American Reacts HMS Victory: Sailing & Fighting a Napoleonic Warship

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  • Опубліковано 23 лис 2024

КОМЕНТАРІ • 177

  • @maxmoore9955
    @maxmoore9955 2 роки тому +8

    Rope is still made in same building in the same way in Britain, recently they had to replace all the ropes on HMS Victory.

    • @MrDaiseymay
      @MrDaiseymay 8 місяців тому

      bloody hell, nothing lasts these days.

  • @JohnSmith-do3ek
    @JohnSmith-do3ek 2 роки тому +6

    Connor, look at the movie, Longitude. It tells the story of the 18th century where people at sea couldn't determine where they were. They could determine their lattitude with the sun but they couldn't pinpoint their position of longitude. Many shipwrecks resulted for not knowing their exact position. John Harrison made a marine timepiece so accurate that enabled ships to determine their lattitude and longitude, thereby pinpointing their position at sea.

    • @JohnSmith-do3ek
      @JohnSmith-do3ek 2 роки тому +2

      If you could find a clock made by John Harrison, you would be a multimillionare. All known clocks are in museums.

    • @MrDaiseymay
      @MrDaiseymay 8 місяців тому

      yeah, it was a great tv series too.@@JohnSmith-do3ek

  • @matthewjamison
    @matthewjamison 2 роки тому +5

    I know you realise. But most of the questions you ask, are answered if you just watch it.

  • @ianjardine7324
    @ianjardine7324 2 роки тому +13

    Each ship and each plank of the hull was hand made so minor differences in how a piece of wood was initially fitted or shrunk as it aged could radically affect a ships performance or handling characteristics and captains could spend months experimenting with different weight distribution of cargo and ballast as well as different sail combinations to find their ships best performance in many different sea and wind conditions. These men had spent years training then decades practicing their craft before gaining the chance to command their own vessel and knew a fraction more speed or a more precise course could mean the difference between life and death victory or defeat.

  • @iKvetch558
    @iKvetch558 2 роки тому +12

    Hi Connor...I feel like you must have seen it, since you are so interested in Napoleonic Naval Warfare, but you absolutely should take another look at Master and Commander. In that movie, they show a lot of techniques and other things that you ask about in this reaction, including damage control procedures. Watch that movie very very closely, and pause and rewind, and you will learn so much more than you have so far. 💯✌

  • @catherinewilkins2760
    @catherinewilkins2760 2 роки тому +2

    Water leaks on ships were caulked, cotton or hemp pushed in gaps, all ships were caulker. Holes below the waterline, they hauled collision mats over them. You often see collision mats being sold as door mats for the nautical minded folks as decoration. The real ones were larger. If a ship went down many died, so knowing the ropes was important, both rigging and tieing them. Seafarers were the best trained, Samuel Pepys had brought about many changes to improve the Royal Navy. Horatio Nelson was a younger son of a vicar in Norfolk, whose parents tried to get him a good education, unfortunately he often skipped school in preference to going sailing on Barton Broad. His mother arranged for him to join her brother, who was a Captain. He took all his exams and the rest is history. He is from Norfolk He lived in Burnham Thorpe and went to Paston School in North Walsham, where he must have lived in. As even today is a good hour and a half drive, if not more. It has to be remembered that prize money was given out to the crew, if they took another ship, as they were valuable.

  • @gdok6088
    @gdok6088 2 роки тому +6

    Have you visited Portsmouth, England and been on the tour of HMS Victory Connor? If not you could combine it with a visit to the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. As the narrator said that's where the Greenwich Meridian runs through - I guess you know that Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the zero (00.00) time meridian on which all world time zones are historically based (sometimes now referred to as UTC [Coordinated Universal Time]).

