoebe was a 36-gun fifth-rate 18-pounder frigate of the United Kingdom Royal Navy. As completed, she measured 142ft 9in on the gundeck x 38ft 3in breadth x 13ft 5 1/2in depth in hold, with a tonnage of 926 8/94 burthen....
brought the news that the French fleet under Pierre-Charles Villeneuve
Pierre-Charles Villeneuve

Pierre-Charles-Jean-Baptiste-Silvestre de Villeneuve was a French naval officer during the Napoleonic Wars. He was in command of the French and Spanish fleets defeated by Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson and Admiral Collingwood at the Battle of Trafalgar....
had escaped from Toulon
Toulon

Toulon is a city in southern France and a large military harbour on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-C?te-d'Azur regions of France, Toulon is the Prefectures in France of the Var departments of France, in the former provinces of France of Provence....
. While Nelson made for Sicily
Sicily

Sicily is an Autonomous regions with special statute of Italy. Of all the regions of Italy, Sicily covers the largest land area at 25,708 km? and currently has just over five million inhabitants....
to see if the French were heading for Egypt
Egypt

Egypt is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia. Covering an area of about , Egypt borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west....
, Villeneuve was entering Cádiz
Cádiz

C?diz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the province of C?diz, one of eight which make up the Autonomous communities of Spain of Andalusia....
to link up with the Spanish fleet. On 7 May Nelson reached Gibraltar
Gibraltar

Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar. The territory shares a border with Spain to the north....
and received his first definite news. The British fleet completed their stores in Lagos Bay, Portugal on 10 May, and two days later sailed westward with ten ships and three frigates in pursuit of the combined Franco-Spanish fleet of 17 ships. They arrived in the West Indies to find that the enemy was sailing back to Europe where Napoleon Bonaparte was waiting for them with his invasion forces at Boulogne
Boulogne-sur-Mer

Boulogne-sur-Mer is a city in northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France of the Departments of France of Pas-de-Calais.The population of the city was 44,859 in the 1999 census, whereas that of the whole metropolitan area was 135,116....
.

The Franco-Spanish fleet was involved in the indecisive Battle of Cape Finisterre
Battle of Cape Finisterre (1805)

In the Battle of Cape Finisterre off Galicia , Spain, the United Kingdom fleet under Admiral Robert Calder prevented the First French Empire-Spain fleet under Admiral Pierre Charles Silvestre de Villeneuve from entering the English Channel to help Napoleon I of France invade Britain during the War of the Third Coalition in the Napoleonic War...
in fog off Ferrol with Admiral Sir Robert Calder
Robert Calder

Admiral Sir Robert Calder, 1st Baronet, Order of the Bath was a United Kingdom naval officer who served in the Seven Years' War, the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars....
's squadron on 22 July before taking refuge in Vigo
Vigo

Vigo is a city in Galicia , Spain, located in the province of Pontevedra . Vigo is the largest city in Spain which is not a provincial capital. It is known as The Olive City....
and Ferrol to land wounded and abandon three damaged ships. Calder on 14 August and Nelson on 15 August joined Admiral Cornwallis
William Cornwallis

Admiral Sir William Cornwallis, Order of the Bath was a Royal Navy officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He was the brother of Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, the Marquess Cornwallis, governor-general of India....
's Channel Fleet off Ushant. Nelson continued to England in Victory leaving his Mediterranean fleet with Cornwallis who detached twenty of his thirty-three ships of the line and sent them under Calder to find the combined fleet at Ferrol. On 19 August came the worrying news that the enemy had sailed from there, followed by relief when they arrived in Cádiz
Cádiz

C?diz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the province of C?diz, one of eight which make up the Autonomous communities of Spain of Andalusia....
two days later. On the evening of Saturday, 28 September, Lord Nelson joined Lord Collingwood's fleet off Cádiz, quietly, so that his presence would not be known.

