HMS Victory

HMS Victory

As the week of travelling, exploration and discovery was coming to an end we journeyed to Portsmouth to visit the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard home to HMS Victory, HMS Warrior, The Mary Rose which was Henry VIII’s favourite ship and the naval museum.

HMS Victory was Lord Nelson flagship which is currently in dry dock and undergoing conservation work. She had a crew of 831 including Nelson and Captain Hardy and carried 102 guns spread over four decks and with 500 crew members living on the lower gun deck with the gun ports normally kept closed the conditions was dark, damp and smelly.  

She set sail from Portsmouth on 20th May 1803 in her black and yellow livery she chased the Spanish and French fleet until taking part in the most renowned Battle of Trafalgar which took place on 21st October 1805 just of the coast of south-west Spain. Lord Nelson led 27 British ships into battle against 33 enemy ships but although they won the battle Lord Nelson lost his life after he was shot by a sniper’s bullet which shattered his back bone. He lived long enough to know that he had won the battle and asked Hardy not to bury him at sea and he was transported back to Britain for a state funeral.

It was also astonishing to learn that the British Navy only had 458 crew killed including Nelson and 1208 injured while the French and Spanish casualties were huge with 3243 killed, 2538 injured and approximately 8000 captured. They then had the misfortune to be used as prisoners of war to dig out Portsmouth Docks to greatly increase the size of docks and the British fleet. 

The ship is incredible especially considering she is over 250 years old with plenty to see both on deck and below including Nelsons cabin and the crews living quarters. I would highly recommend a visit to see part of our naval history which is no too far to travel. Some of the photographs taken are below.