  • @BrokenIET
    @BrokenIET 2 роки тому +15

    6:34 Yes, you have both because otherwise the Admiral's attention was drawn away from more important duties like commanding the fleet. Admirals also often moved to different ships, so you don't have to promote a new Captain every time the Admiral moves.
    7:37 Cannonballs causing damage below the waterline was fairly uncommon, and if they did cause damage there then the carpenter would likely use larger wooden planks and temporarily nail them into place and fill the gaps with tar to slow flooding before they can return to drydock for repairs- this may be complicated if theres stuff in the way (e.g ballast or provisions) but they would be able to be moved out of the way usually. If the hole wasn't plugged fast enough the ship may have sunk.
    8:35 Midshipmen usually came from middle class backgrounds, not aristocratic ones. However, in the unlikely event they fail the exam (remember they would've spent up to 10 years at sea prior to the exam, learning the ropes, pun intended) then they would likely be able to go out to sea again and learn a bit more before retrying- I don't have a source for that. Alternatively, and this was something often done in the army, they would join as a regular sailor rather than as a Lieutenant if they fail. This meant they could retake the exam at a later point and be promoted, or they could simply wait to be promoted through the ranks to Lieutenant.
    10:42 As far as I am aware, when they turned 16 they would've become ordinary seamen
    12:25 No, I don't think that was the case. It would've been too risky, sabotage and whatnot. They would likely have been taken prisoner and sent back to England or a British colony (thats all just a guess). Though if any of the American crew seemed interested in switching sides I doubt its an impossibility. The Americans were likely loyalists who moved the Britain after the American Revolution.
    - Also don't be sorry for pausing so much, your here to learn, if you've got a question ask it!
    14:38 Sails were not at all standard, also the hulls of different ships would've been designed differently which would make slight changes to how they sailed in different directions.
    16:21 Because, if you think about it, the effects of the wind pushing on the sails would cause a lot of stress on the booms , meaning they could easily snap.
    18:02 That is correct. -Though they wouldn't have to be anchored to remain stationary. In fact the use of it was to measure if the anchor cable could reach the seabed, so doing it while already anchored would be completely pointless.
    20:51 Yep! Though, the Capstan (The thing used to haul the anchor in) was mostly used for putting in guns etc, its use for the anchor was a secondary duty
    22:39 I shouldn't imagine more than 30 minutes to and hour- remember there are 800 men all doing this. Though admittedly it may've taken longer- I just don't know, sorry
    23:10 Well, because there weas nowhere to put it. A gun deck had a very low ceiling. Plus that netting wouldn't have caught splinters very well. As the narrator said, the netting was mostly used to catch large objects like spars.
    24:23 Yep! Correct, for the most part, though the 2 largest guns on victory (the 68pdr guns) were on the top deck- I would guess so they have a wider range of movement.
    26:15 I'm gonna have to go into reloading a cannon, yay! There would be a swabber, who would first put a damp "sponge" down the barrel to extinguish burning embers from a previous shot. Followed by a wormer who would put a "worm" down the barrel. A worm is a corkscrew type of thing, and would be used to bring out any large debris out of the gun, then a powder charge would be placed in the gun, followed by the shot, and then some wadding placed in to keep a tight seal- all of those being rammed down individually by another person with a ramrod. Finally the lock of the cannon could be primed with gunpowder and the gun could be fired. So thats around 5 people give or take a few. Then theres gonna be another few guys fetching shot and powder, and then another few to move the gun around- remember these things can weigh more than 4 tonnes. If you want a better description I recommend the video "How to Load and Fire a Cannon in the American War of Independence" by Brandon F.- though they do show you why you need so many people in the video itself.
    27:13 Other than that being very dangerous, it would likely cause the cannonballs to come out at a significantly lower velocity and would cause a lot more recoil
    28:21 Yes, I do, for 2 reasons
    1. The British navy was the largest, as there was a rule that the Royal Navy had to be just as big as the next 2 largest navies. which at the time meant it was the same size as the French and Spanish navy combined, it was called the "two-power standard"- though admittedly it wasn't (officially) introduced until 1889, but it was still the largest navy in terms of the number of guns and men (Russia had more ships but they were smaller)
    2. The sailors were generally better trained, fed etc than most other navies of the time
    31:41You didn't have a question or anything, I just thought it was cool to mention that the same thing could be done on land, which I think is cool
    32:52 They did use grenades in boarding actions!
    38:54 No, they didn't, not often anyway. Firstly, the ship was moving which meant a fish was unlikely to actually grab the hook. Secondly, there wouldn't be enough fish caught to feed the entire crew, and if you feed one guy one thing but not anyone else then people would get unhappy. Thirdly, these ships are tall! The line of a fishing rod might not even be able to reach the water. And lastly, it would require men constantly watching the fishing rods meaning they wouldn't be able to do other, more important jobs.
    40:15 Yes with real shot! The ships carried plenty of it, and it was for training, how are you gonna learn to hit a target a mile away with a fairly inaccurate weapon without practice!
    43:50 Keelhauling was a very uncommon practice, it was only officially used by the Dutch navy and even then was very rare, there were reports of it in the Royal Navy in the 1600s but thats it except for 1 or 2 rogue captains. Death would usually be dealt by more than 500 lashes with a cat 'o nine tails which was a lot of lashes and often lead to death, or more commonly you would simply be hung from a yardarm.
    47:45 You probably know this, but its because most of the American settlers came from Britain, and wanted to name their settles after places where they used to live, thats where names like New York come from (York is a small city in the north of England)
    50:08 No, they haven't, he was shot in the shoulder and you can see some of the epaulet missing.
    I hope I answered all your questions, if you have any more leave them in the comments below
    I also have a similar comment answering your questions on your previous HMS Victory video

    • @aaronb6746
      @aaronb6746 2 роки тому +3

      Man u put some effort into that!