When Admiral Villeneuve learned that he was to be removed from command he took his ships to sea on the morning of 19 October, first sailing south towards the Mediterranean but then turning north towards the British fleet, beginning the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar

The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the United Kingdom Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy , during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
. Nelson had already made his plans: to break the enemy line some two or three ships ahead of their Commander in Chief in the centre and achieve victory before the van could come to their aid. In the event fitful winds made it a slow business. For five hours after Nelson's last manoeuvring signal the two columns of British ships slowly approached the French line before Royal Sovereign
HMS Royal Sovereign (1786)

HMS Royal Sovereign was a 100-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, which served as the flagship of Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood at the Battle of Trafalgar....
, leading the lee column, was able to open fire on Fougueux
French ship Fougueux

The Fougueux was a T?m?raire class ship of the line 74-gun France ship of the line built at Lorient from 1784 to 1785 by engineer Segondat....
. Twenty five minutes later Victory broke the line between Bucentaure
French ship Bucentaure (1804)

Bucentaure was a Tonnant class ship of the line 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy. She was the flagship of Vice-Admiral Louis-Ren? Levassor de Latouche Tr?ville, who died on board on 18 August 1804....
and Redoutable
French ship Redoutable (1791)

The 'Redoutable' was a ship of the line of the French Navy. She is known for her duel with HMS Victory during the Battle of Trafalgar.One of the 89 Seventy-four s completed of the T?m?raire class ship of the line designed by engineer Jacques-No?l San? , the Redoutable was laid down at Brest in January 1790, and launched as the S...
firing a treble shotted broadside into the stern of the former from a range of a few yards. At 25 minutes past one Nelson was shot, the fatal musket ball entering his left shoulder and lodging in his spine. He died at half past four. Such killing had taken place on Victorys quarter deck that Redoutable attempted to board her, but they were thwarted by the arrival of Eliab Harvey
Eliab Harvey

Admiral Sir Eliab Harvey, Order of the Bath was an eccentric and hot-tempered officer of the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars who was as distinguished for his gambling and dueling as for his military record....
in the 98-gun HMS Temeraire
HMS Temeraire (1798)

HMS Temeraire was a 98-gun second-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 11 September 1798 at Chatham Dockyard, which fought at the Battle of Trafalgar....
, whose broadside devastated the French ship. Nelson's last order was for the fleet to anchor, but this was countermanded by Vice Admiral Collingwood. Victory lost 57 killed and 102 wounded.

After Trafalgar
Victory took Nelson's body to England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
where, after lying in state at Greenwich
Greenwich

'Greenwich' is a district in south-east London, England, on the south bank of the River Thames in the London Borough of Greenwich. It is best known for its maritime history and as giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time....
, he was buried in St. Paul's Cathedral on 6 January, 1806.

Victory bore many Admirals' flags after Trafalgar, and sailed on numerous expeditions, including two Baltic
Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea is a brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53?N to 66?N latitude and from 20?E to 26?E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Denmark islands....
campaigns under Admiral Sir James Saumarez
James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez

James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez or Sausmarez, Order of the Bath was an admiral of the British Royal Navy, notable for his victory at the Battle of Algeciras....
. Her active career ended on 7 November, 1812, when she was moored in Portsmouth
Portsmouth

Portsmouth city status in the United Kingdom located in the Counties of England of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is the UK's only island city and is located on Portsea Island....
Harbour off Gosport
Gosport

Gosport is a town and Non-metropolitan district in Hampshire with around 79,000 resident inhabitants , with a further 5-10,000 during the summer months, situated on the south coast of England....
and used as a depot ship.

It is said that when Thomas Hardy was First Sea Lord
First Sea Lord

The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS....
he told his wife, on returning home, that he had just signed an order for Victory to be broken up. She burst into tears and sent him straight back to his office to rescind the order. Though this story may be apocryphal, the page of the duty log containing the orders for that day has been torn out.

In 1889, Victory was fitted up as a Naval School of Telegraphy
Telegraphy

Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of written messages without physical transport of letters. Radiotelegraphy or wireless telegraphy transmits messages using radio....
. She soon became a proper Signal School, and signal ratings from ships paying off were sent to Victory, instead of the barracks, for a two-month training course. The School remained on Victory until 1904, when training was transferred temporarily to HMS Hercules
HMS Hercules (1868)

HMS Hercules was a central-battery ironclad of the Royal Navy in the Victorian era, and was the first warship to mount a main armament of calibre guns....
, and in 1906 the whole School was moved to a permanent establishment at the Chatham Royal Naval Barracks.

As the years passed by Victory slowly deteriorated at her moorings. By 1921 she was in very poor condition, and a campaign to save her was started with the Save the Victory Fund under the aegis of the Society for Nautical Research
Society for Nautical Research

The Society for Nautical Research was founded in 1910 to promote the academic field of maritime history in the United Kingdom.The aims of the society are to:...
. The outcome of the campaign was that the British Government agreed to restore and preserve her to commemorate Nelson, the Battle of Trafalgar and the Royal Navy's supremacy before, during, and after the Napoleonic period.

