View source for HMS Victory

{{short description|1765 first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy}}
{{Other ships|List of ships named HMS Victory{{!}}List of ships named HMS ''Victory''}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = HMSVictory.jpg
| Ship caption = HMS ''Victory'' at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header = 
| Ship country = United Kingdom
| Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|Kingdom of Great Britain|naval}}
| Ship name = HMS ''Victory''
| Ship ordered = 14 July 1758
| Ship builder = [[Chatham Dockyard]]
| Ship laid down = 23 July 1759
| Ship launched = {{start date and age|1765|5|7|df=y}}
| Ship acquired = 
| Ship commissioned = 1778
| Ship decommissioned = 
| Ship in service = {{#expr:{{CURRENTYEAR}}-1778}} years
| Ship out of service = 
| Ship struck = 
| Ship reinstated = 
| Ship homeport = *[[Portsmouth Historic Dockyard]], England
* {{Coord|50|48|07|N|1|06|35|W|region:GB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| Ship captured = 
| Ship fate = 
| Ship status= *Active
* Flagship of the [[First Sea Lord]]
| Ship notes = 
| Ship honours = *Participated in:
* [[Battle of Ushant (1778)|First Battle of Ushant]] (1778)
* [[Battle of Ushant (1781)|Second Battle of Ushant]] (1781)
* [[Battle of Cape Spartel]] (1782)
* [[Battle of the Hyères Islands]] (1795)
* [[Battle of Cape St Vincent (1797)|Battle of Cape St Vincent]] (1797)
* [[Battle of Trafalgar]] (1805)
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = <ref name="Lavery, SoLv1 p175">Lavery, Ships of the Line, vol. 1, p. 175.</ref>
| Ship class = 104-gun [[first-rate]] [[ship of the line]]
| Ship displacement = 3,500 [[Long ton]] (3,556 [[tonnes]])<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/features/trafalgar-day/hms-victory
|publisher=[[Royal Navy]]
|title=HMS Victory
|access-date=8 April 2023 }}</ref>
| Ship tons burthen = 2,142 [[Builder's Old Measurement|bm]]
| Ship length = *{{convert|186|ft|m|abbr=on}} (gundeck),
* {{convert|227|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}} (overall)
| Ship beam = {{convert|51|ft|10|in|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship draught = {{convert|28|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship hold depth = {{convert|21|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship propulsion = Sails—{{convert|6510|sqyd|abbr=on}}
| Ship sail plan = [[Full-rigged ship]]
| Ship speed = up to {{convert|11|kn|km/h}}
| Ship complement = Approximately 850
| Ship armament = *Trafalgar:
* Gundeck: 30 × 2.75-ton [[32-pounder 56 cwt|long pattern Blomefield 32-pounders]] (15&nbsp;kg)
* Middle gundeck: 28 × 2.5-ton [[24-pounder long gun|long 24-pounders]] (11&nbsp;kg)
* Upper gundeck: 30 × 1.7-ton short 12-pounders (5&nbsp;kg)
* Quarterdeck: 12 × 1.7-ton short 12-pounder (5&nbsp;kg)
* Forecastle: 2 × medium 12-pounder (5&nbsp;kg), 2 × 68-pounder (31&nbsp;kg) [[carronade]]
| Ship notes = Height from waterline to top of mainmast: 205&nbsp;ft (62.5&nbsp;m)
}}
|}

'''HMS ''Victory''''' is a 104-gun first-rate [[ship of the line]] of the [[Royal Navy]]. She was ordered in 1758, [[laid down]] in 1759, and launched in 1765. With {{#expr:{{CURRENTYEAR}}-1778}} years of service as of {{CURRENTYEAR}}, she is the world's [[List of oldest surviving ships|oldest]] naval vessel still in [[Ship commissioning|commission]].

''Victory'' is best known for her role as [[Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson|Horatio Nelson]]'s [[flagship]] at the [[Battle of Trafalgar]] on 21 October 1805. She had previously served as [[Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel|Keppel]]'s flagship at [[Battle of Ushant (1778)|Ushant]], [[Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe|Howe]]'s flagship at [[Battle of Cape Spartel|Cape Spartel]] and [[John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent|Jervis]]'s flagship at [[Battle of Cape St Vincent (1797)|Cape St Vincent]]. After 1824, she was relegated to the role of harbour ship. In 1922, she was moved to a [[dry dock]] at [[Portsmouth]], [[England]], and preserved as a [[museum ship]]. She has been the flagship of the [[First Sea Lord]] since October 2012.

==Construction==
In December 1758, [[William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham|William Pitt the Elder]], as head of the British government, placed an order for the building of 12 ships, including a [[first-rate]] ship that would become ''Victory''.<ref>Mckay (2000) p. 9</ref> During the 18th century, ''Victory'' was one of ten first-rate ships to be constructed.<ref>Christopher (2010) p. 16</ref> The outline plans were based on {{HMS|Royal George|1756|6}}, which had been launched at [[Woolwich Dockyard]] in 1756, and the naval architect chosen to design the ship was [[Sir Thomas Slade]],  the [[Surveyor of the Navy]].<ref>Christopher (2010) pp. 15 & 16</ref> She was designed to carry at least 100 guns. The commissioner of [[Chatham Dockyard]] was instructed to prepare a [[dry dock]] for the construction.<ref>Eastland & Ballantyne (2011) p. 13</ref> The master shipwright in charge of construction was initially John Lock who died in 1762 and was replaced by  [[Edward Allin]], son of Sir [[Joseph Allin]], former Surveyor of the Navy.<ref>McGowan (2003) p. 10</ref> The [[keel]] was laid on 23 July 1759 in the Old Single Dock (since renamed No. 2 Dock and now Victory Dock), and the name ''Victory'' was chosen in October 1760.<ref>Christopher (2010) pp. 17 & 20</ref> In 1759, the [[Seven Years' War]] was going well for Britain; land victories had been won at [[Battle of Quebec (1759)|Quebec]] and [[Battle of Minden|Minden]] and [[naval battle]]s had been won at [[Battle of Lagos (1759)|Lagos]] and [[Battle of Quiberon Bay|Quiberon Bay]]. It was the ''[[Annus Mirabilis of 1759|Annus Mirabilis]]'', or Wonderful Year, and the ship's name may have been chosen to commemorate the victories<ref>Stilwell (2005) p. 145</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=English/British Naval History to 1815: A Guide to the Literature|page=129|isbn=9780313305474|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D4oNNsTdvEoC&q=HMS+Victory+mirabilis&pg=PA129|last1=Rasor|first1=Eugene L.|year=2004|publisher=Bloomsbury Academic }}</ref> or it may have been chosen simply because out of the seven names shortlisted, ''Victory'' was the only one not in use.<ref name=Vic572>{{cite web|url=http://www.hms-victory.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=153&Itemid=572|title=Service Life|publisher=HMS-Victory|access-date=1 October 2013|archive-date=1 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201023516/http://www.hms-victory.com/index.php?option=com_content|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=C19>Christopher (2010) p. 19</ref> There were some doubts whether this was a suitable name, since the previous {{HMS|Victory|1737|2}} had been lost with all hands in 1744.<ref name=C19/>

{{Multiple image
| image1            = HMS Victory and HMS Dauntless MOD 45151371.jpg
| caption1          = HMS ''Victory'' and HMS ''Dauntless''
| image2            = The Sick Room, HMS Victory.jpg
| caption2          = The Sick Room, HMS ''Victory''
| image3            = Interior HMS Victory, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Hampshire - geograph.org.uk - 3214777.jpg
| caption3          = Interior, HMS ''Victory''
| total_width       = 313
| perrow            = 2
}}
A team of 150 workmen was assigned to construct ''Victory''{{'}}s frame.<ref name=EB39>Eastland and Ballantyne (2011), p. 39</ref> Around 6,000 trees were used in her construction, of which 90% were [[oak]] and the remainder [[elm]], [[pine]] and [[fir]], together with a small quantity of [[lignum vitae]].<ref name=FAF>{{cite web|url=http://www.hms-victory.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=72&Itemid=105 |title=Facts & Figures |publisher=HMS Victory |access-date=27 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120501012634/http://www.hms-victory.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=72&Itemid=105|archive-date=1 May 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The wood of the hull was held in place by six-foot copper bolts, supported by [[treenail]]s for the smaller fittings.<ref name=EB39/> Once the ship's frame had been built, it was normal to cover it up and leave it for several months to allow the wood to dry out or "[[Seasoning (wood)|season]]". The end of the Seven Years' War meant that ''Victory'' remained in this condition for nearly three years, which helped her subsequent longevity.<ref>Eastland & Ballantyne (2011) pp. 15 & 16</ref><ref>Christopher (2010) pp.&nbsp;20–21</ref> Work restarted in autumn 1763 and she was [[Float-out|floated]] on 7 May 1765,<ref>Christopher (2010) p. 21</ref> having cost £63,176 and 3 [[shilling]]s,<ref name=Win>Winfield (2007) p. 6</ref> the equivalent of £{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|63176.15|1765}}}} today.{{Inflation-fn|UK|group=Note}}

