AIR 09252 HMS Victory 1765 1/180

H.M.S. Victory is the fifth ship o1 the Royal Navy to bear this name, the first launched in 1559 was the flagship of Sir John Hawkins at the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. In 1758 it was decided to build twelve of the line, the largest to he a first rate of 100 aims. The new ship to be named the Victory was designed by Thomas Slade and launched oil May 7th 1765. In 1793 she took part in the capture of Toulon and in the next year in operations against Corsica. At the siege of Calvi men and guns from K.M.S. Victory were landed under the command of Captain Horatio Nelson who lost the sight of his eye from a wound during operations. In 1797 commanded by Admiral Sir John Jervis, the Victory took part in the battle of Cape St. Vincent where much of the victory was due to the action of Commodore Nelson commanding H.M.S. Captain, On October 21st 1905 H.M.S. Victory earned undying fame at the Battle of Trafalgar when the combined Heel of France and Spain was defeated. Nelson`s tactics confused the enemy and of their thirty-three ships eighteen were taken, four escaped to be rounded up two weeks later and the remainder struggled back, badly damaged to Cadiz. This battle ended Napoleon`s bid for mastery of the sea but Nelson himself was wounded by musket fire early in the engagement and died in the Victory`s cockpit as the battle ended. Following an extensive refit the Victory went back into service and was employed until November 1812. In 1824 she became flagship of the Portsmouth Command which duty she retains to the present day. Until 1922 the Victory was berthed in Portsmouth harbour but she was then removed to No. 2 Dock and completely restored to the condition and appearance she was in at Trafalgar. Much work is still being done to preserve H.M.S. Victory as perfectly as possible and thousands of visitors go aboard this famous vessel each year. H.M.S. Victory is 226ft. 6ins. from figure head to taffrail, has a keel length of 152ft. 3ins. and extreme beam of 51ft. 10ins. Tonnage is 2.162 tons and she originally carried 104 guns including 30 thirty-two pounders on the lower deck, 28 twenty-four pounders on the middle gun deck, 30 twelve pounders on the upper gun deck and 2 sixty-four pound carronades on the forecastle, Her full complement was 85D officers and men.

Catalog number: AIR 09252
Scale: 1/180
Type: Sailship
Period: XVI - XIX century