I've posted this before but it's funny and true so I will post it again. On a guided tour of HMS Victory a French tourist asked if the cannon balls were real "No actually these are replicas " he was told he asked why? "Because you have all the real ones" came the reply!
Nelson was incredible. There was a story not included in this video about the time Wellington met Nelson. Apparently when Nelson first spoke to Wellington he had no idea who he was and just spoke about all his achievements & how great he was before leaving. When Nelson was told who he had been speaking to he went back to Wellington and they discussed the progress of the war and other matters and Wellington apparently found this a stimulating conversation. I would have really liked to listen in on the conversation between two of Britains greatest heroes.
I defy you to provide a credible reference, Nelson started his sea career as boy and not form a sea faring background and as a boy defined who he was as a man long before he became a man, He did not need to brag, his deeds went before him!
@@iangrantham8300 This is accurate. The Duke recounted his meeting with Nelson when speaking to the diarist Wilson Croker in 1834. It was at the colonial office in Downing Street, September 1805, Wellesley had just returned from India and Nelson was there to receive the commission for Trafalgar. “He could not know who I was, but he entered at once into conversation with me, if I can call it conversation, for it was almost all on his side, and all about himself, and in really a style so vain and so silly as to surprise and almost disgust me. I suppose something that I happened to say may have made him guess that I was somebody, and he went out of the room for a moment, I have no doubt to ask the office-keeper who I was, for when he came back he was altogether a different man, both in manner and matter. All that I had thought a charlatan style had vanished, and he talked of the state of this country and of the aspect and probabilities of affairs on the Continent with a good sense, and a knowledge of subjects both at home and abroad that surprised me equally and more agreeably than the first part of our interview had done; in fact, he talked like an officer and a statesman.”
It was Queen Victoria's funeral that was the biggest show of loss since Nelson, not Dianna's.......We forget about so much that small disabled man with the heart of a Titan did for modernising the Royal Navy. The heartbreaking reality that " powder monkeys " running ammunition to the guns were reportedly as young as 8 years old and a mortality rate of 70% onboard ships appalled Nelson. His letters of how inhumane it was for these children , some were the son's of serving seaman onboard , had the desired effect and the practice was outlawed by Admiralty.
most of 'em were "powder monkeys", mr Abiff, skint and "pressed". well, pressed because they were skint. ya needed "goodly shillings" to buy ya self out of a pressgang. they knew who to target.. they were seen as far worse than the "peelers" were. love this bit of history.
Master and Commander did a fantastic job of portraying the wooden world of Patrick O'Brien's Aubrey-Maturin series of the Napoleonic Wars. The Hornblower TV series (7 Oct 1998 to 6 Jan 2003) did a fair job as well. It is a fascinating period of history and the incredible machines that made it. Home for hundreds of men, self repairing, immensely powerful floating gun batteries that dominated the oceans of the world. Consider this: the total firepower of the armies at the battle of Waterloo, fought ten years later, amounted to just 7.3% of the firepower at Trafalgar
That’s true👍 Wellington hid most of his army beyond the ridge which allowed the french to waste most of their shots. Only when the french columns advanced did we let them have it.
'Tapping the Admiral' is a British idiom which means to have a sly drink of alcohol. It comes from when Admiral Nelson's body was returned from Trafalgar. To preserve his body they stored it in a barrel of rum and some of the crew would stick straws in the barrel and have a sly drink.
Wellington was once sat in a room opposite nelson both genuinely had no idea who each other were. How ironic was that. Apparently they chatted briefly. Imagine being a fly on the wall right then.
According to Elizabeth Longford’s biography of Wellington, ‘The Years of the Sword’, Wellington and Nelson were waiting in an anteroom together. Not knowing who was waiting with him, Nelson began to talk about himself in a vain way, to Wellington’s annoyance. After a while, Nelson left the room for a moment and apparently found out who was with him. He returned and had a far more polite and less self-centred conversation.
In the novel Master And Commander was based on the ship he was chasing was American. It was during the War of 1812, a side show of the Napoleonic Wars.