    • @BrokenIET
      @BrokenIET 2 роки тому +3

      @@aaronb6746 Only like 3 hours of my life and its for education!

    • @iKvetch558
      @iKvetch558 2 роки тому +1

      I feel like you are a person who has played the Avalon Hill board game, Wooden Ships & Iron Men...and if you have not, you should. LOL
      The only thing I would add to your great answers is regarding the carronade...you were right that the main reason to put them on the top deck is to increase their field of fire. As I understand it, one main tactic that was used was to load the carronades with small kegs of pistol or rifle shot, and then using them to clear the decks of an enemy ship just before boarding it. 💯✌

    • @BrokenIET
      @BrokenIET 2 роки тому +1

      @@iKvetch558 I'll have to check that game out, and thanks for that extra insight into the carronades!

    • @claudiavictoria3929
      @claudiavictoria3929 2 роки тому

      👏

  • @raymartin7172
    @raymartin7172 2 роки тому +2

    Studding-sail booms were light and delicate. Only to be used in the lightest of airs. Plus, since they were attached to the ends of the main spars, they placed a lot of extra strain on them. You really really didn't want to lose a spar at sea

  • @stirlingmoss4621
    @stirlingmoss4621 2 роки тому +2

    yes, thank you Connor, we know what makes great grass.

  • @iKvetch558
    @iKvetch558 2 роки тому +2

    Connor, in regard to the food on US submarines...the main and overriding reason why the food on subs is the best in the Navy is because the subs absolutely MUST get the highest quality ingredients. There is no room for wasting food, so only the leanest meats go onto subs, and there is absolutely no room on board for any food borne illness, so all the food going to subs is checked more than for other ships. There are other reasons, including that submarines get a higher budget for food, but they mostly come down to keeping the crew happy in a tough environment, as you said.✌✌

  • @ManAndBoy
    @ManAndBoy 2 роки тому +1

    Most armies outnumbered us on land but at sea was a different story in numbers and in training

  • @davidporter499
    @davidporter499 2 роки тому +1

    Surprising, perhaps, but salt water preserves timbers in ships/boats. Also water tightness is dependant, largely, on keeping the timbers swollen (wet), hence swabbing the upper decks. It is quite common in tidal (brackish) waters to sink a wooden dinghy if it is to remain unused for an extended period, better than taking it out of the water.

  • @ac1455
    @ac1455 2 роки тому +4

    28:15 if you put more full shot cannonballs, then it’d decrease the speed of each cannonball, making it less able to penetrate the enemy ship, not to mention that it’d only lead to a slightly larger hole while being 4 times costlier and wasting ammo

  • @iKvetch558
    @iKvetch558 2 роки тому +1

    Connor...you were correct about the impressment of American sailors happening before the War of 1812. After the Revolutionary War, many British sailors were attracted by better pay and conditions to become crew on American merchant vessels...something like 30 percent of crew on US vessels were British. When the Napoleonic Wars required the Royal Navy to get bigger, there was a need for more experienced sailors, so British ships started stopping US merchantmen to impress the British sailors they might find. However, the British also took sailors that claimed to be American, even ones that had papers to prove it, and maybe as many as 15k US sailors were taken by the Royal Navy in this way. The British were so brazen at times that they stationed their frigates just off shore of American ports to stop and search any vessels they wanted to. The impressment of US sailors in this way was one of the things that led to the War of 1812.
    The reason why sailing ships have different sailing characteristics has to do with much much much more than just the sails. There is the configuration of the hull, how long is it in relation to it's width, how deep is the keel, how smoothly was the hull planking attached and later how smoothly attached is the copper sheathing on the bottom...and then there is the exact configuration of the masts, spars and rigging, which was never really exactly the same between ships even of the same class. Everything to do with how that particular ship interacts with the water and wind goes into determining how the ship sails.
    More sails up means that you are putting more strain on your masts and rigging, since they are being pulled along with the sails as the sails are pulled along by the wind. At some point, there will be too much wind pressure on your masts and rigging and then something will break. Usually the ropes or the spars go first, but in a heavy enough wind, if there is too much sail up, even the masts themselves can be brought down. 💯✌

  • @neilgayleard3842
    @neilgayleard3842 2 роки тому +1

    If he ever stands on its deck he's going to set himself.

  • @Ayns.L14A
    @Ayns.L14A 2 роки тому +3

    Hey Connor to maintain speed the lower the wind, the more sail needed, the higher the wind, the less sails are needed, when all sails are set a high wind could rip the sails or even snap the masts.

    • @dominichaigh1844
      @dominichaigh1844 2 роки тому +1

      Exactly and the hull speed cannot be exceeded no matter how many sails you put on.

  • @coot1925
    @coot1925 2 роки тому +2

    Grenades were pretty unpredictable as there was a fuse that needed to be lit and this wasn't very accurate, so throwing them onto the opposing deck was tricky as they didn't want them thrown back.

