[Derek Grebe]

At about 11:45 this morning 200 yrs ago, our esteemed French neighbours fired their first ranging shots at the British fleet.

6 hours later they were on safer ground, fullfilling their National duty as 'Surrender Monkeys'


HMS Victory will be firing a full broadside later today. Wouldn't mind seeing/hearing that.

[Some Bloke]

And, of course, Nelson's famous signal is alwyas misquoted. It was actually

"England expects that every man should screw his beauty"

[Eventually]

Had a few Victory Bitters at the Lord Nelson last night in honour of the grand occasion.

Feel about as dead and blind as an Admiral as a result...spooky!!

[Jem]

ah yes, fond memories

and exactly 200 years earlier Guy Fawkes and his mates were undertaking a catholic revolt against parliament by trying to blow it up - tut tut.

Woh - how time flies

J

[Jen]

Derek Grebe, on Oct 21 2005, 08:25 AM, said:

At about 11:45 this morning 200 yrs ago, our esteemed French neighbours fired their first ranging shots at the British fleet.

6 hours later they were on safer ground, fullfilling their National duty as 'Surrender Monkeys'


HMS Victory will be firing a full broadside later today. Wouldn't mind seeing/hearing that.

Must be what I saw them setting up for on Wednesday (went down for a tourist visit), looked like they were strapping some sort of equipment to the tops of the cannons. Guess I'll have to make do with seeing it on BBC this evening!

[Derek Grebe]

Jen, on Oct 21 2005, 10:10 AM, said:

Derek Grebe, on Oct 21 2005, 08:25 AM, said:

At about 11:45 this morning 200 yrs ago, our esteemed French neighbours fired their first ranging shots at the British fleet.

6 hours later they were on safer ground, fullfilling their National duty as 'Surrender Monkeys'


HMS Victory will be firing a full broadside later today. Wouldn't mind seeing/hearing that.

Must be what I saw them setting up for on Wednesday (went down for a tourist visit), looked like they were strapping some sort of equipment to the tops of the cannons. Guess I'll have to make do with seeing it on BBC this evening!

Bit far from Bonnie-Jocko-Land for me, so the BBC it is.
I hope the 'equipment' being strapped on to the cannons wasnt some modern pyrotechnic nonsense.
We want some decent cannon fire. Seeing as The Quuen and First Sea Lord will be sitting watching it directly in front, I wont be offended if the leave out the shot, though!

An interesting virtual photographic tour of the ship victory tour for those too far away. It's a big fucker!

[Jem]

unsure of absolute accuracy, but I dimly recall that Victory took 4 years to build, using 4000 oak trees and cost £73M at todays prices.

there's one full sail remaining, still with shot holes in and teh whole canvas took up abotu 4 football pitches.

J

[Jen]

Derek Grebe, on Oct 21 2005, 10:18 AM, said:

Jen, on Oct 21 2005, 10:10 AM, said:

Derek Grebe, on Oct 21 2005, 08:25 AM, said:

At about 11:45 this morning 200 yrs ago, our esteemed French neighbours fired their first ranging shots at the British fleet.

6 hours later they were on safer ground, fullfilling their National duty as 'Surrender Monkeys'


HMS Victory will be firing a full broadside later today. Wouldn't mind seeing/hearing that.

Must be what I saw them setting up for on Wednesday (went down for a tourist visit), looked like they were strapping some sort of equipment to the tops of the cannons. Guess I'll have to make do with seeing it on BBC this evening!

Bit far from Bonnie-Jocko-Land for me, so the BBC it is.
I hope the 'equipment' being strapped on to the cannons wasnt some modern pyrotechnic nonsense.
We want some decent cannon fire. Seeing as The Quuen and First Sea Lord will be sitting watching it directly in front, I wont be offended if the leave out the shot, though!

An interesting virtual photographic tour of the ship victory tour for those too far away. It's a big fucker!

But with low headroom!

Only saw them working on the cannon as we were leaving so didn't get the chance to ask what it was.

[Eventually]

Sweeeet! Wonder whether Horatio had big Kiwi bouncers for those velvet ropes......

http://www.stvincent.ac.uk/Heritage/1797/Victory/images/wheel.jpg

Thanks DG...xlnt!



This is what's missing in modernn yachts....a really good gun deck with Howitzers.

http://www.stvincent.ac.uk/Heritage/1797/Victory/images/qdguns.jpg

http://www.stvincent.ac.uk/Heritage/1797/Victory/images/carronade.jpg

What's it rate?

[wraith]

I think technically she rated as a ship of the line ... anyway, who would argue?

[Eventually]

Haha!! Indeed!

[Rail Meat]

And apparently when she went into battle that day she was well past her prime. One of the oldest ships in the fleet, and well out gunned by the 2 ships on either side of where she pierced the French and Spainish line.

She lead the north column of English boats and took a vicious beating in the battle. Had to be towed to Gilbralter afterwards, barely missing a sure death in the low that swept over the entire fleet in the days after the battle.

The plan of battle was brilliant.

[Some Bloke]

Jen,
I have heard a rumor that a while back someone filled in an IRc application form with Victory's measurements, and got a rating and certificate for her.

Any truth in this?

