#battleoftrafalgar

HMS Victory: Nelson's Flagship & Oldest Ship of the Royal Navy

Smasher of Napoleon's invasion dream, veteran of three major wars, and scene of the death of the Royal Navy's greatest hero, HMS Victory is one of Britain's most famous warships. Curiously, and despite being on permanent display as a tourist attraction, Victory remains to this day a fully commissioned naval vessel. This is her story.

A First-Rate Warship

HMS Victory was constructed from 1759 at Chatham Dockyards in Kent to a design by Sir Thomas Slade. Built of solid oak and elm, the ship required the sacrifice of an incredible 2,500 mature trees. Completed in May 1765, the three-masted ship was over 227 ft (69 m) long and displaced 3,500 long tons. It was the largest ship yet built for the navy, and she was fast. In the right conditions, Victory could cut through the water with remarkable speed for her size thanks to 36 sails and an innovative hull design.

Victory was far from being a positive name for most of the sailors first assigned to her. This was because the last naval ship named Victory had sunk in 1744, with all hands drowned. This new Victory, actually the seventh British naval ship to carry that name, had a long wait to see active duty: 13 years, in fact. The first-rate warship carried a crew of over 800 and positively bristled with more than 100 guns set along three cramped decks. Victory was a major weapon for the British in the 1770s during the American Revolutionary War. The ship was then refitted and made the flagship of Vice-Admiral Lord Hood, who sailed her around the Mediterranean in the early 1790s during the French Revolutionary Wars.

Victory's fortunes then went into decline as her condition deteriorated. Serving as a hospital ship in 1797, Victory was slated to see out her days as a prison hulk, the ultimate fall from grace. The venerable old warship then received a last-minute reprieve. After the loss of HMS Impregnable in 1799, and with war looming against the old enemy, France, the Admiralty was obliged to bring Victory back into service.

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War of the Third Coalition

The War of the Third Coalition (1805-1806) was a major European conflict during the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815). It was fought by an alliance of nations that included the United Kingdom, Russia, Austria, Sweden, Naples, and Sicily, against the First French Empire of Napoleon I (r. 1804-1814; 1815), its client states, and its reluctant ally of Spain.

Today, 21st October, I commemorate Trafalgar Day, marking the 219th anniversary of one of the most decisive naval battles in history—the Battle of Trafalgar. On this day in 1805, the Royal Navy, commanded by Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, delivered a stunning victory over the combined French and Spanish fleets, ensuring Britain's naval supremacy for the next century.

The battle took place off the coast of Cape Trafalgar, Spain, during the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon Bonaparte sought to invade Britain, but the powerful French and Spanish fleets were thwarted by the tactical genius of Nelson. His famous battle plan, defying traditional naval tactics of parallel lines, saw the Royal Navy attack the enemy fleet in two columns, breaking through and scattering their forces.

Although the victory was decisive, it came at a great cost. Nelson himself was mortally wounded aboard HMS Victory, his final words reportedly being, "Thank God I have done my duty." His legacy, however, has lived on as a symbol of British courage, patriotism, and naval supremacy.

For those of us who hold an appreciation for history and the enduring significance of national defence, Trafalgar Day is a moment to reflect on how this single battle shaped the course of history. The Royal Navy's triumph prevented Napoleon's invasion of Britain, allowing the island nation to remain a bastion of liberty in Europe.