On the day of the launch, shipwright Hartly Larkin, designated "foreman afloat" for the event, suddenly realised that the ship might not fit through the dock gates. Measurements at first light confirmed his fears: the gates were at least 9½ inches too narrow. He told his superior, master shipwright John Allin, who considered abandoning the launch. Larkin asked for the assistance of every available shipwright, and they hewed away enough wood from the gates with their [[adze]]s for the ship to pass safely through.<ref>{{cite news
|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/feb/22/how-hms-victory-nearly-never-made-it-to-the-battle-of-trafalgar
|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]
|date=22 February 2015
|title=How HMS ''Victory'' nearly never made it to the Battle of Trafalgar
|last=Kennedy
|first=Maev
|author-link=Maev Kennedy
|access-date=22 February 2015 }}</ref> However, the launch itself revealed significant problems in the ship's design, including a distinct list to [[starboard]] and a tendency to sit heavily in the water such that her lower deck gunports were only {{convert|4|ft|6|in|m|1|abbr=on}} above the waterline. The first of these problems was rectified after launch by increasing the ship's [[ballast]] to settle her upright on the keel. The second problem, regarding the siting of the lower gunports, could not be rectified. Instead it was noted in ''Victory''{{'}}s sailing instructions that these gunports would have to remain closed and unusable in rough weather. This had potential to limit ''Victory''{{'}}s firepower, though in practice none of her subsequent actions would be fought in rough seas.<ref name=EB40>Eastland and Ballantyne (2011), pp. 40–42</ref>

[[File:UK Defence Imagery Naval Bases image 06.jpg|thumbnail|An aerial shot of Portsmouth Historic Dockyard with HMS ''Victory'' in the centre during Trafalgar 200 celebrations.]]
Because there was no immediate use for her, she was placed [[in ordinary]] and moored in the [[River Medway]].<ref>Christopher (2010) p. 20</ref> Internal [[fitting out]] continued over the next four years, and [[sea trial]]s were completed in 1769, after which she was returned to her Medway berth. She remained there until France joined the [[American War of Independence]] in 1778.<ref>Winfield (2010), pp. 65–68</ref> ''Victory'' was now placed in active service as part of a general mobilisation against the French threat. This included arming her with a full complement of [[smoothbore]], [[cast iron]] [[cannon]]. Her weaponry was intended to be thirty 42-pounders (19&nbsp;kg) on her lower deck, twenty-eight [[24-pounder long gun]]s (11&nbsp;kg) on her middle deck, and thirty 12-pounders (5&nbsp;kg) on her upper deck, together with twelve 6-pounders on her [[quarterdeck]] and [[forecastle]]. In May 1778, the 42-pounders were replaced by 32-pounders (15&nbsp;kg), but the 42-pounders were reinstated in April 1779; however, there were insufficient 42-pounders available and these were replaced with 32-pounder cannon once again.<ref name=EB40/>

==Early service==

===First battle of Ushant===
{{Main|Battle of Ushant (1778)}}
[[File:Combat d'Ouessant juillet 1778 par Theodore Gudin.jpg|thumb|''The first battle of Ushant'' (1778) by Theodore Gudin. Admiral Keppel was later court martialed for allowing the French fleet to escape but was acquitted.]]
''Victory'' was [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] (put on active duty) in March 1778 under Captain [[John Lindsay (admiral)|Sir John Lindsay]]. He held that position until May 1778, when Admiral [[Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel|Augustus Keppel]] made her his [[flagship]], and appointed Rear Admiral [[John Campbell (captain)|John Campbell]] (1st Captain) and Captain [[Jonathan Faulknor the elder|Jonathan Faulknor]] (2nd Captain).<ref name=Win/> Keppel put to sea from [[Spithead]] on 9 July 1778 with a force of around twenty-nine [[ship of the line|ships of the line]] and, on 23 July, sighted a French fleet of roughly equal force 100&nbsp;miles <!-- nautical or statute? km value assumes statute -->(160&nbsp;km) west of [[Ushant]].<ref>Dull (2009) p. 101</ref><ref>Rodger (2005) pp.&nbsp;336–337</ref> The French admiral, [[Louis Guillouet, comte d'Orvilliers]], who had orders to avoid battle, was cut off from [[Brest, France|Brest]], but retained the [[weather gage]]. Manoeuvring was made difficult by changing winds and driving rain, but eventually a battle became inevitable, with the British more or less in column and the French in some confusion. However, the French managed to pass along the British line with their most advanced ships. At about a quarter to twelve, ''Victory'' opened fire on {{ship|French ship|Bretagne|1766|2}} of 110 guns, which was being followed by {{ship|French ship|Ville de Paris|1764|2}} of 90 guns.<ref name=C38>Christopher (2010) p. 38</ref> The British van escaped with little loss, but Sir [[Hugh Palliser]]'s rear division suffered considerably. Keppel made the signal to follow the French, but Palliser did not conform, and the action was not resumed.<ref name=C38/> Keppel was court martialed and cleared, and Palliser criticized by an inquiry before the affair turned into a political argument.<ref name=C38/>

===Second Battle of Ushant===
{{Main|Second Battle of Ushant}}
[[File:HMSVictoryFromTheFleetOffshore.jpg|thumb|upright|''Victory'' flying the [[Blue Ensign]] (with the [[Flag of Great Britain|pre-1801 Union Jack]]), from ''The Fleet Offshore'', 1780–90, an anonymous piece of folk art now at [[Compton Verney Art Gallery]] in [[Warwickshire]].]]
In March 1780, ''Victory''{{'}}s hull was [[Copper sheathing|sheathed]] with 3,923 sheets of copper below the waterline to protect it against [[shipworm]].<ref name=FAF/> On 2 December 1781, the ship, now commanded by Captain Henry Cromwell and bearing the flag of Rear Admiral [[Richard Kempenfelt]], sailed with eleven other ships of the line, a 50-gun [[fourth-rate]], and five [[frigate]]s,<ref name=C42>Christopher (2010) p. 42</ref> to intercept a French [[convoy]] that had sailed from [[Brest, France|Brest]] on 10 December. Not knowing that the convoy was protected by twenty-one ships of the line under the command of [[Luc Urbain de Bouexic, comte de Guichen]], Kempenfelt ordered a chase when they were sighted on 12 December and began the battle.<ref name=C42/> When he noted the French superiority, he contented himself with capturing fifteen sail of the convoy. The French were dispersed in a gale and forced to return home.<ref name=C42/>

===Siege of Gibraltar===
{{Main|Great Siege of Gibraltar}}

''Victory''{{'}}s armament was slightly upgraded in 1782 with the replacement of all of her 6-pounders with 12-pounder cannon. Later, she also carried two [[carronade gun]]s, firing 68-lb (31&nbsp;kg) round shot.<ref name="Vic479">{{cite web |url=http://www.hms-victory.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=94&Itemid=479 |title=Armament |publisher=HMS-Victory |access-date=1 October 2013 |archive-date=5 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305175904/http://hms-victory.com/index.php?id=94&itemid=479&option=com_content&view=article |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In October 1782, ''Victory'' under [[Admiral]] [[Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe|Richard Howe]] was the fleet [[flagship]] of a powerful escort flotilla for a convoy of transports which resupplied Gibraltar in the event of a blockade by the French and Spanish navies. No resistance was encountered on entering the straits and the supplies were successfully unloaded. There was a [[Battle of Cape Spartel|minor engagement]] at the time of departure, in which ''Victory'' did not fire a shot. The British ships were under orders to return home and did so without major incident.<ref>Sayer, Capt Frederick [https://archive.org/stream/historyofgibralt00sayeuoft#page/398/mode/2up The history of Gibraltar and of its political relation to events in Europe&nbsp;... pp.&nbsp;398–403. Saunders, Otley & Co., 1862]</ref><ref>Wharton, Capt. W. J. L. [https://archive.org/stream/shorthistoryofhm00wharrich#page/12/mode/2up A short history of HMS ''Victory''] pp.&nbsp;12–15. Griffin & Co, 1884</ref>

=== Battle of the Hyères Islands ===
{{Main|Battle of the Hyères Islands}}

In July 1795. ''Victory'' sunk a French rowboat in this battle and suffered minimum damage.

