HMS Victorious (1785) facts for kids
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Hull plan for HMS Victorious
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 Great Britain |
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| Name | HMS Victorious |
| Ordered | 28 December 1781 |
| Builder | Perry, Blackwall Yard |
| Laid down | November 1782 |
| Launched | 27 April 1785 |
| Fate | Broken up, 1803 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Culloden-class ship of the line |
| Tons burthen | 1682 59⁄94 (bm) |
| Length | 170 ft 6 in (51.97 m) (gundeck); 139 ft 10 in (42.62 m) (keel) |
| Beam | 47 ft 6+3⁄4 in (14.497 m) |
| Depth of hold | 19 ft 11+1⁄2 in (6.083 m) |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Armament |
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HMS Victorious was a large warship of the Royal Navy, built in Great Britain. She was known as a "74-gun third rate ship of the line," meaning she carried 74 cannons and was a powerful vessel for her time. This ship was launched in London on April 27, 1785. She was the very first ship in the Royal Navy to be named Victorious.
Adventures at Sea
Victorious had several important moments during her time at sea. In April 1795, she accidentally got stuck on a sandbank called Shipwash Sand. This happened in the North Sea, off the coast of Suffolk. The accident caused her masts to break, which meant she couldn't sail properly.
In February 1796, Victorious had an exciting encounter. She found and captured a French ship called Hasard. This ship was a "privateer brig," which means it was a small, fast ship owned by private people but allowed by the government to attack enemy ships. Hasard had previously been a British pilot ship named Cartier. At the time of its capture, Hasard was returning to Mauritius (then called Île de France) with a small crew. It had just captured a large British trading ship called Triton.
Victorious also took part in a naval battle on September 9, 1796. Later, she helped capture the Dutch colony of Cape Town in South Africa. Great Britain took over Cape Town because they were worried about France expanding its power around the world. Capturing Cape Town was very important because it helped Britain control the sea routes to the East, which were vital for trade and travel.
After these events, Victorious' spent the rest of her active career in the warm waters of the East Indies. This region covers a vast area of the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia. She patrolled these waters, helping to protect British interests and trade. In 1801, Captain Pulteney Malcolm became her commander. At this time, Victorious served as the main ship for Admiral Peter Rainier, who was a very important naval officer.
End of Her Journey
In 1803, Victorious was sailing home from the East Indies. During this journey, she started leaking a lot of water. When she faced bad weather in the North Atlantic Ocean, her crew had a very hard time keeping her from sinking. They managed to keep her afloat until she reached the Tagus River in Portugal. There, she was deliberately run ashore to prevent her from sinking in deeper water.
Captain Malcolm, along with his officers and crew, then traveled back to England. They sailed on two different ships that they had rented in Lisbon. Victorious was in such bad shape that she was officially declared unfit for use. She was then broken up in August 1803 in Lisbon. One of the ships that carried her crew back to England was called Sir Andrew Mitchell. It arrived in Portsmouth, England, on August 1, 1803.