On 12 January 1922 she was moved into No. 2 dock at Portsmouth, the oldest drydock in the world, for restoration. In 1928 King George V
George V of the United Kingdom

George V was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor, which he created from the British branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha....
was able to unveil a tablet celebrating the completion of the work, although restoration and maintenance still continued under the supervision of the Society for Nautical Research. In 1941, Victory sustained some damage from a bomb dropped by the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe

is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
into her dry dock, causing damage to the hull. On one occasion German Radio Propaganda
Propaganda

Propaganda is the dissemination of information aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people. As opposed to Objectivity providing information, propaganda in its most basic sense presents information in order to influence its audience....
claimed that the ship had been destroyed by a bomb, and the Admiralty
Admiralty

The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. Originally exercised by a single person, the office of Lord High Admiral was from the 18th century onward almost invariably put "in commission", and was exercised by a Board of Admiralty....
had to issue a denial.

In the early 21st century the ship underwent another very extensive restoration for the bicentenary
Anniversary

An anniversary is a day that commemorates and/or celebrates a past event that occurred on the same day of the year as the initial event. For example, the first event is the initial occurrence or, if planned, the inaugural of the event....
of the battle in October 2005 to bring her appearance as close as possible to that which she had at Trafalgar. Replicas of items including mess bowls, beakers and tankards in the 'Marine's Mess', and a toothbrush, shaving brush and wash bowl in 'Hardy's Cabin' are on display.

HMS Victory is still in commission as the flagship of the Second Sea Lord
Second Sea Lord

The Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command , commonly just known as the Second Sea Lord , is one of the most senior admirals of the United Kingdom Royal Navy, responsible for personnel and naval shore establishments....
in his role as Commander in Chief of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy

The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British Armed Forces . From the mid-18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early 1940s....
's Home Command (CINCNAVHOME). She is the oldest commissioned warship in the world, although the USS Constitution
USS Constitution

USS Constitution is a wooden-hull ed, three-Mast heavy frigate of the United States Navy. Named after the United States Constitution by President George Washington, she is the oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat in the world. is the oldest commissioned vessel by three decades; however, Victory is permanently drydo...
, launched 30 years later, is the oldest commissioned warship still afloat. Victory attracts around 350,000 visitors per year in her role as a museum ship.

Victorys foretopsail was severely damaged during the battle of Trafalgar, perforated by upwards of 90 cannonballs and other projectiles. It was replaced after the battle but was preserved, and eventually came to be displayed in the Royal Naval Museum
Royal Naval Museum

The Royal Naval Museum is the museum of the history of the Royal Navy of the Royal Navy in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard section of HMNB Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England....
. The sail is laid out across a large chamber, illuminated by alternating lowlight projectors.

The westernmost entrance to the Royal Navy's facility in Portsmouth
Portsmouth

Portsmouth city status in the United Kingdom located in the Counties of England of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is the UK's only island city and is located on Portsea Island....
, HMS Nelson
HMNB Portsmouth

Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth , is one of three operating bases for the Royal Navy . Portsmouth naval base is located on the eastern shore of Portsmouth Harbour and is part of the city of Portsmouth and is situated north of the Solent and Isle of Wight....
, is known as Victory Gate.

The current and 99th commanding officer is Lt-Cdr Douglas J 'Oscar' Whild Royal Navy
Royal Navy

The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British Armed Forces . From the mid-18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early 1940s....
, who assumed command on 1 September 2008.

The most senior Trafalgar descendant alive and HON Commanding officer is James Hardy.

