Ship model HMS VICTORY from 1765 on a scale of 1 : 72

HMS VICTORY and Admiral Nelson

The VICTORY was launched in 1765 at Chatham Naval Dockyard. The battleship was equipped with 100 guns from the start, but it was not until 1778 in the Battle of Ouessant against the French that it was used for the first time. This was followed by several naval battles of the battleship in shorter succession, again in 1781 in front of Ushant, in 1782 in front of Gibraltar, in 1793 in Toulon, in 1794 in front of Corsica and in 1797 in front of Cape Sao Vicente.

On 18 May 1803 she became the flagship of Admiral Horatio Nelson , who two years later, on 21 October 1805, won what is arguably the most important victory in the history of England at the Battle of Trafalgar . For 100 years England was the dominant sea power in the world.

In 1922 the VICTORY was put into dry dock in Portsmouth and has been open to visitors ever since. Despite all the modifications in the long history of the ship and the numerous repairs, many of the original woods from 1765 are still preserved today. More information about the ship can be found at HMS Victory , the official website of the National Museum of the Royal Navy.

On trips to Portsmouth in 2007 and 2018 I took many photos of the VICTORY in dry dock