===Battle of Cape St. Vincent===
{{Main|Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1797)}}
[[File:Batalha do Cabo de São Vicente.jpg|thumb|right|''The Battle of Cape Saint Vincent'', [[Richard Brydges Beechey]], 1881]]
In 1796, Captain [[Robert Calder]] (First Captain) and Captain [[Sir George Grey, 1st Baronet|George Grey]] (Second Captain), commanded ''Victory'' under Admiral Sir [[John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent|John Jervis]]'s flag.<ref name=Win/><ref name=Wil91>Willis (2013) p. 91</ref> By the end of 1796, the British position in the Mediterranean had become untenable. Jervis had stationed his fleet off Cape St Vincent to prevent the Spanish from sailing north, whilst [[Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson|Horatio Nelson]] was to oversee the evacuation of [[Elba]].<ref name=BW399>Wilson (2013) p. 399</ref><ref name=Wil90>Willis (2013) p. 90</ref> Once the evacuation had been accomplished, Nelson, in [[French frigate Minerve (1794)|HMS ''Minerve'']], sailed for [[Gibraltar]]. On learning that the Spanish fleet had passed by some days previous, Nelson left to rendezvous with Jervis on 11 February.<ref>Vincent (2003) p. 180</ref> The Spanish fleet, which had been blown off course by easterly gales, was that night working its way to Cadiz.<ref name=Wil90/> The darkness and a dense fog meant Nelson was able to pass through the enemy fleet without being spotted and join Jervis on 13 February.<ref name=Wil102>Willis (2013) p. 102</ref> Jervis, whose fleet had been reinforced on 5 February by five ships from Britain under [[Sir William Parker, 1st Baronet, of Harburn|Rear-Admiral William Parker]], now had 15 ships of the line.<ref>Vincent (2003) p. 163</ref> The following morning, having drawn up his fleet into two columns, Jervis impressed upon the officers on ''Victory''{{'}}s quarterdeck how, "A victory to England is very essential at the moment". Jervis was not aware of the size of the fleet he was facing, but at around 0630 hours, received word that five Spanish warships were to the south-east.<ref name=Wil91/> By 0900 hours, the first enemy ships were visible from ''Victory''{{'}}s masthead, and at 1100 hours, Jervis gave the order to form line of battle.<ref name=EB19>Eastland & Ballantyne (2011) p. 19</ref> As the Spanish ships became visible to him, Calder reported the numbers to Jervis, but when he reached 27, Jervis replied, "Enough, Sir. No more of that. The die is cast and if there are 50 sail, I will go through them".<ref>Willis (2013) pp.&nbsp;102–103</ref> The Spanish were caught by surprise, sailing in two divisions, with a gap that Jervis aimed to exploit.<ref name=Wil91/> The ship's log records how ''Victory'' halted the Spanish division, raking ships both ahead and astern, while Jervis' private memoirs recall how ''Victory''{{'}}s broadside so terrified [[Spanish ship Principe de Asturias (1794)|''Principe de Asturias'']] that she "squared her yards, ran clear out of the battle and did not return".<ref>Eastland & Ballantyne (2011) pp.&nbsp;19–20</ref> Jervis, realising that the main bulk of the enemy fleet could now cross astern and reunite, ordered his ships to change course, but [[Sir Charles Thompson, 1st Baronet|Sir Charles Thompson]], leading the rear division, failed to comply. The following ships were now in a quandary over whether to obey the Admiral's signal or follow their divisional commander. Nelson, who had transferred to {{HMS|Captain|1787|6}}, was the first to break off and attack the main fleet as Jervis had wanted, and other ships soon followed his example.<ref>Willis (2013) pp.&nbsp;92–93</ref><ref name="EB20"/> The British fleet not only achieved its main objective, that of preventing the Spanish from joining their French and Dutch allies in the channel, but also captured four ships.<ref name=EB20/> The dead and wounded from these four ships alone amounted to 261 and 342, respectively; more than the total number of British casualties of 73 dead and 327 wounded.<ref>Willis (2013) pp. 104, 105, 109</ref> There was one fatality aboard ''Victory''; a cannonball narrowly missed Jervis and decapitated a nearby sailor.<ref name=EB20>Eastland & Ballantyne (2011) p. 20</ref>

==Reconstruction==
{{Quote box
| bgcolor = #E0E6F8|
| title = 
| quote = "I have also observed that the ship is very weak [[abaft]]; the [[transom (nautical)|transoms]] between the lower and middle decks work ''[bend]'' exceedingly."
| source = — Naval architect Sir [[Robert Seppings]], describing defects aboard ''Victory'', September 1796<ref name=Goodwin35>{{cite journal|last=Goodwin|first=Peter|title=The Influence of Iron in Ship Construction: 1660 to 1830|journal=The Mariner's Mirror|publisher=Society for Nautical Research|location=Portsmouth, United Kingdom|year=1998|page=35|volume=84|issue=1|doi=10.1080/00253359.1998.10656674}}</ref>
| align = right
| width = 25%
| style = min-width: 15em
}}

On her return to England, ''Victory'' was examined for seaworthiness and found to have significant weaknesses in her stern timbers. She was declared unfit for active service and left anchored off [[Chatham Dockyard]]. In December 1798 she was ordered to be converted to a [[hospital ship]] to hold wounded French and Spanish [[prisoners of war]].<ref name=Win/><ref name=C43>Christopher (2010) p. 43</ref>

However, on 8 October 1799, {{HMS|Impregnable|1786|6}} was lost off [[Chichester]], having run aground on her way back to [[Portsmouth]] after escorting a convoy to [[Lisbon]].<ref name=C43>Christopher (2010) p. 43</ref> She could not be refloated and so was stripped and dismantled. Now short of a three-decked ship of the line, the [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]] decided to recondition ''Victory''. Work started in 1800, but as it proceeded, an increasing number of defects were found and the repairs developed into a very extensive reconstruction.<ref name=C43/> The original estimate was £23,500, but the final cost was £70,933.<ref name=Vic572/>
Extra gun ports were added, taking her from 100 guns to 104, and her [[Magazine (artillery)|magazine]] lined with copper. The open galleries along her stern were removed;<ref name=Goodwin35/> her [[Figurehead (object)|figurehead]] was replaced along with her [[mast (sailing)|masts]] and the paint scheme changed from red to the black and yellow seen today. Her gun ports were originally yellow to match the hull, but later repainted black, giving a pattern later called the [[Nelson Chequer|"Nelson chequer"]], which was adopted by most Royal Navy ships in the decade following the Battle of Trafalgar.<ref>Christopher (2010) pp.&nbsp;43–44</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Goodwin|first=Peter G.|title=The Application and Scheme of Paintworks in British Men-of-War in the Late Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries|year=2013|page=291|journal=The Mariner's Mirror|volume=99|issue=3|publisher=Society for Nautical Research|location=Portsmouth, United Kingdom|doi=10.1080/00253359.2013.815993|s2cid=162165859}}</ref> The work was completed in April 1803, and the ship left for Portsmouth the following month under her new captain, [[Samuel Sutton]].<ref name=Win/><ref name=C85>Christopher (2010) p. 85</ref>

==Nelson and Trafalgar==
{{Main|Trafalgar Campaign}}
[[File:Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1758-1805, 1st Viscount Nelson.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson|Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson]] flew his flag twice on ''Victory'']]
[[Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson|Vice-Admiral Nelson]] hoisted his flag in ''Victory'' on 18 May 1803, with Samuel Sutton as his [[flag captain]].<ref name=Win/> The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Nelson (Volume 5, page 68) record that "Friday 20 May a.m.&nbsp;... Nelson&nbsp;... came on board. Saturday 21st (i.e.the afternoon of the 20th) Unmoored ship and weighed. Made sail out of Spithead&nbsp;... when H.M. Ship Amphion joined, and proceeded to sea in company with us" – ''Victory's'' Log. ''Victory'' was under orders to meet up with Cornwallis off Brest, but after 24 hours of searching failed to find him. Nelson, anxious to reach the Mediterranean without delay, decided to transfer to {{HMS|Amphion|1798|2}} off Ushant. The Dispatches and Letters (see above) record on page 71 "Tuesday 24 May (i.e. 23 May p.m.) Hove to at 7.40, Out Boats. The Admiral shifted his flag to the Amphion. At 7.50 Lord Nelson came on board the Amphion and hoisted his flag and made sail – Log."