Admirals who have hoisted their flag on the Victory
Over the two centuries since Victorys launch, numerous admirals have hoisted their flag in her:
List of Admirals
Admiral From Until
Admiral The Hon. Augustus Keppel 16 May, 1778 28 October, 1778
Admiral Sir Charles Hardy
Charles Hardy

Sir Charles Hardy born Portsmouth, England, was a Kingdom of Great Britain naval Officer and Colony governor.The son of a Vice Admiral, Charles Hardy became a Captain in the Royal Navy on August 10, 1741, at the age of 27....
19 March, 1779 14 May, 1780
Admiral Francis Geary
Sir Francis Geary, 1st Baronet

Sir Francis Geary was an officer of the Royal Navy. He served during the War of the Austrian Succession, the Seven Years' War, and the American Revolutionary War, eventually rising to the rank of Admiral ....
24 May, 1780 28 August, 1780
Rear Admiral Francis Samuel Drake 26 September, 1780 29 December, 1780
Vice Admiral Sir Hyde Parker
Sir Hyde Parker, 5th Baronet

Vice-Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, 5th Baronet , was a British naval commander.Parker was born at Tredington, Worcestershire. His father, a clergyman, was a son of Sir Henry Parker....
20 March, 1781 31 May, 1781
Commodore John Elliott
John Elliott (governor)

John Elliot , was a Scottish naval officer and colonial governor.Elliot was born in Scotland, a younger son of Sir Gilbert Elliott, 2nd Baronet ....
June 1781 August 1781
Rear Admiral Richard Kempenfelt
Richard Kempenfelt

Richard Kempenfelt was a Kingdom of Great Britain rear-admiral.He was born at Westminster. His father, a Sweden, is said to have been in the service of James II of England, and subsequently to have entered the British army....
10 September, 1781 11 March, 1782
Admiral The Earl Howe
Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe

Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe Order of the Garter was a Kingdom of Great Britain admiral, notable in particular for his service during the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars....
20 April, 1782 14 November, 1782
Admiral The Earl Howe
Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe

Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe Order of the Garter was a Kingdom of Great Britain admiral, notable in particular for his service during the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars....
July 1790 August 1790
Admiral The Lord Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood

Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood was a Kingdom of Great Britain Admiral known particularly for his service in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars....
August 1790 August 1791
Rear Admiral Sir Hyde Parker
Sir Hyde Parker

Admiral Sir Hyde Parker , second son of Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, 5th Baronet , entered the Royal Navy at an early age, and became lieutenant on 25 January 1758, having passed most of his early service in his fathers' ships....
6 February, 1793 May 1793
Admiral The Lord Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood

Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood was a Kingdom of Great Britain Admiral known particularly for his service in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars....
6 May, 1793 15 December, 1794
Rear Admiral John Man
John Man

John Man was an English churchman, college head, and diplomat....
8 July, 1795 27 September, 1795
Vice Admiral Robert Linzee October 1795 November 1795
Admiral Sir John Jervis
John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent

Admiral of the Fleet John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent Order of the Bath Privy Council of the United Kingdom Royal Navy was an Admiral in the Royal Navy....
3 December, 1795 30 March, 1797
Vice Admiral The Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson

Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bront?, Order of the Bath was a United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland flag officer famous for his participation in the Napoleonic Wars....
8 May, 1803 21 October, 1805
Admiral Sir James Saumarez
James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez

James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez or Sausmarez, Order of the Bath was an admiral of the British Royal Navy, notable for his victory at the Battle of Algeciras....
18 March, 1808 9 December, 1808
Admiral Sir Graham Moore
Graham Moore

Vice-Admiral Sir Graham Moore was a United Kingdom sailor and a career officer in the Royal Navy. He was the younger brother of General John Moore ....
December 1808 23 January, 1809
Admiral Sir James Saumarez
James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez

James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez or Sausmarez, Order of the Bath was an admiral of the British Royal Navy, notable for his victory at the Battle of Algeciras....
8 April, 1809 December 1809
Admiral Sir James Saumarez
James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez

James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez or Sausmarez, Order of the Bath was an admiral of the British Royal Navy, notable for his victory at the Battle of Algeciras....
11 March, 1810 3 December, 1810
Rear Admiral Sir Joseph Yorke
Joseph Sydney Yorke

Sir Joseph Sydney Yorke Order of the Bath was an officer of the Royal Navy. He served during the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, eventually rising to the rank of Admiral ....
December 1810 March 1811
Admiral Sir James Saumarez
James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez

James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez or Sausmarez, Order of the Bath was an admiral of the British Royal Navy, notable for his victory at the Battle of Algeciras....
2 April, 1811 25 December, 1811,
Admiral Sir James Saumarez
James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez

James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez or Sausmarez, Order of the Bath was an admiral of the British Royal Navy, notable for his victory at the Battle of Algeciras....
14 April, 1812 15 October, 1812
In Ordinary 18 December, 1812 31 January, 1824
Commissioner Sir Michael Seymour, 1st Baronet
Sir Michael Seymour, 1st Baronet