  • @Ayns.L14A
    @Ayns.L14A 2 роки тому +2

    The point of boarding was to kill the crew and if possible take the ship not destroy/sink it, a bounty was paid by the Government when ships were taken with a percentage paid to the crew

  • @tSp289
    @tSp289 Рік тому

    As I understand it, if you're holed beneath the waterline you do one of two things:
    1) sink, or...
    2) pump water like hell, lower sailcloth down the outside of the hull and jam it full of wedges to stem the flow, continue to pump like hell. Then when out of combat, lean the ship over with anchors or take her to a drydock and replace/repair the hole with carpentry.

  • @rocketrabble6737
    @rocketrabble6737 2 роки тому

    The size of the gun crew would depend on the weight of shot fired. A 32-pounder gun was considerably heavier than a 18 or 24-pounder and was consequently harder to pull back into position. Gun crew members included first and second sponger to clear the barrel of anything that might set off the new powder charger prematurely. There would someone to load the round shot and the wad that held things in place. there were seamen to with handspikes, crowbars etc. to travers the gun for aiming. The gun would have to be hauled back into firing position. There was a first gun captain (and second in case the first was wounded). Each gun would also have a fireman/pikeman to deal with any danger of fire around the gun and there would be designated boarders who could be pulled away to make up a force to board or counter the enemies' attempt to board.
    The number of members of a well-drilled gun crew allowed for the best rate of fire; if it was reduced by casualties or need to fight both sides of the ship then the rate of fire would slow.

  • @nicksykes4575
    @nicksykes4575 2 роки тому +1

    The last capital crime to be removed from the statutes (around 1975) was "arson in her majesties shipyards". As you see they used to take the navy very seriously.

  • @tony1kenobi929
    @tony1kenobi929 2 роки тому +1

    I live in Portsmouth, England which is where both the HMS Victory and HMS warrior are kept, you can tour both ships, just beware of banging your head every 5 seconds

    • @cotton9087
      @cotton9087 2 роки тому

      Victory is well narrow haha felt liked i had to crouch when i was aboard last month

    • @jeanniewarken5822
      @jeanniewarken5822 Рік тому

      My home town too... been on the victory many times starting from when i was 7 on a school trip... both the warrior and the mary rose are also well worth visiting

  • @billrutherford487
    @billrutherford487 2 роки тому +1

    Look up john Fisher he started in the Royal navy at 12 yrs old in the age of sail in the 1850s and ended up as admiral of the fleet with steel warships at the turn of the century and made the Royal the most powerful navy for another 40 yrs

  • @Philip-l6w9n
    @Philip-l6w9n 8 місяців тому

    Yes they had various types of anti personnel shot including chain shot ,which you describe and grape shot as well as ball shot which was sacks of musket balls. They were used to take down enemy sails and rigging and to smash crews to bits on the deck prior to boarding.

  • @robinhooduk8255
    @robinhooduk8255 2 роки тому +2

    i dont think it would leak usually, im sure the whole ship was sealed inside and out with tar or some sort of resin.thats probably how they would repair below the water line, put planks in place then seal the gaps with tar or resin.

    • @gmdhargreaves
      @gmdhargreaves 2 роки тому +1

      Yes that’s exactly how they did it

    • @BrokenIET
      @BrokenIET 2 роки тому

      That is true but the tar can only do so much, these ships were at sea for months, even modern iron ships sometimes spring leaks sometimes

    • @gmdhargreaves
      @gmdhargreaves 2 роки тому

      @@BrokenIET they did and because of that modern day hydraulics evolved from

  • @zee2012
    @zee2012 2 роки тому +1

    HMS Victory is still a commissioned warship and is the flagship of the Royal Navy.

  • @Ayns.L14A
    @Ayns.L14A 2 роки тому +1

    Hey Connor a 24 pounder cannon weighed with it's carriage approx 6500 pounds that's why so many gun crew imagine having to man handle that about during a battle.

  • @marklondon9004
    @marklondon9004 2 роки тому +1

    You should learn about the Napoleonic forts of Portsmouth. They were indeed worried about the French land forces, and built a ring of huge forts, Purbrook, Nelson, Widley etc to protect Portsmouth from land attack.
    If you're ever over here, well worth a visit.

  • @Glund117
    @Glund117 2 роки тому +4

    28:40 I'd certainly say so, the british army aways competed and frankly often bested the French army when they fought with similar numbers as unlike most of Europe Britain had a fully professional army. However the French army was too numerous for Britain to defeat decisively on land, instead carefully picking the battles.

    • @richardwest6358
      @richardwest6358 2 роки тому +1

      Oh - that's interesting - here's me thinking that we managed to win every large scale battle in the Iberian Peninsular and beyond the Pyrenees after Wellington took command

  • @claregale9011
    @claregale9011 2 роки тому +2

    Must have been an amazing sight on the seas , great video .