On 28 May, Captain Sutton captured the French {{HMS|Ambuscade|1773|2}} of 32 guns, bound for [[Rochefort, Charente-Maritime|Rochefort]].<ref>Winfield (2005) p. 194</ref> ''Victory'' rejoined Lord Nelson off [[Toulon]], where on 31 July, Captain Sutton exchanged commands with the captain of ''Amphion'', [[Sir Thomas Hardy, 1st Baronet|Thomas Masterman Hardy]] and Nelson raised his flag in ''Victory'' once more.<ref name=S149>Stilwell (2005) p. 149</ref>

''Victory'' was passing the island of Toro, near [[Majorca]], on 4 April 1805, when {{HMS|Phoebe|1795|6}} brought the news that the French fleet under [[Pierre-Charles Villeneuve]] had escaped from [[Toulon]]. While Nelson made for [[Sicily]] to see if the French were heading for [[Egypt]], Villeneuve was entering [[Cádiz]] to link up with the Spanish fleet.<ref>Best (2005) pp.&nbsp;109–110</ref> On 9 May, Nelson received news from {{HMS|Orpheus|1780|6}} that Villeneuve had left Cadiz a month earlier. The British fleet completed their stores in [[Lagos Bay|Lagos Bay, Portugal]] and, on 11 May, sailed westward with ten ships and three frigates in pursuit of the combined Franco-Spanish fleet of 17 ships.<ref>Best (2005) pp.&nbsp;115–116</ref> They arrived in the [[West Indies]] to find that the enemy was sailing back to Europe, where [[Napoleon|Napoleon Bonaparte]] was waiting for them with his invasion forces at [[Boulogne-sur-Mer|Boulogne]].<ref>Best (2005) p. 121</ref>

The Franco-Spanish fleet was involved in the indecisive [[Battle of Cape Finisterre (1805)|Battle of Cape Finisterre]] in fog off [[Ferrol, Spain|Ferrol]] with Admiral Sir [[Robert Calder]]'s squadron on 22 July, before taking refuge in [[Vigo]] and Ferrol.<ref>Best (2005) pp.&nbsp;135–137</ref> Calder on 14 August and Nelson on 15 August joined [[William Cornwallis|Admiral Cornwallis]]'s Channel Fleet off Ushant.<ref>Best (2005) pp.&nbsp;143–144</ref> Nelson continued on to England in ''Victory'', leaving his Mediterranean fleet with Cornwallis<ref>Best (2005) p. 144</ref> who detached twenty of his thirty-three ships of the line and sent them under Calder to find the combined fleet at Ferrol. On 19 August came the worrying news that the enemy had sailed from there, followed by relief when they arrived in [[Cádiz]] two days later. On the evening of Saturday, 28 September, Lord Nelson joined [[Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood|Lord Collingwood]]'s fleet off Cádiz, quietly, so that his presence would not be known.<ref>Best (2005) pp.&nbsp;169–170</ref>

===Battle of Trafalgar===
{{main|Battle of Trafalgar}}
[[File:John Wilson Carmichael - The opening engagement at Trafalgar; H.M.S. 'Royal Sovereign' raking the stern of the Spanish flagship 'Santa Ana'.jpg|thumb|The opening engagement at the [[Battle of Trafalgar]], by [[James Wilson Carmichael|J.W. Carmichael]] (oil on canvas, 1856)]]
After learning he was to be removed from command, Villeneuve put to sea on the morning of 19 October and when the last ship had left port, around noon the following day, he set sail for the Mediterranean.<ref>Best (2005) pp. 189 & 192</ref> The British frigates, which had been sent to keep track of the enemy fleet throughout the night, were spotted at around 1900 hours and the order was given to form line of battle.<ref name=B199>Best (2005) p. 199</ref> On the morning of 21 October, the main British fleet, which was out of sight and sailing parallel some 10 miles away, turned to intercept.<ref>Best (2005) p. 206</ref> Nelson had already made his plans: to break the enemy line some two or three ships ahead of their commander-in-chief in the centre and achieve victory before the van could come to their aid.<ref>Best (2005) p. 154</ref> At 0600 hours, Nelson ordered his fleet into two columns.
[[File:Captain John Quilliam RN.jpg|thumb|left|170px|[[First Lieutenant]] [[John Quilliam]] had devised an emergency steering system for ''Victory'' which he was able to bring to good effect at Trafalgar]]
Fitful winds made it a slow business, and for more than six hours, the two columns of British ships slowly approached the French line before {{HMS|Royal Sovereign|1786|2}}, leading the lee column, was able to open fire on ''[[French ship Fougueux (1785)|Fougueux]]''. Around 30 minutes later, ''Victory'' broke the line between the 80-gun French flagship ''[[French ship Bucentaure (1803)|Bucentaure]]'' and 74 gun ''[[French ship Redoutable (1795)|Redoutable]]'' and fired her guns at such close range that the flames of the guns were singeing the windows of the French flagship before the shockwave and cannonballs arrived. ''Victory''{{'}}s port guns unleashed a devastating broadside, raking ''Bucentaure'' and blowing a hole in the ship described{{by whom|date=August 2023}} as "large enough to drive a coach and four horses through." The maelstrom of cannonballs and grapeshot dismounted ''Bucentaure'''s guns and shredded her crew, killing and wounding somewhere between 300 and 450 men of the ship's 750- to 800-man complement in a matter of seconds, putting the French flagship out of action.<ref>{{Citation |title=Napoleonic Wars: Battle of Trafalgar 1805 Documentary | date=5 November 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRtUrvmok-c |language=en |access-date=2022-04-04}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=HMS Victory – The Original Fast Battleship | date=3 July 2019 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8udR6Hyr60 |language=en |access-date=2022-04-04}}</ref><ref>Stilwell (2005) pp.&nbsp;178–179</ref> At a quarter past one, Nelson was shot, the fatal musket ball entering his left shoulder and lodging in his spine.<ref>Stilwell (2005) p.181</ref> He died at half past four.<ref>Best (2005) p. 285</ref> Such killing had taken place on ''Victory''{{'}}s quarterdeck that ''Redoutable'' attempted to board her, but they were thwarted by the arrival of [[Eliab Harvey]] in the 98-gun {{HMS|Temeraire|1798|6}}, whose broadside devastated the French ship.<ref>{{cite book |last=Warwick |title=Voices from the Battle of Trafalgar |pages=200–201}}</ref> Nelson's last order was for the fleet to anchor, but this was countermanded by Vice Admiral [[Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood|Cuthbert Collingwood]].<ref>Best (2005) p. 295</ref> ''Victory'' suffered 57 killed and 102 wounded.<ref>Stilwell (2005) p. 159</ref>

''Victory'' had been badly damaged in the battle and was not able to move under her own sail, so {{HMS|Neptune|1797|6}} towed her to Gibraltar for repairs.<ref>Christopher (2010) pp.&nbsp;99–100</ref> ''Victory'' then carried Nelson's body to England, where, after lying in state at [[Greenwich]], he was buried in [[St. Paul's Cathedral]] on 9 January 1806.<ref>Christopher (2010) pp.&nbsp;101–104</ref>

==After Trafalgar==

===Final years afloat===
[[File:HMS Victory viewed from a helicopter. MOD 45145664.jpg|thumb|upright|Bird's-eye view of ''Victory'' in 2004.]]
[[File:HMS Victory - bow.jpg|thumb|upright|''Victory''{{'}}s bow and figurehead {{Circa|2007}}]]

The Admiralty Board considered ''Victory'' too old, and in too great a disrepair, to be restored as a first-rate ship of the line. In November 1807, she was relegated to second-rate, with the removal of two 32-pounder cannon and replacement of her middle deck 24-pounders with 18-pounders obtained from other laid-up ships. She was recommissioned as a [[troopship]] between December 1810 and April 1811.<ref name=Win67>Winfield (2010), pp. 67–68</ref> In 1812, she was relocated to the mouth of [[Portsmouth]] Harbour off [[Gosport]], for service as a floating depot and, from 1813 to 1817, as a [[prison ship]].<ref name=C107>Christopher (2010) p. 107</ref><ref name=Win67/>