Sir Michael Seymour, 1st Baronet Order of the Bath was an officer of the Royal Navy. He served during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, eventually rising to the rank of Admiral ....
1824
Paid off 30 April, 1827 21 October, 1831
became Flagship of Port Admiral
Rear Admiral Sir Frederick Lewis Maitland
Frederick Lewis Maitland (Rear Admiral)

Rear admiral Sir Frederick Lewis Maitland Order of the Bath was an officer in the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary War and Napoleonic Wars....
1832
Rear Admiral Duncombe Pleydell-Bouverie 1837
Rear Admiral Hyde Parker
Hyde Parker (Sea Lord)

Vice-Admiral Hyde Parker Order of the Bath was a senior Great Britain naval officer who started to serve during the Napoleonic Wars and who was appointed First Sea Lord of the Admiralty in 1852....
1842
Rear Admiral W H Shiffeff 1847
Admiral Sir Charles Ogle, 2nd Baronet
Sir Charles Ogle, 2nd Baronet

Sir Charles Ogle, 2nd Baronet was Admiral of the Fleet in the Royal Navy. He was the eldest son of Admiral Sir Chaloner Ogle, 1st Baronet, a grandnephew of Sir Chaloner Ogle, Admiral of the Fleet, and son-in-law of General Thomas Gage, leader of British forces at the start of the American Revolution....
20 March, 1848 19 December, 1848
Admiral Sir Thomas Bladen Capel
Thomas Bladen Capel

Admiral Sir Thomas Bladen Capel Order of the Bath, Royal Navy was an officer in the British Royal Navy whose distinguished service in the French Revolutionary War, the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 earned him rapid promotion and great acclaim both in and out of the Navy....
20 December, 1848 19 December, 1851
Admiral Sir Thomas Briggs
Thomas Briggs

Thomas Briggs was the third head college football coachfor the Eastern Illinois Panthers located in Charleston, Illinois,and he held that position for the 1903 season....
20 December, 1851 19 March, 1853
Vice Admiral Sir Thomas John Cochrane
Thomas John Cochrane

Sir Thomas John Cochrane naval officer and Colonialism governor born in London, England and died in England.Cochrane began his naval career at the age of seven and made lieutenant at the age of 16....
20 March, 1854 19 March, 1856
Vice Admiral Sir George Frederick Seymour 20 March, 1856 19 March, 1859
Admiral William Bowles
William Bowles

William Bowles may refer to:* Sir William Bowles ,British Admiral* William Lisle Bowles , English poet and critic* William Augustus Bowles , American adventurer and leader of a short-lived Native American state in southeastern North America...
20 March, 1859 19 March, 1860
Vice Admiral Henry Bruce 20 March, 1860 19 December, 1864
Vice Admiral Sir Michael Seymour 20 December, 1864 19 March, 1866
Vice Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley 20 March, 1866 20 March, 1869
Tender
Ship's tender

A ship's tender, usually referred to as a tender, is a boat, or a larger ship used to service a ship, generally by transporting people and/or supplies to and from shore or another ship....
to HMS Duke of Wellington
HMS Duke of Wellington

HMS Duke of Wellington was a 131 gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. Launched in 1852, she was symptomatic of an era of rapid technological change in the navy, being powered both by sail and steam....
20 December, 1869 1 September, 1891
Admiral The Earl of Clanwilliam 1 August, 1891 17 September, 1894
Admiral Sir Nowell Salmon
Nowell Salmon

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Nowell Salmon Victoria Cross, Order of the Bath was an England recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to United Kingdom and Commonwealth of Nations forces....
VC
Victoria Cross

The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration which is, or has been, awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth of Nations countries, and previous British Empire territories....
18 September, 1894 31 August, 1897
Admiral Sir Michael Culme-Seymour 1 September, 1897 17 November, 1900
Admiral Sir Charles F Hotham 18 November, 1900 30 September, 1903
Admiral Sir John Fisher 1 October, 1903 18 March, 1904
The Port Admiral's flag moved to Hercules
HMS Hercules (1868)

HMS Hercules was a central-battery ironclad of the Royal Navy in the Victorian era, and was the first warship to mount a main armament of calibre guns....
and on 1 February, 1905, to Firequeen
Admiral Sir Archibald L. Douglas
Archibald Lucius Douglas