  • @jonathanparry7824
    @jonathanparry7824 2 роки тому

    One of the big advantages of Royal Navy gun crews was the carriage for the gun itself which was designed specifically for ships whereas the french and Spanish used field artillery carriages for fighting land on there ships

  • @markfoster4013
    @markfoster4013 2 роки тому

    The yards for the stun sails were thinner and thus more vulnerable to strong winds than the normal yards. They were also further from the mast and more exposed.

  • @sgpsimonb
    @sgpsimonb 3 місяці тому

    The extra rigging they put up in light winds added tension to all the parts it was resting on. The additional sail area could easily capture more load than the rigging supporting it could handle. This is why in strong wind they might make the same speed with just topsails and jibs as they did sailing large in a light breeze. Too much sail is dangerous and not necessary and it stresses all component parts speeding their inevitable failure. Keeping well within tolerances extended the usable lifetime of all components. This knowledge was reused in the industrial revolution when designing products and machines for lifetime value.

  • @LordUhtred1
    @LordUhtred1 2 роки тому +1

    A great video spoiled by 7 ad breaks.

  • @maxmoore9955
    @maxmoore9955 2 роки тому

    We've got five Rowing Boats, Left ,no Oars, just Boats.

  • @astrodoops
    @astrodoops 2 роки тому +4

    I’m starting to believe that you should live in a group home

  • @JohnSmith-do3ek
    @JohnSmith-do3ek 2 роки тому

    I forgot to say, I'me no expert in lattitude and longitude, but it is a system that is still used today for determining our position on the planet. The zero degree meridian still is in Greenwich, London. It goes 360 degrees around the world and all time and geographical measurments are taken from this, Greenwich Mean Time.

  • @lyndarichardson4744
    @lyndarichardson4744 2 роки тому +2

    Interesting video Connor, but what were you doing to your chair ? 😶 🙂

  • @SweetBrazyN
    @SweetBrazyN 2 роки тому

    Also with your question with so many ppl per crew I’d assume 3/4 aiming 1 shooting 2/3 reloading 3/4 carrying gunpowder and cannonballs

  • @Tony2438
    @Tony2438 2 роки тому

    Today Victory is preserved at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and, as the flagship of the First Sea Lord & Chief of Naval Staff, is the oldest commissioned warship in the world

  • @SeanSenior-f8b
    @SeanSenior-f8b Рік тому

    Putting 2 cannon balls in the cannon is called double shot. Heated shot. Plus a cannon spit in two with a chain in the middle.

  • @whattiler5102
    @whattiler5102 2 роки тому

    The object of most midshipmen was to be made lieutenant which meant they were real officers and would at least be on 'half-pay' when ashore with no ship appointment.
    If they did fail, they could retake and if they continued to fail then they remained midshipmen. In major wartime they could still find a place on board assuming they were not found to be negligent in their duties or guilty of unacceptable offences. In peace time an 'elderly' midshipman was not a desirable thing because of the risk of bullying younger midshipmen and lack of 'energy'. If they were not posted to a ship they were not in receipt of any half-pay from the Navy and if they had no expectation of prize money to live on, they would do better to join a merchant ship (particularly if they could get a berth on a 'East Indiaman'). At the end of the Napoleonic wars there would have a huge number of able seamen and officers seeking employment elsewhere,.

  • @chrisharris5497
    @chrisharris5497 2 роки тому +1

    Easy Connor, I hope you're well. Bro, I'm not a sailor on anything like that but I think the sails and poles snapping is due to size. The biggest sails have to have the tallest poles to support them. With height comes instability, in a hurricane a taller tree is always more susceptible than a smaller tree, so straight away you have a potential weak spot, then add to that the pure volume of air these huge sails are catching. A ship can only do a certain speed due to drag and a wealth of other variables and if you have these catching winds gusting at 80 - 100 miles per hour then all you are going to achieve is snapping the uprights of the bigger sails, this will then have a damaging effect on the other sails and the ship itself as well as potential casualties. As I said I'm not a sailor or a scientist but I am over 50 and have a learnt a thing or two in life along the way mate lol. Enjoy your week bro.

    • @whattiler5102
      @whattiler5102 2 роки тому

      Slightly confused there; I my well have it wrong but you seem to be implying that the largest sails are high up; this is not the case of course; they are on the mainmasts.

