Date: 2024-12-21 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00016276
Country: UK
History of the Royal Navy
Why is the HMS Victory still active in the Royal Navy?
Peter Burgess
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Date: 2024-12-21 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00016276 | |||||||||
Country: UK | |||||||||
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Burgess COMMENTARY Peter Burgess | |||||||||
| Why is HMS Victory still active in the Royal Navy? James Flack James Flack Answered Jan 27 Why is the HMS Victory still active in the Royal Navy? To wind up the US Navy. So long as HMS Victory remains in commission, USS Constitution isn’t the oldest in commission ship in the world. Yes, because of Nelson and Trafalgar, she has lots of attached history, but that would all function equally well as a non commissioned museum ship like HMS Warrior. But not the winding up the Americans. 13.6k Views · View Upvoters RecommendedAll Peter Burgess Mark Robberts Mark Robberts Jan 31 · 69 upvotes including James Flack If I might add what is a fascinating story (history), one not generally known, that concerns HMS Victory. Most people (world-wide) think of Victory as just an old, much revered relic of 1805, battle of Trafalgar, Horatio Nelson, et al. The all-embracing image of the Royal Navy, boasting of a glorious, unblemished history, one stemming from Trafalgar. But dig deeper and you will uncover much more interesting facets of a diverse, strange and even sad life. One governed to a large extent by luck and the changing faces of conflict. Her history is too convoluted and lengthy to relate in detail here, but it is well-worth looking up on say Wikipedia or suchlike. In brief, she was laid down and finally launched at Chatham on the 7th May 1785, then immediately declared surplus to requirements and lay at anchor for several years with a threat of breaking up hanging over her. However, she was re-commissioned and put back in service, eventually gaining a high reputation leading British fleets against the Americans during the war of independence. In following years she played her part in the French Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic War. But her main claim to fame - as many know it today -came as the flagship of Nelson at Trafalgar. However, her active service did not end there. Three years after Trafalgar she was re-commissioned to lead the British fleet in the Baltic. Following this she was once more deemed surplus to requirements and was relegated to the role of harbourservice, then in turn the following. A floating residence, an accommodation vessel, a storage ship, a leaking prison hulk rapidly deteriorating. Twice was deemed only fit to be broken up, but more by luck than judgment was saved. Once she ran aground and another time was rammed by another vessel. Not until many years later was she considered worth saving and the latter only came about following intervention by Queen Victoria. However, even then her troubles were not over. Placed in a dry dock in the lee of the signal tower, where she rests today; during restoration it was realised she could not withstand the weight of her many cannon on her decks. So they were removed and replaced with much lighter replica cannon. During WW2 Victory survived a near direct hit by a bomb dropped by a German aircraft. However, the biggest threat to her survival came to light more recently when it was realized that without water to support her in the dock, the pressure of the weight of the upper decks, her masts and rigging, were forcing her sides and lower decks outwards, which is why she is currently undergoing a major and extensive refit. For many later years Royal Naval court martials took place aboard her, using Admiral Nelson’s stateroom as the court room. And believe me - having taken part in what was virtually the last naval trial aboard her, I can vouch for the over-whelming, feeling of pride and emotion when standing in that impressive stateroom at such an event. However, those days are no more for since the 1960’s Royal Naval court martials have been held ashore. | |||||||||