Sir Archibald Lucius Douglas, Order of the Bath, Royal Victorian Order was a Royal Navy officer of the 19th century.He was educated at the Quebec High School, and in 1856 entered the Royal Navy as a cadet....
18 March, 1905 1 March, 1907
Admiral Sir Day H Bosanquet
Day Bosanquet

Admiral Sir Day Hort Bosanquet Royal Victorian Order, Knight Commander of the Bath was the Governor of South Australia from 18 February 1909 until 22 March 1914....
2 March, 1907 17 March, 1908
Admiral Sir Arthur D. Fanshawe 18 March, 1908 30 April, 1910
Admiral Sir Assheton Gore Curzon-Howe 1 May, 1910 17 March, 1911
Admiral Sir Arthur W. Moore 18 March, 1911 31 July, 1912
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Hedworth Meux
Hedworth Meux

Sir Hedworth Meux Order of the Bath Royal Victorian Order , formerly Hedworth Lambton was an English naval officer famous for bringing help to the British forces in the Siege of Ladysmith....
1 August, 1912 17 February, 1916
Admiral The Hon Sir Stanley Colville
Stanley Colville

Admiral Sir Stanley Cecil James Colville Order of the Bath Order of St Michael and St George Royal Victorian Order was a United Kingdom Royal Navy officer....
18 February, 1916 17 April, 1919
Admiral Sir Cecil Burney
Cecil Burney

File:CecilBurneysketchbyDodd.jpgAdmiral of the Fleet Sir Cecil Burney, 1st Baronet Order of the Bath Order of St Michael and St George was a United Kingdom Royal Navy admiral....
18 April, 1919 17 June, 1920
Admiral Hon Sir Arthur Gough-Calthorpe 18 June, 1920 31 May, 1923
Admiral Sir Sidney Robert Fremantle 1 June, 1923 1 April, 1926
Admiral Sir Osmond de Beauvior Brock
Osmond Brock

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Osmond de Beauvoir Brock Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, KCMG, Royal Victorian Order was a Royal Navy officer....
18 May, 1926 30 April, 1929
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes 1 May, 1929 17 June, 1931
Admiral Sir Arthur Waistell 18 June, 1931 17 February, 1934
Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Kelly 18 February, 1931 31 August, 1936
Admiral of the Fleet The Earl of Cork and Orrery
William Boyle, 12th Earl of Cork

Admiral of the Fleet William Henry Dudley Boyle, 12th Earl of Cork and 12th Earl of Orrery Order of the Bath, Royal Victorian Order, Royal Navy was a career Royal Navy officer who had achieved the rank of full Admiral before succeeding a cousin in 1934 to the family titles, chief of which is Earl of Cork....
18 August, 1937 30 June, 1939
Admiral Sir William M. James 1 July, 1939 30 September, 1942
Admiral Sir Charles Little 1 October, 1942 28 September, 1945
Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton
Geoffrey Layton

Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton Order of the British Empire, Order of the Bath, Order of St Michael and St George, Distinguished Service Order , was a United Kingdom Royal Navy officer....
29 September, 1945 29 June, 1947
Admiral The Lord Fraser of North Cape
Bruce Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of North Cape

Admiral of the Fleet Bruce Austin Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of North Cape Order of the Bath, Order of the British Empire was a senior British admiral during World War II....
30 June, 1947 18 April, 1949
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Algernon Willis
Algernon Willis

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Algernon Usborne Willis Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath DSO was a British Royal Navy officerWillis joined the Royal Navy in 1904 as a cadet and went on to serve in World War I and then actions against the Bolsheviks in the Baltic states from 1918 to 1919....
19 April, 1949 17 October, 1950
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Arthur J. Power
Arthur Power

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Arthur John Power Order of the Bath, Order of the British Empire, Royal Victorian Order was an officer of the Royal Navy, who saw service in World War I and World War II....
18 October, 1950 17 October, 1952
Admiral Sir John Edelsten 18 October, 1952 17 October, 1954
Admiral of the Fleet Sir George E Creasy 18 October, 1954 17 July, 1957
Admiral Sir Guy Grantham 18 July, 1957 17 July, 1959
Admiral Sir Manley Laurence Power 18 July, 1959 17 January, 1962
Admiral Sir Alexander N C Bingley 18 January, 1962 17 January, 1963
Admiral Sir Wilfrid J. W. Woods 18 January, 1963 9 September, 1965
Admiral Sir Varyl Begg
Varyl Begg