  • @geoffmower8729
    @geoffmower8729 2 роки тому

    There was a funny story about a man who went to see The HMS Victory as it is now a museum. We was walking along and tripped over something on the deck. he got up rubbing his head and asked what the hell is that thing on the floor I just tripped over it. The guide said ....Oh that's a plaque it's where Nelson died. The man said I'm not surprised I nearly broke my neck on it myself.😂😂🤣🤣😁😁

  • @michaelcurry1927
    @michaelcurry1927 2 роки тому +1

    We don’t think they were better we know they were better

  • @ClassicRiki
    @ClassicRiki 7 місяців тому

    27:24 you could but there’s a limit not due to the length but too many would destroy or damage the canon or would. I feel so lucky and kind of amazed that I’ve stood there and touched those canons, sat on the benches and been where those legends stood.

  • @ryanfrancis827
    @ryanfrancis827 Рік тому

    Breakfast, Dinner, and Supper aren’t attached to specific times. Breakfast is the first meal of the day (when you break your overnight fast), dinner is the largest meal of the day, regardless of when it is eaten, and supper is the last meal of the day.

  • @mariafury396
    @mariafury396 2 роки тому

    Putting too much weight (or multiple shots) into a single Canon could lead to a breach explosion where the barrel of the Canon explodes which is obviously bad so there was a limit on how much shot could be put into a canon

  • @marybarnes8698
    @marybarnes8698 Рік тому +1

    If you love sailing ships you need to visit Portsmouth in the uk the Victory is in dry dock there and its surprising how big it is the Warrior is also there and the last time I was there so was the flag ship of Henry the 8th The Mary Rose you obviously can't go on that one being just half the ship and it was behind glass where they used a certain mix of water I think to keep watering her down so she didn't rot having been at the bottom of the ocean for a long time. so there is three ships to see if you ever get to visit.

  • @cotton9087
    @cotton9087 2 роки тому

    i was on Victory 1 month ago, you can walk on the scaffolds currently looking at the conservation work.... the decks on the ship are well low, you have to walk around almost crouched lol....also Victory is still commisioned, its the flagship of the First Sea Lord....USS Constitution is the oldest SEAWORTHY ship

  • @reecedignan8365
    @reecedignan8365 Рік тому

    33:57 no ship officer is ever going to give that order.
    1. If your committing to a boarding action, your not there to sink the ship, your there to raise your own colours and claim it as your own.
    It was extremely, extremely, extremely rare for any officer to actually give the order to scuttle an enemy ship because… well their expensive and can be used for a variety of things. If it’s old and falling apart after a bitter engagement, turn it into a prison hulk and take the guns.
    If it’s still able to be freshly repaired, get it home, slap a new name on it or keep the old one and give it to a new upcoming captain.
    If it’s a fast and agile one but not the best for war, turn it over the merchant fleets as a protection boat or merchant boat.
    2. You wouldn’t do such while your men are on there. Blowing up a massive set of powder will send so much mass and shrapnel about you’ll do more harm to everyone than just the enemy.
    Plus any destroyed rigging, masts or even cannons can actually damage your ship majorly and if it causes it to sink them, well if it’s now tangled with your own… your going with them.
    3. You’ll actually have a good chance of setting off the enemy magazine and… well blowing everyone to kingdom come isn’t the wisest move.

    • @louvros-qe9bk
      @louvros-qe9bk 2 місяці тому

      During the greek revolution in 1821 the greeks used this against yhe otomans very often because they were outnambered and outgunned

  • @Steve-gc5nt
    @Steve-gc5nt 2 роки тому

    Remarkable how so few officers were able to stay in control of such a large ship and crew. Amazing there weren't more mutinies!

  • @DavidSmith-cx8dg
    @DavidSmith-cx8dg 2 роки тому

    A Naval ship has to be able to operate independently and be self sufficient to a large extent , especially so in earlier times .
    The film Master and Commander gives a pretty good insight into life at sea in those times and the importance of morale and the quality of the Officers and crew . It was important the ship remained serviceable and extra sail put more strain on the masts , rigging and structure and ship handling was a vital part of that .
    Portsmouth was made a City by Richard the Lionheart and part of the Dockyard is now a historic attraction with HMS Victory , Has Warrior and Henry VIII flagship Mary Rose open to visitors , the RN. Museum and other shops and it's worth a visit if you are interested in ships . There is a raised brass plaque on the deck where Nelson fell at Trafalgar .

  • @rocketrabble6737
    @rocketrabble6737 2 роки тому

    The "splinters" that caused a lot of wounds were wood splinters smashed off by round shot. I cannot see how splinter netting could be utilised on lower gun decks; if they could have been, they would have been; they knew their business.

  • @georgecarlinismytribe
    @georgecarlinismytribe Рік тому +1

    "Further promotion . . . would depend on merit, and crucially, *social and political connections*." Nothing seems to have changed.

  • @whattiler5102
    @whattiler5102 2 роки тому

    An admiral, rear-admiral, or vice-admiral had the responsibility of commanding a fleet; the admiral's flagship had its own captain in command, to handle the crew, ship-board duties and requirements.
    Please bear in mind, that in the Royal Navy, the rank of "lieutenant" has always been pronounced 'leff-tenant' not 'loo-tenant,' as in the US Navy.