Major repairs were undertaken in 1814, including the fitting of {{convert|3|ft|10|in|m|1|abbr=on}} metal braces along the inside of her hull, to strengthen the timbers. This was the first use of iron in the vessel structure, other than small bolts and nails.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Goodwin|first=Peter|title=The Influence of Iron in Ship Construction: 1660 to 1830|journal=The Mariner's Mirror|publisher=Society for Nautical Research|location=Portsmouth, United Kingdom|year=1998|pages=33–34|volume=84|issue=1|doi=10.1080/00253359.1998.10656674}}</ref> Active service was resumed from February 1817 when she was relisted as a first-rate carrying 104 guns. However, her condition remained poor, and in January 1822, she was towed into [[dry dock]] at Portsmouth for repairs to her hull. Refloated in January 1824, she was designated as the [[Port admiral]]'s flagship for Portsmouth Harbour, remaining in this role until April 1830.<ref name=Win67/>

===Victorian era===
[[File:Battleship1.jpg|thumb|left|HMS ''Victory'' moored in Portsmouth Harbour in 1884]]
In 1831 the Admiralty issued orders for ''Victory'' to be [[ship breaking|broken up]] and her timbers reused in other vessels.<ref name=Win67/> A public outcry against the destruction of so famous a ship led to the order being held in abeyance and ''Victory'' was left, largely forgotten, at a Portsmouth mooring.<ref name=Win67/> The Admiralty officially designated the ageing vessel as a [[ship's tender|tender]] for the port admiral{{'}}s flagship, {{HMS|Wellington|1816|6}}, and permitted civilian visitors to come aboard for tours.<ref name=Aberg359>{{cite journal|last=Aberg|first=Alan|title=Saving the Victory|journal=The Mariner's Mirror|publisher=Society for Nautical Research|location=Portsmouth, United Kingdom|pages=359–361|volume=91|issue=2|doi=10.1080/00253359.2005.10656955|year=2005|s2cid=162312253}}</ref> The ship briefly returned to the public gaze on 18 July 1833 when the queen in waiting, [[Queen Victoria|Princess Victoria]], and her mother, the [[Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld|Duchess of Kent]], made a visit to her quarterdeck to meet veterans of the Trafalgar campaign.<ref name=C107/> This generated a surge of interest in the vessel, and an increase in civilian visitor numbers to between 10,000 and 12,000 a year. Victoria returned for a second visit on 21 October 1844, creating a further burst of interest that lifted annual visitors to more than 22,000.<ref name=Aberg359/> In late April 1854, ''Victory'' sprang a leak and sank. All on board were rescued<ref name=LM020554>{{Cite news |title=Multum in Parvo |newspaper=Liverpool Mercury etc |location=Liverpool |date=2 May 1854 |issue=2582 }}</ref> and the ship was subsequently raised.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://navaltheater.com/ships/hms-victory-1765|title = HMS Victory (1765) |website=Naval Theater|access-date=23 July 2023|archive-date=27 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220627202017/https://navaltheater.com/ships/hms-victory-1765|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1887, she sprang a catastrophic leak, and it was only with some difficulty that she was prevented from sinking at her mooring.<ref name=Aberg359/> The Admiralty thereafter provided a small annual subsidy for maintenance, and in 1889 ''Victory'' became the home of a signal school in addition to being a tender.

The impact of so much human traffic also left her increasingly decrepit, particularly in the absence of Admiralty funding for repairs. [[Edward Seymour (Royal Navy officer)|Sir Edward Seymour]] visited the vessel in 1886 as flag captain to the [[Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth]] and recalled in 1911 "a more rotten ship than she had become probably never flew the pennant. I could literally run my walking stick through her sides in many places."<ref>Seymour (1911) p. 249.</ref>

The school remained in ''Victory'' until 1904, when training was transferred temporarily to {{HMS|Hercules|1868|6}}.<ref>{{cite web | url =http://www.rnca.org.uk/node/1035 | title =The First Signal Schools | publisher =Royal Naval Communications Association | access-date =5 October 2013 | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20130927005205/http://www.rnca.org.uk/node/1035 | archive-date =27 September 2013 | df =dmy-all }}</ref>

Despite her reuse as a school, ''Victory'' continued to deteriorate at her mooring. In 1903 she was accidentally rammed by {{HMS|Neptune|1874|6}}, a successor to the vessel that had towed her to Gibraltar. Emergency repairs prevented her from sinking, but the Admiralty again proposed that she be scrapped, and it was only the personal intervention of [[Edward VII]] that prevented this from occurring.<ref name=C111>Christopher (2010) p. 111</ref> Interest in the ship revived in 1905 when, as part of the centenary celebrations of the Battle of Trafalgar, she was decorated with electric lights powered by a submarine moored alongside.<ref name=C111/> In 1910, the [[Society for Nautical Research]] was created to try to preserve her for future generations, but the Admiralty was unable to help, having become embroiled in an escalating arms race; thus by the time Frank H. Mason published ''The Book of British Ships'' in 1911, ''Victory''{{'}}s condition was described as "nothing short of an insult".<ref name=C112>Christopher (2010) p. 112</ref><ref name=C113>Christopher (2010) p. 113</ref> A few glimpses of the ship in 1918 are to be seen towards the end of Maurice Elvey's biopic of Nelson created in that year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-nelson-the-story-of-englands-immortal-naval-hero-1918-online|title=England's Immortal Hero|access-date=21 April 2018}}</ref>

===In Dry Dock and Restoration 1921-1939===
[[File:Restoring HMS Victory, by William Lionel Wyllie.jpg|thumb|left|''Restoring HMS Victory'' ([[William Lionel Wyllie]], 1925)]]
By 1921 the ship was in a very poor state, and a public ''Save the Victory'' campaign was started, with shipping magnate [[Sir James Caird, 1st Baronet|Sir James Caird]] as a major contributor.<ref name="C114"/> On 12 January 1922, her condition was so poor that she would no longer stay afloat, and had to be moved into No. 2 dock at [[Portsmouth]], the oldest dry dock in the world still in use.<ref>Sarton, George (1946), "Floating Docks in the Sixteenth Century", Isis 36 (3/4): 153–154</ref><ref name=C114>Christopher (2010) p. 114</ref> A naval survey revealed that between a third and a half of her internal fittings required replacement. Her steering equipment had also been removed or destroyed, along with most of her furnishings.<ref name=Aberg359/>

The relocation to No. 2 dock sparked public discussion about ''Victory''{{'}}s future location. Suggestions in contemporary newspapers included the creation of a floating plinth atop which she could be preserved as a monument, either in Portsmouth or adjacent to the [[Royal Naval College, Greenwich]]. Others proposed a berth beside [[Cleopatra's Needle (London)|Cleopatra's Needle]] on the Thames, or a land-based structure in [[Trafalgar Square]]. Despite popular support, these options were not seriously entertained by the Admiralty. The naval architects who had surveyed the ship reported that she was too damaged to be moved; the Admiralty formally adopted their advice, and No. 2 dock thereafter became ''Victory''{{'}}s permanent home.<ref name=Aberg359/>

[[File:Victory Portsmouth um 1900.jpg|thumb|right| HMS ''Victory'' in Portsmouth, 1900.]]
On 21 October 1922 the Admiral of the Fleet [[Doveton Sturdee|Sir Doveton Sturdee]] issued a further public plea for "many thousands of pounds" of public donations in ''[[The Times]]''. He wrote: "The value of the Victory is no transitory thing. She must be preserved in order that our children's children may draw from her the same inspiration that we have drawn ourselves, and our fathers before us."<ref>{{cite news |title=We must preserve HMS Victory, the vessel that saved Britain from invasion |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/we-must-preserve-hms-victory-the-vessel-that-saved-britain-from-invasion-xgm3zvd9w |work=The Times |access-date=21 October 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

During the initial restoration period from 1922 to 1929, a considerable amount of structural repair work was carried out above the waterline and mainly above the middle deck. On 8 April 1925, ''Victory'' was temporarily refloated within Portsmouth's No. 2 dock, to adjust the supporting cradle and so that ''Victory''{{'}}s waterline would be at the same level with the top of the dry dock.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/15174.html|title=- National Maritime Museum}}</ref> This last refloating of ''Victory'' was recorded by Pathé news cameras.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P7jO9YFvuQ | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/6P7jO9YFvuQ| archive-date=2021-10-30|title=Nelson's Famous Flagship (1925) |author=British Pathé |website=YouTube | date=13 April 2014|access-date=1 September 2021 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdkCgWeXLfE | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/AdkCgWeXLfE| archive-date=2021-10-30|title=Raising HMS Victory in dry dock (1925) |author=British Pathé |website=YouTube | date=15 October 2020|access-date=1 September 2021 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In 1928, [[George V of the United Kingdom|King George V]] was able to unveil a tablet celebrating the completion of the work, although restoration and maintenance still continued under the supervision of the Society for Nautical Research.<ref name=C114/> Restoration was suspended during the [[World War II|Second World War]], and in 1941, ''Victory'' sustained further damage when a 500&nbsp;lb. bomb<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-15986730|title=How Lord Nelson's HMS Victory has been kept ship-shape|work=BBC News|date=December 2011}}</ref> dropped by the [[Luftwaffe]] broke her keel, as can be seen in Plate 1 in ''The Anatomy of Nelson's Ships'' by C. Nepean Longridge (1955), destroyed one of the steel cradles and part of the foremast. On one occasion, German radio propaganda claimed that the ship had been destroyed by a bomb, and the [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]] had to issue a denial.<ref>Christopher (2010) pp.&nbsp;114–115</ref>