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Varyl Cargill Begg Order of the Bath, Distinguished Service Order, Distinguished Service Cross was the British First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy from 1966 to 1968....
10 September, 1965 9 June, 1966
Admiral Sir Frank E. Hopkins 10 June, 1966 30 October, 1967
Admiral Sir John B. Frewen 31 October, 1967 27 February, 1970
Admiral Sir Horace R. Law 28 February, 1970 28 February, 1972
Admiral Sir Andrew Lewis
Andrew Lewis

More than one notable individual is named or has been named Andrew Lewis:*Andrew Lewis , British composer of acousmatic music*Andrew Lewis , contemporary Canadian politician...
29 February, 1972 29 June, 1974
Admiral Sir Derek Empson 30 June, 1974 30 October, 1975
Admiral Sir Terence Lewin 31 October, 1975 30 October, 1976
Admiral Sir David Williams
David Williams (Royal Navy officer)

Sir David Williams was an Admiral in the United Kingdom Royal Navy. From 31 October 1976 to 30 October 1978 he was the Flag Officer#United Kingdom on .From 1977 to 1979 he was the Second Sea Lord....
31 October, 1976 30 October, 1978
Admiral Sir Richard Clayton
Richard Clayton

Richard Clayton was an United States actor who became a talent agent. He repped for such high profile talent as Jane Fonda, James Dean and Burt Reynolds during his career as an agent....
31 October, 1978 30 June, 1981
Admiral Sir James Eberle 1 July, 1981 31 December, 1983
Admiral Sir Desmond Cassidi 1 January, 1983 30 October, 1984
Admiral Sir Peter Stanford 31 October, 1984 30 October, 1987
Admiral Sir John "Sandy" Woodward
Sandy Woodward

Admiral Sir John Forster "Sandy" Woodward Order of the British Empire, Order of the Bath is a United Kingdom Admiral who joined the Royal Navy in 1946 at age thirteen....
31 October, 1987 30 October, 1989
Admiral Sir Jeremy Black
Jeremy Black (admiral)

Admiral Sir John Jeremy Black, Order of the British Empire, Order of the Bath, Distinguished Service Order , known as Sir Jeremy Black, is a United Kingdom Royal Navy admiral who served as Second Sea Lord from 1989 to 1991....
31 October, 1989 30 March, 1991
Admiral Sir John Kerr 31 March, 1991 30 March, 1993
Admiral Sir Michael Layard 31 March, 1993 30 March, 1994
Admiral Sir Michael Boyce
Michael Boyce, Baron Boyce

Admiral Michael Cecil Boyce, Baron Boyce, Order of the Bath, Order of the British Empire, Deputy Lieutenant is a cross bench member of the British House of Lords, a former First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy and Chief of Defence Staff....
31 March, 1994 30 March, 1997
Admiral Sir John Brigstocke 31 March, 1997 18 January, 2000
Vice Admiral Sir Peter Spencer 19 January, 2000 28 January, 2003
Vice-Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent
James Burnell-Nugent

Admiral Sir James Michael Burnell-Nugent Order of the Bath, Order of the British Empire, Aide-de-camp was the Commander-in-Chief Fleet of the Royal Navy....
29 January, 2003 25 October, 2005
Vice-Admiral Sir Adrian Johns
Adrian Johns

Vice Admiral Sir Adrian James Johns Order of the Bath, Order of the British Empire, Aide-de-camp, is a senior officer in the Royal Navy and was until recently the Second Sea Lord....
25 October 2005 15 July, 2008
Vice-Admiral Alan Massey
Alan Massey (Royal Navy officer)

Vice Admiral Alan Massey Order of the British Empire ADC, is a senior officer in the Royal Navy and the Second Sea Lord. He assumed office in a ceremony aboard HMS Victory on 15 July 2008....
15 July, 2008 present

Gallery

External links

Royal Navy website
Official website
Society for Nautical Research website
- A historically accurate wooden scaled model ship of HMS Victory.

HMS Victory

Construction

In service

First Battle of Ushant

Second Battle of Ushant

Battle of Cape St. Vincent

Reconstruction

Nelson

After Trafalgar

Admirals who have hoisted their flag on the Victory

Gallery

External links