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#Post#: 75971--------------------------------------------------
Victory
By: Dave Date: September 28, 2013, 1:59 pm
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Last Saturday I got to do something that I've been wanting to do
for years - visit HMS Victory. Finally the planets aligned and
all the right people were in the right place at the right time
so off we went to the Historic Naval Dockyard in Portsmouth.
For those who don't know anything at all about the Victory all I
can say is that you are uncultured plebs with no appreciation of
the history of our country (for those outside the UK, I'll let
you off ;D ).
HMS Victory is the oldest commissioned naval vessel in the world
and was launched in the year 1765 at Chatham. She is a First
Rate, 104-gun line-of-battle ship and fought in various actions
but the most famous being that of the Battle of Trafalgar on the
21st of October 1805, where she was the flagship of Admiral Lord
Nelson, arguably Britain's finest naval commander and who was
mortally wounded on her quarterdeck and died later that day.
From her days in proper front line use she had many other uses
until being restored and opened to the public in 1922. After
many refits and restoration it is said that as little as 10% of
the original now exists. A bit like a lot of Land Rovers
really... :)
Unfortunately she is undergoing maintenance and didn't look her
best as the biggest part of the masts have been removed along
with most of the rigging.
[URL=
HTML http://s92.photobucket.com/user/soddit36/media/soddit36003/Victory-001.jpg.html][IMG]http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l5/soddit36/soddit36003/Victory-001.jpg[/img][/URL]
[URL=
HTML http://s92.photobucket.com/user/soddit36/media/soddit36003/Victory-022.jpg.html][IMG]http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l5/soddit36/soddit36003/Victory-022.jpg[/img][/URL]
The Admiral's great cabin. A place not only for planning a
battle but for entertaining dignitaries in port and showing off.
[URL=
HTML http://s92.photobucket.com/user/soddit36/media/soddit36003/Victory-005.jpg.html][IMG]http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l5/soddit36/soddit36003/Victory-005.jpg[/img][/URL]
The Admiral's sleeping quarters.
[URL=
HTML http://s92.photobucket.com/user/soddit36/media/soddit36003/Victory-007.jpg.html][IMG]http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l5/soddit36/soddit36003/Victory-007.jpg[/img][/URL]
The upper gun deck with 12-pounders.
[URL=
HTML http://s92.photobucket.com/user/soddit36/media/soddit36003/Victory-012.jpg.html][IMG]http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l5/soddit36/soddit36003/Victory-012.jpg[/img][/URL]
Armament on the fo'csle. 68-pounder Carronades, a.k.a
"smashers". These guns had a short barrel, firing a low-velocity
shot of great weight. The name Carronade comes from
manufacturers the Carron Iron Foundry who were near Falkirk.
Britain's advances in technology due to the industrial
revolution were ahead of those of the enemy. 68-pounder refers
to the weight of shot and this could be solid roundshot, grape
shot, which was a bag containing several smaller balls that
burst open in flight, or canister, which was a wood and thin
tinplate cylinder that contained hundreds of musket balls and
was used to clear the enemy's deck prior to boarding.
[URL=
HTML http://s92.photobucket.com/user/soddit36/media/soddit36003/Victory-010.jpg.html][IMG]http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l5/soddit36/soddit36003/Victory-010.jpg[/img][/URL]
The heads. Yes, this is where the common sailors took a shit.
The name comes from the catheads, which is the part of the ship
from which the anchors are hung.
[URL=
HTML http://s92.photobucket.com/user/soddit36/media/soddit36003/Victory-009.jpg.html][IMG]http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l5/soddit36/soddit36003/Victory-009.jpg[/img][/URL]
The spot on the quarterdeck where Nelson was hit by a musket
ball from an enemy marksman who was in the fighting tops of the
Redoutable.
[URL=
HTML http://s92.photobucket.com/user/soddit36/media/soddit36003/Victory-011.jpg.html][IMG]http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l5/soddit36/soddit36003/Victory-011.jpg[/img][/URL]
The galley.
[URL=
HTML http://s92.photobucket.com/user/soddit36/media/soddit36003/Victory-015.jpg.html][IMG]http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l5/soddit36/soddit36003/Victory-015.jpg[/img][/URL]
The lower gundeck with 32-pounders. It all looks so clean and
tidy and it's difficult to imagine the scene as it would have
been at Trafalgar with the thunderous boom of the guns as they
recoiled, the smoke and flame and the screams of the wounded and
the floor awash with blood. It must have been like hell. I guess
it would have been worse for the enemy as the British gunners
could fire twice as fast. They'd spent years sailing, training
and doing gun drill and practice whereas the enemy had been
bottled up in harbour for much of the time...
[URL=
HTML http://s92.photobucket.com/user/soddit36/media/soddit36003/Victory-013.jpg.html][IMG]http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l5/soddit36/soddit36003/Victory-013.jpg[/img][/URL]
Nelson's undress uniform.
[URL=
HTML http://s92.photobucket.com/user/soddit36/media/soddit36003/Victory-027.jpg.html][IMG]http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l5/soddit36/soddit36003/Victory-027.jpg[/img][/URL]
So, on the 21st of October this year, Remember Nelson - without
him we'd all be speaking French!
