How long is hms victory

The battle was indecisive, and led to political dispute in both Britain and France. A relatively small British Fleet of 12 ships of the line intercepted a French convoy in poor weather and succeeded in capturing 15 transport ships, soldiers and seamen. The British fleet of 35 ships of the line had succeeded in resupplying Gibraltar for the third time in the course of the three-year-long Great Siege when it met with the combined fleets of France and Spain, consisting of 46 ships of the line.

The following battle again proved indecisive. The smaller British fleet of 15 ships of the line engaged an enemy numbering 27 ships of the line and succeeded in capturing 4 ships and Spanish seamen. The allies were soundly defeated, total losses reaching 22 ships without the Royal Navy losing one. These were stored in casks or bread bags in the Hold, but inevitably some went bad as barrels leaked, were infested by maggots or eaten by rats. In harbour the diet was better and more varied, with soft bread and fresh meat.

By the time of Trafalgar the disease of scurvy — which we now know is caused by a lack of vitamin C in the diet — had largely been overcome by efforts to provide regular fresh vegetables and add lemon juice to the rum ration.

Overall the diet was generous and provided approximately 5, calories per day, vital to sustain the crew in their hard, physical work. This was a practical solution to the problem of thirst since stored water was very bulky and rapidly became unfit for drinking. This usually contained between 4 and 8 men, one of whom was appointed mess cook for a week and took on the work of receiving, preparing and collecting their provisions.

At the time of Trafalgar, Victory had a crew of men. It would have been possible to sail and manoeuvre the ship with far fewer, but large numbers were needed to man her guns and fight in battle. From the Admiral like Nelson, down to the 31 boys on board, each person had a distinct role to play. Best known for her role in the Battle of Trafalgar, the Victory currently has a dual role as the Flagship of the First Sea Lord and as a living museum to the Georgian Navy.

Occasionally, Captain Hardy may be in his cabin, greeting visitors with tales from his adventures at sea.

Ask him questions and find out what life was like on-board. This will enable them to descend into the base of the dry dock and view the tonne ship from below. This is a first for her in dry dock and is a must do on your visit.

It also took part in the siege of Calvi in , as part of the British fleet that ousted the French from Corsica. After another refit during the winter of —95 Victory returned to the Mediterranean and became the flagship of the new commander-in-chief, Sir John Jervis.

Under him, the ship was present at the Battle of Cape St Vincent, 14 February , and played a key role in the opening stages of the battle. Badly battered in the action, Victory was sent home at the end of and converted into a hospital ship. The ship was badly damaged at Trafalgar, both in the masts and hull, so when it returned to Britain with Nelson's body on board in December , it was again given a major refit. HMS Victory lay permanently at anchor in Portsmouth harbour from Sentiment and the association with Nelson ensured the ship's survival.

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