Connor: "I love British seamen...ship. I am a child." All of us kids out here: "Yeah, Connor...get your mind out of the gutter" (while trying really hard and mostly failing to hold in our own laughter) 😏💯✌😂😂😂😂😂
When you visit the UK next,you can go on the HMS victory and get a real feeling for how they lived and fought. Nelson is right at the top when it comes to British heroes! I'm surprised Hollywood haven't made a recent film about him. He had all the ingredients for an epic movie.
@@AhsokaTanoTheWhite prithee, my good fellow, there be people in ye "sarwest" of England who might have summat ta say ta yer ....the perennial question is , which PIT put "steel rails" in first..( they originated in mines in case ya did'nt know) long before "Georgie boy".
@@AhsokaTanoTheWhite you’ll be not from this side of the pond then, Flemming and Stevenson were great inventors/Scientists, whilst Nelson was a great seaman, 2 different categories.
When you come to London you should go to Greenwich! They’ve got a ship there called the Cutty Sark, which was built in 1870 I think and it used to bring in tea from China. It’s a lovely little area by the river. It’s also got some nice pubs, market, old royal naval college, maritime museum, and a beautiful park with amazing views of London. I live round the corner from there and it’s one of my favourite parts of London.
One day in India the Cutty Sark and another ship sailed out of Bombay together full of tea so a race was on to see who would be first to London and hence get the highest price for the tea , one ship sailed around and up Africa to London while the other sailed across the Atlantic and up the Americas catching the big winds as she went , the 2 ships landed in London only 30 minutes apart !!!
I was born in Greenwich and lived my first 10 years all around there. There is the Royal Navel College, and thr National Maritime Museum, the HMS Victory which was Nelson's flagship is available for tours in Portsmouth as this is the flagship of the Royal Navy, the first sea lord has an office onboard. This was a recent change for thr Victory to be the new unofficial flagship.
You didn't mention that in the Maritime Museum they have the uniform Nelson was wearing at the battle of Trafalgar when he was killed. The bullet hole is there to be seen. It is very moving.
Built in Dumbarton for the tea trade,fastest clipper in the British merchant services, her name copied from the poem by Robert Burns... Tam o , Shanter. Where Tam sees the Devil play for the coven of witches and Tam shouts out" Weel done cutty Sark" short shirt in English.. The witches hurl after him until he gets to running water,his horse Meg loses her tail, crossing the bridge over the river Doon.
No one mentions Nelsons great friend and 2nd in command, Admiral Collingwood! First in action with Royal Sovereign. After Nelsons death he saved the British Fleet from the approaching storm that evening. He established communications with the Spanish, landed rescued Spanish sailors, landed wounded british sailors. It was his dogged gunnery training that gave the British such an advantage. He and Nelson were both the students of Admiral Jervis whose tactics Nelson used. In later life he considered Trafalgar as just another action in which he lost his good friend.
You need to visit HMS Victory! I now visit Portsmouth around once a year and almost always have a trip around her. You can go around almost the whole ship. Absolutely fascinating! But check out the battle of Trafalgar first, after that there was no serious challenge to the Royal Navy until the battle of Jutland in 1916... you'll definitely find it fascinating. Another great reaction video...
2nd that, a visit to Portsmouth’s Historical Dockyard is well worth a visit and then a stroll along the front to Old Portsmouth towards Square Tower where Nelson embarked.
In the museum next to Victory is the actual sail from Victory kept under the correct conditions for it being maintained. On Victory is part of the mast with a cannon hole through it. There is one deck only with the original wood decking [3rd deck i think] .In the Maritime museum in London is the actual uniform of Nelson [can not take photos] and the hole in the left shoulder is clearly visible where the ball entered .I have a photo taken from a post card. There is a photo of H.M.S. Victory in water [can be seen on the web] before it was dry docked.
Nelson was loved by his men. He made sure they were well fed and had the best possible conditions He also tried to help the families if they were injured or killed. Hard bitten old seamen wept openly when he was killed.