#Post#: 75974--------------------------------------------------
Re: Victory
By: a twig Date: September 28, 2013, 2:27 pm
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Bril, went round it 18 years ago now. Thought it was ace the -
looks like it has been tarted up a bit since then. Mental stugg
what those people had to go through on the gun decks, no PTSD in
those days...
#Post#: 75975--------------------------------------------------
Re: Victory
By: hippydave Date: September 28, 2013, 2:29 pm
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i loved going round there, and when see how they lived and
worked on there im glad i wasnt one of them
#Post#: 75977--------------------------------------------------
Re: Victory
By: Dave Date: September 28, 2013, 2:39 pm
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I know what you mean, Dave. They must have been proper hard men.
We don't know we're born these days. Not just in the way these
men fought but in how everyone lived in those days.
#Post#: 76015--------------------------------------------------
Re: Victory
By: clunk Date: September 29, 2013, 2:53 am
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[quote author=Dave link=topic=6870.msg75977#msg75977
date=1380397140]
I know what you mean, Dave. They must have been proper hard men.
We don't know we're born these days. Not just in the way these
men fought but in how everyone lived in those days.
[/quote]
Too true.
Our local hero is the largely unknown Captain Sir William Peel
V.C. K.C.B. He financed and built the Sandy to Potton
Railway with it's little loco Shannon, named after his ship HMS
Shannon one of the first steam frigates. The ship is long gone
but the loco is now at Didcot ~ we want it back in Sandy but
no chance.
Peel was effectively awarded the VC three times.
Ordered to the Crimea in his frigate Diamond he formed a naval
brigade and dragged the ships heavy guns overland to Sebastopol.
Spotting a Russian shell falling into an ammunition dump he ran
over and lobbed the shell over a wall just as it exploded.
This was his first VC nomination.
Later using his telescope he spotting the colour party of the
Grenadier Guards in danger of being cut off by the Russians, and
seeing a way they could safely retreat he, apparently wearing
a top hat, and accompanied by his midshipman made his way
through the battlefield and directed them to safety. His second
VC nomination.
Still later he led his men in the assault by ladders on the
Redan a huge well defended Russian fortification. He was
severely wounded. His third VC nomination.
The system of adding bars to denoted a subsequent award of a
medal was not then in place. Peel's VC is engraved on the back
with the three dates of his award.
After the Crimean was over Peel was given HMS Shannon and order
to China, en route he was diverted to Calcutta as the Indian
Mutiny has broken out. Again forming a naval brigade he and
his men took his ships guns a thousand miles overland to relieve
the siege of Luknow. Again in the forefront of the action he was
wounded, he refused the carriage that had been arranged to take
him to the surgeon on the grounds that if a native cart was
good enough for his men it was good enough for him.
Unfortunately the previous casualty in the cart had suffered
from small pox, Peel contracted the pox and died shortly
after. He was 34. The VC was not awarded posthumously at
that time but we like to think he would have been nominated for
the fourth time.
They do still make 'em like that, but not very often.
#Post#: 76018--------------------------------------------------
Re: Victory
By: Drew Date: September 29, 2013, 3:24 am
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A great ship and a piece of history which needs maintaining,
regardless of cost.
However, I do need to point out two things which are glaring
examples of the unsophisticated approach to the manning and
upkeep of such a tremendous piece of sea power, aspects which
would have modern day health and safety types getting the
vapours.
In your second picture, Dave, the cannon apertures on the
gunwales would seem to have glass windows in them. Forget the
cost of replacing the glazing at the end of each battle; what of
the risk of shards of glass being sent all ways in to the skin
of the ship's hands?
Than there's the spot where Nelson fell...is it any wonder, when
you consider the fact there was a shiny brass plaque on what
was, doubtless, a wet deck. You may as well have covered the
boards in greasy banana skins and had done with it.
HMS Victory...a time-bomb of broken legs, whiplash and open
wounds. Thank goodness it's in dry-dock.
#Post#: 76019--------------------------------------------------
Re: Victory
By: mr.scruff Date: September 29, 2013, 3:34 am
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Great story Clunk, one I was unaware of.
Despite growing up just along the coast I only went to see
Victory twice and that was when I woz at skool. Would love to go
back and have a look.
#Post#: 76027--------------------------------------------------
Re: Victory
By: Lurch Date: September 29, 2013, 4:48 am
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I'm starting work outside Gunwharf tomorrow (until March) so
should get time to pop in and have a look in my lunchbreak 8)
#Post#: 76028--------------------------------------------------
Re: Victory
By: strang Date: September 29, 2013, 5:03 am
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Great pics - I have not seen her since I was a kid (so thats a
few years ago!)
She also took part in the Battle of Sole Bay
HTML http://adnams.co.uk/about/news/beer-news/adnams-broadside-and-the-battle-of-sole-bay/<br
/>which is an intersting story.
#Post#: 76181--------------------------------------------------
Re: Victory
By: bubble Date: September 30, 2013, 2:00 pm
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Looks better than it did when I last visited it. I used to live
in Portsmouth so went to see it a few times....!
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