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.