  • @holdtightadele8017
    @holdtightadele8017 2 роки тому +1

    You can go and bored HMS Victory, she’s still intact in dry dock in Portsmouth.

  • @JohnSmith-do3ek
    @JohnSmith-do3ek 2 роки тому

    You need to explore captain James Cook who mapped the australian coast and was looking for the lost continent of antartica. He was killed by natives in hawahi. He is not as celebrated as others, but he was one of Englands greatest explorers.

  • @mrmaje1
    @mrmaje1 2 роки тому

    ua-cam.com/video/f_FpYLnNhVw/v-deo.html
    Link here to a rolling broadside from the Victory

  • @tcborg
    @tcborg 2 роки тому

    Brilliant video Mc. Notice the 3 most popular names of the time were James.. John ..and William.. Sign of the times and who had been a major name in GB etc.

  • @gmdhargreaves
    @gmdhargreaves 2 роки тому +2

    23:08; had to turn it off, your logic is scary

  • @whovianhistorybuff
    @whovianhistorybuff 9 місяців тому

    27:12 double loading a cannon with a solid cannonball is probably not a good idea although it did happen occasionally, it was common to do so if a cannon was firing canister shot or grape shot, when later to be president Zachary Taylor was leading in the battle of Buena Vista in 1847 he famously said to an artillery officer "a little more grape captain Bragg" and the captain yelled to his men "double shot your guns and give em hell"

  • @maxmoore9955
    @maxmoore9955 2 роки тому +2

    You will have to visit Britain 🇬🇧. and see the actual history mate ,I've walked all around HMS Victory ,It's Amazing .

  • @musicferret1829
    @musicferret1829 Рік тому

    Particularly enjoyed your in shot gymnastics. Lol.

  • @25dimensionsfrancis42
    @25dimensionsfrancis42 2 роки тому

    I know that Nelsons uniform has the hole made by a French musket ball which then went down and smashed his spine taking photos was not allowed but i have the post card of his uniform.

  • @stirlingmoss4621
    @stirlingmoss4621 2 роки тому +2

    wait, what..."even if you're watching on a phone, throw it !" How can anyone watch Connor on a mobile if one throws their phone away.

    • @coot1925
      @coot1925 2 роки тому

      He says that quite often. I guess he assumes that everyone has a computer or tablet. However, if you're not at home your phone is the only thing you can use.

  • @stirlingmoss4621
    @stirlingmoss4621 2 роки тому +2

    I think most, if not all, of your questions were answered a few seconds after asking as the prog moved on. Just saying.

    • @richardwest6358
      @richardwest6358 2 роки тому +1

      Not to mention all the previous documentaries he has watched and then forgotten

  • @MrDaiseymay
    @MrDaiseymay 8 місяців тому

    No other Navy could fire their guns as quickly as ours, hence our record of Victory was the best.

  • @defizr
    @defizr 2 роки тому

    You cast the lead ahead of you and when it's vertical that's the depth of water.

  • @matshjalmarsson3008
    @matshjalmarsson3008 2 роки тому +4

    The spars for the smaller sails are much thinner, and possibly the sail cloth was lighter.
    But more important, if the ship carries too much sail it will heel over and could capsise, and too much heeling actually reduces the speed

    • @zarwil
      @zarwil 2 роки тому +1

      The ship would not capsise from too much canvas, but the rigging itself could easily be damaged by heavy gusts of wind.

  • @paulhorgan6152
    @paulhorgan6152 2 роки тому +1

    You should realy react to The Mary rose museum right next door to the Victory

  • @davidmccarron4832
    @davidmccarron4832 2 роки тому

    i can see a hole in the shoulder of the uniform !!!! but dont no if he wos shot in the left solder where you can a see hole :P

  • @25dimensionsfrancis42
    @25dimensionsfrancis42 2 роки тому

    I belIeve there is a blood stain ,i must look at my postcard when i can find it.

  • @25dimensionsfrancis42
    @25dimensionsfrancis42 2 роки тому

    I believe that the no 3 gun deck is the only original deck and its age can clearly be seen.

  • @defizr
    @defizr 2 роки тому

    More sails up = more leverage on the spars.

  • @keefsmiff
    @keefsmiff 2 роки тому

    Yaaay ..I live 30 mins from the victory ..Nice one

  • @tb1271
    @tb1271 2 роки тому

    The main problem the French had was that during their revolution they executed many of their experienced officers. As it took decades to make a good naval officer and the Royal Navy was doing what it could to prevent any French ships from getting time at sea, so even basic training for the crew was lacking. Basically, during their revolution, they destroyed their own navy's ability to fight, and the RN was keen to ensure they did not regain it.

