HMS VICTORY

HMS Victory is a first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, started in 1759 and launched in 1765, most famous as Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar. She is the oldest naval ship still in commission, and now sits in dry dock in Portsmouth, England as a museum ship.

Career (UK) 
Name: HMS Victory
Ordered: 14 July 1758 Builder: Chatham Dockyard
Laid down: 23 July 1759
Launched: 7 May 1765
Commissioned: 1778 Honours andawards:
Participated in:
First Battle of Ushant (1778)
Second Battle of Ushant (1781)
Battle of Cape St Vincent (1796)
Battle of Trafalgar (1805)
Status: Active, preserved at Portsmouth, England

General characteristics Class and type: 100-gun first rate ship of the line
Displacement: 3,500 tons (3,556 tonnes)
Tons burthen: 2142 tons bm Length:186 ft (57 m) (gundeck),
227 ft 6 in (69.34 m)(overall) Beam: 51 ft 10 in (15.80 m)
Draught: 28 ft 9 in (8.76 m)
Depth of hold: 21 ft 6 in (6.55 m)
Propulsion: Sails—6,510 sq yd (5440 m²)
Sail plan: Full rigged ship Speed: 8 to 9 knots (15 to 17 km/h) maximum
Complement: Approximately 850 Armament:
Trafalgar:
Gundeck: 30 × 2.75 ton long pattern Blomefield 32 pounders (15 kg)
Middle gundeck: 28 × 2.5 ton long 24 pounders (11 kg)
Upper gundeck: 30 × 1.7 ton short 12 pounders (5 kg)
Quarterdeck: 12 × 1.7 ton short 12 pounder (5 kg)
Forecastle: 2 × medium 12 pounder (5 kg), 2 × 68 pounder (31 kg) carronade
Marines armed with muskets Armour: None, although oak hull thickness at waterline 2 ft (0.6 m) Notes: Height from waterline to top of mainmast: 205 ft (62.5 m)

HMS Victory was a First Rate Ship of the Line. This means that she had to have at least 100 guns-in fact at the time of Trafalgar she had 104.
Ships like HMS Victory did not have 'cannons' at sea these large weapons are always known as guns. Sailors also had small arms such as rifles and muskets.
Explore these pages to find out about HMS Victory's