[Potter]

Blimey, how many points do you get for not only having a table...but a full Wardroom :lol:

I know they have said everyone can fly WHite Ensigns today...but surely Nelson was an Admiral of the Blue...not the White

[Greg Jarvis]

Some Bloke, on Oct 21 2005, 04:28 AM, said:

And, of course, Nelson's famous signal is alwyas misquoted. It was actually

"England expects that every man should screw his beauty"

On board the Victory Nelson ordered Lieutenant Pasco to make a signal to the fleet "Mr Pasco, I wish to say to the Fleet 'England confides that every man will do his duty'". Pasco asked Nelson if he could substitute the word 'expects' for 'confides' as that was in the telegraphic vocabulary whereas confides would have to be spelt, Nelson agreed and the signal was run up Victorys' halyards. Changing the wording subtly changed the meaning, and the signal caused confusion on some ships, with sailors saying they would always do their duty and didn't have to be asked.
One final signal was run up on the flagship, the telegraphic flag and then numbers one and six 'Engage the enemy more closely'.

[Jen]

Some Bloke, on Oct 21 2005, 01:47 PM, said:

Jen,
I have heard a rumor that a while back someone filled in an IRc application form with Victory's measurements, and got a rating and certificate for her.

Any truth in this?

Yes in Spring 2001, Warsash SC sent us an e-mail saying that HMS Victory was coming out on her annual sailing exercise and wished to compete in the Spring Series race that weekend. To which my reply was "sorry she doesn't have a current rating, here is a form...". It was duly completed and returned to us, and after my usual thorough research to check for extra unusual racing features, I produced a rating certificate in Battle of Trafalgar configuration with dispensation given for 3 masts. Her TCC was 1.099, issued ready for the race on 1st April...

;)

[Jem]

Very funny Jen...

Actually, I'd quite fancy my chances going to windward

but would steer clear on the stbd layline as she'll probably just barge through the line and board us

heck, we may even loose our flag

anyway I thought Nelson said Kismet [fate] rather than kiss me Hardy, wherever that is

J

[barleymalt]

Jen, on Oct 21 2005, 10:27 AM, said:

Some Bloke, on Oct 21 2005, 01:47 PM, said:

Jen,
I have heard a rumor that a while back someone filled in an IRc application form with Victory's measurements, and got a rating and certificate for her.

Any truth in this?

Yes in Spring 2001, Warsash SC sent us an e-mail saying that HMS Victory was coming out on her annual sailing exercise and wished to compete in the Spring Series race that weekend. To which my reply was "sorry she doesn't have a current rating, here is a form...". It was duly completed and returned to us, and after my usual thorough research to check for extra unusual racing features, I produced a rating certificate in Battle of Trafalgar configuration with dispensation given for 3 masts. Her TCC was 1.099, issued ready for the race on 1st April...

;)

Are the cannon required to be fixed, or can they be moved?

[justasailer]

As a history buff, I believe that Nelson became a 'single handed sailor' after the battle....

Will we be celebrating the 'Battle of the Nile' later in the year or should I say that Nelson was killed and put in a cask of rum for the return to England. When the ship arrived, Nelson was in the cask but no rum.

And you thought your crew would drink anything!!!!

[wraith]

justasailer, on Oct 21 2005, 05:06 PM, said:

As a history buff, I believe that Nelson became a 'single handed sailor' after the battle....

Will we be celebrating the 'Battle of the Nile' later in the year or should I say that Nelson was killed and put in a cask of rum for the return to England. When the ship arrived, Nelson was in the cask but no rum.

And you thought your crew would drink anything!!!!

You could argue that if he hadnt annihalted the French fleet at the Nile, Trafalgar would have been unwinnable ...

Nile, Trafalgar, Copenhagen - all were astonishing, against the odds feats (and at Copenhagen he had the added liability of a very suspect Admiral trying to lose the battle). Above all what has always been inspirational to me was the manner in which he engendered such loyalty and trust from the men under his command.

[Rusalka]

wraith, on Oct 21 2005, 12:23 PM, said:

Above all what has always been inspirational to me was the manner in which he engendered such loyalty and trust from the men under his command.

He earned his commision, he wasn't given his commision due to his family.

[born2sail]

A "must-see" place...The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich...a short walk from the Royal Observatory. The museum is a terrific place to learn about Lord Nelson. Quite a man.

[Rail Meat]

justasailer, on Oct 21 2005, 04:06 PM, said:

As a history buff, I believe that Nelson became a 'single handed sailor' after the battle....

Will we be celebrating the 'Battle of the Nile' later in the year or should I say that Nelson was killed and put in a cask of rum for the return to England. When the ship arrived, Nelson was in the cask but no rum.

And you thought your crew would drink anything!!!!

Nelson died at Trafalger, not the Battle of the Nile. He lost site in his right eye in a battle off of Corsica, and lost his arm in a failed attempt to conquer Santa Cruz de Tenerife

At Trafalger Victory had first engaged the Bucentaure. Nelson's flagship tore Bucentaure apart with a devestating cannonade, but paid a stiff price with dozens dead from sharpshooter fire. As he cleared Beentaure he came into range from a bad broadside from Neptune which led Victory to bear off into an engagement with Redoubtable. Redoubtable was perhaps one of the better trained ships in the French navy, and had a very well drilled contingent of marines. The captain of Redoutable made good use of them, and within minutes of engagement Nelson took a bullet through his shoulder and into his spine. He was taken below, and lingered for some time before dying from the wound. In the meantime, Victory and the British vessel Temeraire took Redoubtable apart by flanking her and pounding away with the guns, ultimately resulting in the French vessel sinking.

[Schnick]

The white ensigns were because the wind was light. When the flags were hanging, it would be too difficult to distinguish between the red ensign and the red stripe on the end of the tricolour, hence the white ensigns. Nelson would appear to have an eye for the details.

[born2sail]

As an aside to RM's great piece of history writing, the coat Lord Nelson was wearing when he was mortally wounded is one of the artifacts on display at the National Maritime Museum. It's really a great place.