Napoleonic Era warships??

Sorry for dragging this thread off the ocean floor.
I would just like to comment on how amazing ships of the line were. Deck upon deck of huge cannons. Those ships would dish out awful amounts of metal. Being wooden, they take as good as they get. I've been on HMS Victory, is there a more prestigious military ship remaining?

 

It doesn't matter that you reply on this, that's what this section was made for. In fact, thank you for dragging this topic from the ocean floor! Nice choice of words too :lol:

I have always been impressed by these huge multi-gunned ships of the 18th century. Their look is so different from the standard world wars era battleship, that the experience in studying them is totally new and way cool. Their enormous amounts of guns and total firepower, the fact that they were crewed by hundreds of men, their size, everything about them is unbelievable if you consider true sophistication to have been reached as late as the 20th century. Luckily I don't.

The biggest original 'old' ship I've ever been on was a reproduction of the VOC line ship Batavia in Amsterdam. This was a freighter for the East Indies, seventeenth century, with a only few dozen guns but impressive enough. :bang:

 

I saw the Frigate Jylland last Summer, a veteran from the battle of Helgoland in 1864. The gun deck was a most impressive sight, and I don´t have words to descibe the atmosphere in there. We can only imagine what it must have been like in combat.

 

there she blows!



104 guns!

 

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!!!
Which ship is this? one of Nelson's?

 

That is H.M.S. Victory herself. Nelsons flagship.

 

Ah, how cute!
Why don't they put her on Trafalgar square?

 

yeh hms victory is a beauty of a ship imagine the noise those guns would make.

 

I think it's the only surviving ship of the line. It's been looked after well and kept in immaculate condition. The tours aren't too expensive either. You get to stand on the spot where Lord Nelson caught a musket shot. You can also see the actual brandy barrel they stored him in, on the journey back to England.

 

HMS VICTORY is also, as far as I can recall, the oldest preserved ship in existence. However, she sits in a bed of concrete, not in the water. USS CONSTITUTION is in the water and still sails twice a year.

 

The Mary Rose is older, however it is only half preserved, and under a sprinkler system at all times.

 

I should have specified that HMS VICTORY is the oldest *intact* preserved vessel in the world. I forgot about the MARY ROSE. Although I think that she qualifies as the *remains* of a ship, rather than as a true ship.

 

Battleships are the climatic representation of technology of its era. I have always fascinated by the complicated rigginss and sails on an old sailing warships. I could, and never will understand the difference between the different kind of sails on a ship. Or how they manage to cramp so many men (many were caught by press gangs) from so many diverse background into one living fortress. How they have chickens and goats living in the same lower decks with the seamen, or how they put lime juice into their "grog" to prevent scurvies. But the one thing that will always make the crew excited is the moment when they pour their deadly broadsides into its enemies and wreaking havocs and mangled bodies on board of opposing vessels.

 

Sorry but I have to disagree with you.

HMS Victory is the oldest comissioned ship in the world, as she is still a navy vessel, and she is in Dry Dock (I believe) and not in concrete.

So she actually sits in fresh air.

If you can call the air in London fresh.

 

Isn't the Victory actually in Porthsmouth?

 

Sorry, yes you are completely correct, I mean Portsmouth. However, she is still in Dry dock in Portsmouth.

Thanks for the correction.

 

Pity, that is!

 

Yeah, it is. I've long wondered why they did that.

 

Wondered why they did what?

 

Set HMS VICTORY in concrete instead of having her be in the water.