[[File:HMS Victory Figurehead - geograph.org.uk - 548098.jpg|thumb|right| HMS ''Victory''{{'}}s figurehead]]

=== Post War Restoration 1945-2005 ===
After the Second World War, the frames of HMS ''Victory'' had rotted in situ, and in the 1950s, a number of preventive measures were instigated, including the removal of bulkheads to increase airflow and the fumigating of the ship against the [[deathwatch beetle]] which when emerging cause hundreds of bore holes weakening the oak frames and timbers. The following decade saw the replacement of much of the decayed oak with oily hardwoods such as teak and [[Iroko (hardwood)|iroko]], which were believed to be more resistant to fungus and pests.<ref>Christopher (2010) p. 115</ref>

The decision to restore ''Victory'' to her Battle of Trafalgar configuration was taken in 1920, but the need to undertake these important repairs meant this was not achieved until 2005, in time for the [[Trafalgar 200]] celebrations of which HMS ''Victory'' was centre stage for the event.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.culture24.org.uk/history-and-heritage/war-and-conflict/world-war-two/art22897| title = HMS Victory's Reconstructed Grand Magazine Is Unveiled| date=1 July 2004 | author=David Prudames | publisher = Culture 24| access-date = 5 November 2013 }}</ref> ''Victory''{{'}}s fore topsail was severely damaged during the Battle of Trafalgar, perforated by upwards of 90 cannonballs and other projectiles. It was replaced after the battle, but was preserved and eventually displayed in the [[Royal Naval Museum]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.historicdockyard.co.uk/dockyard/trafalgarsail.php| title = Trafalgar Sail| publisher = Portsmouth Historic Dockyard| access-date = 15 October 2013| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131016023729/http://www.historicdockyard.co.uk/dockyard/trafalgarsail.php| archive-date = 16 October 2013| df = dmy-all}}</ref>

===2005-Present- 'The Big Repair'===
In November 2007, ''Victory''{{'}}s then-commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander John Scivier, paid a visit to {{USS|Constitution}} of the [[US Navy]], which is the world's oldest commissioned naval vessel still afloat. He met ''Constitution''{{'}}s commanding officer, Commander William A. Bullard III.<ref name="RoyalNavyVisit">{{cite web|last=Weis |first=Clay |title=HMS Victory Commanding Officer Visits USS Constitution |publisher=United States Navy |date=21 November 2007 |url=http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=33462 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003160324/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=33462 |archive-date=3 October 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In August 2011 the upper masts and rigging of HMS ''Victory'' were dismantled entirely across all three masts by a team of riggers and cranes; this allowed weight to reduce the pressure on the ship's hull to reduce the stress the upper masts placed upon the hull. This had not been the first time the masts had been worked on with each mast de-rigged throughout the 20th Century, but this was the first time they had been fully dismantled since the Second World War.

In December 2011, [[Defence Equipment and Support]] awarded an initial five-year project management contract to [[BAE Systems]], with an option to extend to ten years. The restoration is worth £16&nbsp;million over the life of the contract and will include work to the masts and rigging, replacement side planking, and the addition of fire control measures. It is expected to be the most extensive refit since the ship returned from Trafalgar.
[[File:-wsayof.jpg|thumb|HMS ''Victory'' Dock Walkway]]
Listed as part of the [[National Historic Fleet]], ''Victory'' has been the flagship of the [[First Sea Lord]] since October 2012. Prior to this, she was the flagship of the [[Second Sea Lord]].<ref>{{cite web | url =http://www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk/data/files/advisorypapers/annual_report20062007.pdf | title =Appendix B – Historic fleet core collection | work =First Annual Report April 2006 – March 2007 | page =46 | publisher =National Historic Ships Register | access-date =7 November 2013 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120905031358/http://www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk/data/files/advisorypapers/annual_report20062007.pdf | archive-date =5 September 2012 | url-status =dead }}</ref><ref name="1SL">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-19896257 |title=HMS Victory handed to First Sea Lord in Portsmouth |date=10 October 2012 |publisher=BBC News |access-date=12 October 2012}}</ref> She is the oldest commissioned warship in the world and attracts around 350,000 visitors per year in her role as a museum ship.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/heritage/news/10015441.Victory_welcomes_25_millionth_visitor/|title=Victory welcomes 25 millionth visitor|date=15 October 2013 |publisher=Southern Daily Echo|access-date=15 October 2013}}</ref> The current and 101st commanding officer is [[Lieutenant Commander]] Brian Smith, who assumed command in May 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/~/media/royal%20navy%20responsive/documents/profiles/smith%20brian.pdf|title=Lt Cdr B J Cmith|publisher=[[Royal Navy]]|access-date=1 February 2016}}</ref>

Since this contract was placed, the most significant change has been on 5 March 2012, when ownership of the ship was transferred from the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] to a dedicated HMS ''Victory'' Preservation Trust, established as part of the [[National Museum of the Royal Navy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/our-organisation/where-we-are/heritage/hms-victory|title=Heritage – HMS Victory|publisher=Royal Navy|access-date=28 December 2015}}</ref> According to the Royal Navy website, the move was "heralded by the announcement of a £25 million capital grant to support the new Trust by the Gosling Foundation – a donation which has been matched by a further £25 million from the MOD".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fleetairarmoa.org/news/50-million-boost-for-hms-victory|title=£50million boost for HMS Victory|access-date=28 December 2015}}</ref>
[[File:HMSVTrafalgarDay-2022.jpg|left|thumb|HMS ''Victory'' on Trafalgar Day 2022- Conservation scaffold erected over the midships keeping the ship dry whilst hull replanking is undertaken. The signal [[England expects that every man will do his duty]] is still flown off the Fore and Mizzen masts.]]
''Victory'' underwent a major restoration in 2017, it was discovered that the hull had been moving at a rate of half a centimetre each year, for a total of around 20&nbsp;cm since the 1970s. To combat this, a new prop system was installed over a period of three years from 2018 to 2021, which allows for precise readings of the stresses on the hull and a more even distribution of the stress, which will help preserve the ship.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.forces.net/news/hms-victory-needs-work-stop-it-sagging-under-its-own-weight| title=HMS Victory Is Sagging Under Its Own Weight| website=www.forces.net| access-date=9 November 2020|date=21 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=HMS Victory Safely Berthed| date=30 April 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujqUg2aTeqc| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/ujqUg2aTeqc| archive-date=2021-10-30|language=en|access-date=2021-10-15}}{{cbignore}}</ref> From this work a new walkway was installed under the hull of HMS ''Victory'' to enable visitors to explore under the hull of the ship and stern itself.

