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My Ships > HMS Victory

HMS Victory

My most famous ship: my flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar, 21 October 1805. She was a 1st rate battleship with 104 guns, and launched at Chatham Royal Dockyard in 1765.

HMS Victory was already a famous ship when I first hoisted my flag in her in May 1803. She had taken part in a number of major battles and flown the flags of some very distinguished admirals, including The Hon. Augustus Keppel, Sir Richard Kempenfelt, and the great Lord Howe.

Earlier in the Revolutionary War, she had also been the flagship of my distinguished friends and patrons, Samuel Lord Hood and Sir John Jervis (later Lord St Vincent). So I knew her well and was very glad to have so fine and so fast a ship for my flag.

After Trafalgar, she remained in active service until 1812 and was then preserved in Portsmouth. In 1922, she was taken into drydock there and lovingly restored to her 'Trafalgar' condition. She is still preserved there today, and is now a very popular tourist attraction.

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