  • @AndrewHalliwell
    @AndrewHalliwell 2 роки тому

    Full sail, all capturing the wind? Think of all the stress on the wood...

  • @darkcat7938
    @darkcat7938 2 роки тому

    Big boat, not 100% built identically by fallible people have different variations.
    Big boat, heavy with hydrodynamics in play. The sails sometimes create more force than the tensile strength of the wood, rope and fabric will take. This thing is like a seaborne village. You can try and drag a car with a rubber band all you like, if that car starts reversing I don't like the odds on your rubber band.

  • @lostpompeylad
    @lostpompeylad 2 роки тому

    Connor love you video's, I come from Portsmouth in Hampshire England. So nice knowing you live near Portsmouth in the states 🤣

  • @spartakas659
    @spartakas659 2 роки тому +1

    Have you seen the movie “master and commander”? A great napoleonic naval movie.

  • @SweetBrazyN
    @SweetBrazyN 2 роки тому

    Agreed, Epic History Tv tops the rest!

  • @gerardduffy4004
    @gerardduffy4004 2 роки тому +4

    I enjoy these videos showing the insight into life aboard ships of sail and reading C. S. Forester Hornblower novels along with Dudley Pope and Patrick O'Brian. this video finally answered a few nautical questions I have.
    I think though others might correct me, one of the reasons that sailors would take ships intact in many battles was for Prize money and Admirals and Captains could make a fortune, the prize money would thin out the lower in rank you are, for example
    via Wikipedia:
    Perhaps the greatest amount of prize money awarded for the capture of a single ship was for that of the Spanish frigate Hermione on 31 May 1762 by the British frigate Active and sloop Favourite. The two captains, Herbert Sawyer and Philemon Pownoll, received about £65,000 apiece, while each seaman and Marine got £482 to £485. The total pool of prize money for this capture was £519,705 after expenses.

  • @lewisg7614
    @lewisg7614 2 роки тому

    There is videos on here of the victory doing a full broadside, very noisy but very impressive.

  • @Janie_Morrison
    @Janie_Morrison 6 місяців тому

    I'm perfectly fine thank you very much

  • @panther7748
    @panther7748 2 роки тому +9

    Connor, I think it isn't necessary to read out loud every piece of text in a video. 😅 Just rattling it down in a monotone voice doesn't really benefit anyone, neither you nor uswill remember any of it. I think for a good reaction it is more important to follow the flow of the video.

    • @richardwest6358
      @richardwest6358 2 роки тому

      Especially as you demonstrate that your cannot read very easily

  • @malpa2345
    @malpa2345 2 роки тому

    That’s a ginormous mug Connor!!

  • @QPRTokyo
    @QPRTokyo 2 роки тому

    Thank you.

  • @andrewwood8706
    @andrewwood8706 2 роки тому

    thicker at the base so more sails high would damage

  • @JJ-of1ir
    @JJ-of1ir 2 роки тому

    Loved this. Thanks. Would you react to the story of 'The Unknown Warrior The Bands of HM Royal Marines. (19 mins.36sec). Re WW1 (with old footage).

  • @8arcasticallyYours
    @8arcasticallyYours 2 роки тому

    HMS Victory is still commissioned.

  • @robinhooduk8255
    @robinhooduk8255 2 роки тому

    want something interesting. look into boston "popes night" its the american version of guy fawkes night.

  • @Paul-tp9vf
    @Paul-tp9vf 2 роки тому

    If you really want to learn about life at sea in the age of sail then you could do far worse than to immerse yourself in the Aubrey/Maturin Master and Commander series of books by Patrick O'Brian.
    By the end of them you will know everything you ever wanted to know and more about England's wooden walls, their architecture and the men who sailed them, and better still, you'll make good friends of the characters along the way.

  • @stefanioansbarcea8948
    @stefanioansbarcea8948 2 роки тому

    What is a commissioned officer?

  • @timhannah4
    @timhannah4 Рік тому

    HMS Victory: Triggers Broom

  • @tonyfarmer3840
    @tonyfarmer3840 2 роки тому

    Blood Staines on Nelson uniform !.

  • @Philip-l6w9n
    @Philip-l6w9n 8 місяців тому

    There was no cheating the admiralty officers exam since he could kill 800 men and lose a ship worth maybe £1billion in todays value. Conversely unlike other services anyone who could pass the exam would be commissioned irrespective of background. You wouldn't have told the difference between an English man and an American in those days and by the time of Trafalgar there were many 'loyal' Americans in the Royal Navy. It's also true though that they'd press American crews into service , as they would those of any country they weren't allied with or at war with.

  • @britishpatriot7386
    @britishpatriot7386 Рік тому

    British make the best things ever and we invented most things used today, not bad for a tiny island nation.

  • @markwalford-groom
    @markwalford-groom 2 роки тому

    hi mr mcg when do you use the greenscreen ..