The lower mainmast of ''Victory'' was removed in 2021 for conservation which was the beginning of a major set of works to construct a large scaffold over the ship to allow for hull replanking over the next decade.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-05-15 |title=HMS Victory's lower mast removed for first time since 1894 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-57127277 |access-date=2021-10-15 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> The scaffold allows shipwrights access to the ship's hull to remove and replace the existing planking installed between the 1980s and 2000s. It also includes a visitor walkway on multiple levels to allow visitors to see the work being undertaken by the [[National Museum of the Royal Navy]]'s shipwrights.<ref>{{Cite web |title=HMS Victory: The Big Repair Information Hub {{!}} National Museum of the Royal Navy |url=https://www.nmrn.org.uk/hms-victory-live-big-repair |access-date=2024-07-30 |website=www.nmrn.org.uk}}</ref> The scaffold was erected by PHD Access who had worked on other historic landmarks such as [[Big Ben]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Norton |first=Daniel |date=2018-05-31 |title=Scaffolding on Big Ben now complete after 'topping out' |url=https://scaffmag.com/2018/05/scaffolding-big-ben-now-complete-topping/ |access-date=2024-07-30 |website=Scaffmag - Scaffolding News & Jobs |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Admirals who have hoisted their flag in ''Victory''==
Over the two centuries since ''Victory''{{'}}s launch, numerous admirals have hoisted their flag in her:
{| class="wikitable" style="width:60%;"
|-
! colspan="3" | List of Admirals
|-
! Admiral !! From !! Until
|-
|Admiral [[Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel|Augustus Keppel]]
|16 May 1778
|28 October 1778
|-
|Admiral [[Charles Hardy|Sir Charles Hardy]]
|19 March 1779
|14 May 1780
|-
|Admiral [[Sir Francis Geary, 1st Baronet|Francis Geary]]
|24 May 1780
|28 August 1780
|-
|Rear-Admiral [[Francis William Drake]]
|26 September 1780
|29 December 1780
|-
|Vice-Admiral [[Sir Hyde Parker, 5th Baronet|Hyde Parker]]
|20 March 1781
|31 May 1781
|-
|Commodore [[John Elliot (Royal Navy officer)|John Elliott]]
|June 1781
|August 1781
|-
|Rear-Admiral [[Richard Kempenfelt]]
|10 September 1781
|11 March 1782
|-
|Admiral [[Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe|Lord Howe]]
|20 April 1782
|14 November 1782
|-
|Admiral [[Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe|Lord Howe]]
|July 1790
|August 1790
|-
|Vice-Admiral [[Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood|Lord Hood]]
|August 1790
|January 1791
|-
|Commodore [[Hyde Parker (admiral)|Sir Hyde Parker]]
|January 1791
|September 1791
|-
|Rear-Admiral [[Hyde Parker (admiral)|Sir Hyde Parker]]
|6 February 1793
|May 1793
|-
|Admiral [[Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood|Lord Hood]]
|6 May 1793
|15 December 1794
|-
|Rear-Admiral [[Robert Mann (Royal Navy officer)|Robert Mann]]
|8 July 1795
|27 September 1795
|-
|Vice-Admiral [[Robert Linzee]]
|October 1795
|November 1795
|-
|Admiral [[John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent|Sir John Jervis]]
|3 December 1795
|30 March 1797
|-
|Vice-Admiral [[Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson|Lord Nelson]]
|8 May 1803
|21 October 1805
|-
|Vice-Admiral [[James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez|Sir James Saumarez]]
|18 March 1808
|9 December 1808
|-
|Vice-Admiral [[James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez|Sir James Saumarez]]
|8 April 1809
|December 1809
|-
|Vice-Admiral [[James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez|Sir James Saumarez]]
|11 March 1810
|3 December 1810
|-
|Rear-Admiral [[Joseph Sydney Yorke|Sir Joseph Yorke]]
|December 1810
|March 1811
|-
|Vice-Admiral [[James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez|Sir James Saumarez]]
|2 April 1811
|25 December 1811
|-
|Vice-Admiral [[James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez|Sir James Saumarez]]
|14 April 1812
|15 October 1812
|-
|Admiral [[George Martin (Royal Navy officer)|Sir George Martin]]
|January 1824
|April 1827
|-
|Rear-Admiral [[Frederick Lewis Maitland (Royal Navy rear-admiral)|Sir Frederick Maitland]]
|June 1832
|July 1837
|-
|Rear-Admiral [[Duncombe Pleydell-Bouverie]]
|July 1837
|August 1842
|-
|Rear-Admiral [[Hyde Parker (Sea Lord)|Hyde Parker]]
|August 1842
|October 1847
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Sir Charles Ogle, 2nd Baronet|Charles Ogle]]
|20 March 1848
|19 December 1848
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Thomas Bladen Capel|Thomas Capel]]
|20 December 1848
|19 December 1851
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Thomas Briggs (Royal Navy officer)|Thomas Briggs]]
|20 December 1851
|19 March 1853
|-
|Vice Admiral Sir [[Thomas John Cochrane|Thomas Cochrane]]
|20 March 1854
|19 March 1856
|-
|Vice Admiral Sir [[George Seymour (Royal Navy officer)|George Seymour]]
|20 March 1856
|19 March 1859
|-
|Admiral Sir [[William Bowles (Royal Navy officer)|William Bowles]]
|20 March 1859
|19 March 1860
|-
|Vice Admiral Sir [[Henry Bruce (Royal Navy officer, born 1792)|Henry Bruce]]
|20 March 1860
|19 December 1864
|-
|Vice Admiral Sir [[Michael Seymour (Royal Navy officer)|Michael Seymour]]
|20 December 1864
|19 March 1866
|-
|Vice Admiral Sir [[Sir Thomas Sabine Pasley, 2nd Baronet|Thomas Pasley]]
|20 March 1866
|20 March 1869
|-
|[[Ship's tender|Tender]] to {{HMS|Duke of Wellington|1852|6}}
|20 December 1869
|1 September 1891
|-
|Admiral [[Richard Meade, 4th Earl of Clanwilliam|The Earl of Clanwilliam]]
|1 August 1891
|17 September 1894
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Nowell Salmon]] [[Victoria Cross|VC]]
|18 September 1894
|31 August 1897
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, 3rd Baronet|Michael Culme-Seymour]]
|1 September 1897
|17 November 1900
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Charles Frederick Hotham|Charles Hotham]]
|18 November 1900
|30 September 1903
|-
|Admiral Sir [[John Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher|John Fisher]]
|1 October 1903
|18 March 1904
|-
|colspan=3|The Port Admiral's flag moved to {{HMS|Hercules|1868|6}}
and on 1 February 1905, to {{HMS|Firequeen||2}}
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Archibald Lucius Douglas|Archibald Douglas]]
|18 March 1905
|1 March 1907
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Day Bosanquet]]
|2 March 1907
|17 March 1908
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Arthur Dalrymple Fanshawe|Arthur Fanshawe]]
|18 March 1908
|30 April 1910
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Assheton Curzon-Howe]]
|1 May 1910
|17 March 1911
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Arthur Moore (Royal Navy officer)|Arthur Moore]]
|18 March 1911
|31 July 1912
|-
|Admiral of the Fleet Sir [[Hedworth Meux]]
|1 August 1912
|17 February 1916
|-
|Admiral The Hon Sir [[Stanley Colville]]
|18 February 1916
|17 April 1919
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Cecil Burney]]
|18 April 1919
|17 June 1920
|-
|Admiral Hon Sir [[Somerset Gough-Calthorpe]]
|18 June 1920
|31 May 1923
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Sydney Fremantle]]
|1 June 1923
|1 April 1926
|-
|Admiral [[Osmond Brock|Sir Osmond Brock]]
|18 May 1926
|30 April 1929
|-
|Admiral of the Fleet Sir [[Roger Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes|Roger Keyes]]
|1 May 1929
|17 June 1931
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Arthur Waistell]]
|18 June 1931
|17 February 1934
|-
|Admiral of the Fleet [[John Kelly (Royal Navy officer)|Sir John Kelly]]
|18 February 1931
|31 August 1936
|-
|Admiral of the Fleet [[William Boyle, 12th Earl of Cork|The Earl of Cork and Orrery]]
|18 August 1937
|30 June 1939
|-
|Admiral Sir [[William Milbourne James|William James]]
|1 July 1939
|30 September 1942
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Charles Little (Royal Navy officer)|Charles Little]]
|1 October 1942
|28 September 1945
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Geoffrey Layton]]
|29 September 1945
|29 June 1947
|-
|Admiral [[Bruce Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of North Cape|The Lord Fraser of North Cape]]
|30 June 1947
|18 April 1949
|-
|Admiral of the Fleet Sir [[Algernon Willis]]
|19 April 1949
|17 October 1950
|-
|Admiral of the Fleet Sir [[Arthur Power]]
|18 October 1950
|17 October 1952
|-
|Admiral Sir [[John Edelsten]]
|18 October 1952
|17 October 1954
|-
|Admiral of the Fleet Sir [[George Creasy]]
|18 October 1954
|17 July 1957
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Guy Grantham]]
|18 July 1957
|17 July 1959
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Manley Laurence Power|Manley Power]]
|18 July 1959
|17 January 1962
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Alexander Bingley]]
|18 January 1962
|17 January 1963
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Wilfrid Woods]]
|18 January 1963
|9 September 1965
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Varyl Begg]]
|10 September 1965
|9 June 1966
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Frank Hopkins (Royal Navy officer)|Frank Hopkins]]
|10 June 1966
|30 October 1967
|-
|Admiral Sir [[John Frewen]]
|31 October 1967
|27 February 1970
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Horace Law]]
|28 February 1970
|28 February 1972
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Andrew Lewis (Royal Navy officer)|Andrew Lewis]]
|29 February 1972
|29 June 1974
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Derek Empson]]
|30 June 1974
|30 October 1975
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Terence Lewin, Baron Lewin|Terence Lewin]]
|31 October 1975
|30 October 1976
|-
|Admiral Sir [[David Williams (Royal Navy officer)|David Williams]]
|31 October 1976
|30 October 1978
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Richard Clayton (Royal Navy officer)|Richard Clayton]]
|31 October 1978
|30 June 1981
|-
|Admiral Sir [[James Eberle]]
|1 July 1981
|31 December 1983
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Desmond Cassidi]]
|1 January 1983
|30 October 1984
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Peter Stanford (Royal Navy officer)|Peter Stanford]]
|31 October 1984
|30 October 1987
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Sandy Woodward|John "Sandy" Woodward]]
|31 October 1987
|30 October 1989
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Jeremy Black (Royal Navy officer)|Jeremy Black]]
|31 October 1989
|30 March 1991
|-
|Admiral Sir [[John Kerr (Royal Navy officer)|John Kerr]]
|31 March 1991
|30 March 1993
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Michael Layard]]
|31 March 1993
|30 March 1994
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Michael Boyce, Baron Boyce|Michael Boyce]]
|31 March 1994
|30 March 1997
|-
|Admiral Sir [[John Brigstocke]]
|31 March 1997
|18 January 2000
|-
|Vice Admiral Sir [[Peter Spencer (Royal Navy officer)|Peter Spencer]]
|19 January 2000
|28 January 2003
|-
|Vice-Admiral Sir [[James Burnell-Nugent]]
|29 January 2003
|25 October 2005
|-
|Vice-Admiral Sir [[Adrian Johns]]
|25 October 2005
|15 July 2008
|-
|Vice-Admiral Sir [[Alan Massey]]
|15 July 2008
|19 July 2010
|-
|Vice-Admiral Sir [[Charles Montgomery (Royal Navy officer)|Charles Montgomery]]
|19 July 2010
|9 October 2012
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Mark Stanhope]]
|9 October 2012
|9 April 2013
|-
|Admiral Sir [[George Zambellas]]
|9 April 2013
|8 April 2016
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Philip Jones (Royal Navy officer)|Philip Jones]]
|8 April 2016
|19 June 2019
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Tony Radakin]]
|19 June 2019
|8 November 2021
|-
|Admiral Sir [[Ben Key]]
|8 November 2021
|Present
|}

== In popular culture ==

* HMS ''Victory'' served as the inspiration for the fictional Royal Navy ship HMS ''Dauntless'' in the 2003 [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] film ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl]].''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Singer |first=Michael |title=Bring Me That Horizon: The Making of Pirates of the Caribbean |publisher=Disney Editions |year=2007 |isbn=978-1423103196 |pages=101}}</ref>
* The ship was used as a basis for the ship of the line in the opening song "Look Down" in the 2012 film adaptation of ''[[Les Misérables (2012 film)|Les Misérables]]'', which was filmed in HMNB Portsmouth.
* For the film ''[[Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World]]'' the production team worked with curators to help accurately depict life on board a sailing navy era ship.
* [[Lloyds Bank]] filmed a section of their 2017 'By Your Side' advert alongside ''Victory'' with the famous black horse running by its port side, coincidentally Lloyds Bank was founded nearly a month after HMS ''Victory'' was launched in 1765.
* ''Victory''{{'}}s Great Cabin stood in for {{HMS|Bellerophon|1786|6}} in the 2023 biopic ''[[Napoleon (2023 film)|Napoleon]]'', in a fictitious scene depicting a meeting between Napoleon and the [[Duke of Wellington]] when ''Bellerophon'' anchored off the UK.
* ''Victory'' and its ongoing restoration is often is labelled 'Trigger's Broom' after the character tells an anecdote in ''[[Only Fools and Horses]]'' which is loosely similar to the paradox [[Ship of Theseus]]. Whilst HMS ''Victory'' has had the majority of her structure replaced, it is not unusual for ships of her era to do so.
* In the ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' episode "[[Elementary, Dear Data]]", Lieutenant [[Geordi La Forge]] shows a model he made of HMS ''Victory'', which he intends to present to the USS ''Victory'', to Captain [[Jean-Luc Picard]] and Lieutenant Commander [[Data (Star Trek)|Data]].

==See also==
{{Portal|Museums|United Kingdom}}
* [[Tenants Harbor Light]] in Maine, US, which contains a replica of Lord Nelson's cabin

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=Note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |first1= Nicholas|last1= Best|title= Trafalgar – The Untold Story of the Greatest Sea Battle in History|publisher= The Orion Publishing Group Ltd|location= London|year=2005|isbn=0-297-84622-1 }}
* {{cite book |first1= John|last1= Christopher|title= The HMS Victory Story|publisher= The History Press|location= Stroud|year=2010 |isbn=978-0-7524-5605-8 }}
* {{cite book |first1= Jonathan R.|last1= Dull|title= The Age of the Ship of the Line|publisher= Seaforth Publishing|location= Barnsley|year=2009 |isbn=978-1-84832-549-4}}
* {{cite book |first1= Jonathan|last1= Eastland|first2= Iain| last2= Ballantyne|title= HMS Victory – First Rate 1765|publisher= Seaforth Publishing, Pen and Sword Books|location= Barnsley|year=2011 |isbn=978-1-84832-094-9 }}
* Lavery, Brian (2003) ''The Ship of the Line Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650–1850.'' Conway Maritime Press. {{ISBN|0-85177-252-8}}.
* {{cite book | author=Longridge, Charles. N | title=The Anatomy of Nelson's Ships | year=1981 | publisher=Naval Institute Press | isbn=0-87021-077-7}}
*{{cite book |title=HMS Victory: Her Construction, Career and Restoration|last=McGowan |first=Alan|year=2003 |publisher=Caxton Editions|location= London|isbn=1 84067 532 2}}
* {{cite book | first1= John| last1=McKay| title= The 100-Gun Ship Victory|publisher=Anova Books Ltd.|year=2000|isbn=978-1-84486-223-8}}
* {{cite book |first1= N.A.M|last1= Rodger|title= The Command of the Ocean|publisher= Penguin Books|location= London|year=2005 |isbn=0-14-028896-1}}
* {{cite book |first1=Sir Edward H. |last1=Seymour |title=My Naval Career and Travels |year=1911 |location=London |publisher=Smith, Elder & Co. }}
* {{cite book |first1= Alexander|last1= Stilwell|title= The Trafalgar Companion|publisher= Osprey Publishing|location= Oxford|year=2005|isbn=1-84176-835-9 }}
* {{cite book |first1= Edgar|last1= Vincent|title= Nelson: Love & Fame|publisher= Yale University Press|location= London|year=2003|isbn=0-300-10260-7 }}
* {{cite book | author=Warwick, Peter | title=Voices from the Battle of Trafalgar | date=September 2005 | publisher=David & Charles | isbn=0-7153-2000-9}}
* {{cite book |first1= Sam|last1= Willis|title= In the Hour of Victory – The Royal Navy at War in the Age of Nelson|publisher= Atlantic Books Ltd|location= London|year=2013 |isbn=978-0-85789-570-7}}
* {{cite book |first1=Ben |last1=Wilson |title= Empire of the Deep|publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson |location=London |year=2013 |isbn= 978-0-297-86408-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Winfield|first=Rif|title=British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714–1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates|year=2007|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|isbn=978-1-84415-700-6}}
* {{cite book|last=Winfield|first=Rif|title=British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates|year=2005|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|isbn=978-1-84415-717-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Winfield|first=Rif|title=First Rate: The Greatest Warships of the Age of Sail|year=2010|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=978-1-59114-264-5}}

{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|HMS Victory (ship, 1765)}}
* [https://NMRN.org.uk/hms-victory HMS ''Victory''] Official website
* [https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/our-organisation/where-we-are/heritage/hms-victory HMS ''Victory'']
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190602080918/http://militarynavalhistory.net/shippictures/art_hms_victory_01.htm Illustrated article about HMS ''Victory''].

{{Royal Navy ships}}
{{World's largest wooden ships}}
{{1854 shipwrecks}}
{{National Historic Ships}}
{{Oldest surviving ships (pre-1919)}}
{{NMRN}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Victory (1765)}}
[[Category:1765 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built in Chatham]]
[[Category:Horatio Nelson]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in April 1854]]
[[Category:Individual sailing vessels]]
[[Category:Museum ships in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Museums in Portsmouth]]
[[Category:Ships and vessels of the National Historic Fleet]]
[[Category:Naval museums in England]]
[[Category:Ships of the line of the Royal Navy]]
[[Category:Tall ships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Napoleonic-era ships]]