The destruction of L'Orient was heard 100 miles away in Cairo. Napoleon knew then his campaign in Egypt was over. It also inspired the rhyme "the boy stood on the burning on the burning deck...". This was the Admirals son who was killed when the ship blew itself up. It was also the first time a night fleet action had taken place. And the first time an enemy fleet at anchor had been attacked. The rule books were re written by Nelson that day. The Copenhagen signal is slightly mis leading. The signal was basically telling Nelson that if he felt the need to withdraw due to the very effective shore batteries, then he could do so with his honour intact. Nelson continued the engagement as it was easier to continue than to try to withdraw. The coast line around is a bitch to attack, it's very shallow, lots of sandbanks and shore batteries sited along the approaches. It's a death trap. Interestingly, one of the ships under Nelson's command was commanded by one William Bligh. His ship fought with such vigour that Nelson Mentioned him In Despatches, a high accolade. This was after the bounty mutiny.
Bligh was an excellent captain, a first rate navigator and has been done a great disservice by both history and Hollywood who have painted him in the role of villain.
@@garethsillman I remember watching them raise the Mary Rose from the bottom of the Solent. We dropped all lessons at school and just watched live footage on TV.
It was in the War of 1812 where sailors were pressed from American ships, what often gets overlooked in the American telling if events is that many were deserters from the Royal Navy that they were taking back
Actually during the entirety of the Napoleonic wars of which the 1812 war was a part although the incident between USN Chesapeak and HMS Leopard in 1807 almost sparked off a war then. Leopard in searching for deserters from the RN fired 3 broadsides in 5 mins into Chesapeak killing some of her crew in "bringing her to".
Love that you're looking at this subject! You might also be interested in looking up the Naval tradition of celebrating Trafalgar Day and Pickle Night. Also here in Portsmouth on the 200 year Anniversary of Trafalgar back in 2005 there was an International Fleet review and celebration (apparently the fleet review dates back to the 1500's) there's plenty of online footage to see. My husband is a Royal Navy veteran but was still serving at that time and it was an amazing event! By the way HMS Victory is totally open to view you can walk through the ship as she is what they have termed as a living museum one if my favourite visits was as a parent helper with my daughter's school some years back!
Me again! There's one documentary about Trafalgar which even goes through how Victory and other 1st Rate ships were built, plus how progressive the Royal Navy was toward it's sailors and the less glamourous subject of logistics! I'm sure you'll love it.
I've visited the HMS Victory twice & I'm blown away by it. I'm 6 feet tall and spent most of my time bent over, (no jokes about sailors and bending over please). I tried to imagine what it must have been like trying to fight in those conditions with clouds of smoke and cordite filling the gun decks. It must have been hell. If or when you do get a chance to visit Portsmouth it's worth taking note of the tools used in the 'sick bay' they are monstrously crude. Also, check out HMS Warrior the first iron built war ship. Also, The Mary Rose, Henry Vlll's flag ship. Plus the musium. Portsmouth is an amazing and informative place to visit dude. Love your enthusiasm for history mate. ✌️
The little island I live on has two pubs/hotels one called the lady Hamilton the other called the Lord Nelson, named for where each of them stayed whilst here. Apparently their affair was common knowledge
Perhaps the second greatest naval officer is Thomas Cochrane. His naval exploits almost beggar belief. You may have heard of him already but if not, his youtube video is Thomas Cochrane, craziest sea Captain. Relatively speaking, given the tools at his disposal and the disadvantages he faced from the British class system his achievements may be said to be equal to if not greater than Nelson's.
A man after my own heart. Cochrane's life was genuinely insane from hero to stock exchange fraudster (allegedly) to hero of South America and Greece and then back to Britain. No wonder so many authors base their characters on real men like these.
Thanks for learning more about Lord Nelson. If you ever make it to Portsmouth to see HMS Victory not only can you walk in his steps but you can see so much more. As has been mentioned you can see other famous ships at HM Dockyard but so much more. You can have a pint where Nelson spent his last night on British soil and go along the walkway that he took to board Victory. You can stand on Southsea Castle in Portsmouth and stand where Henry VIII watched the pride of his navy sink and could have seen it raised 437 years later. You can also use the only regular hovercraft passenger service in the world and 10 minutes later be on the Isle of Wight and see Carisbrook Castle, where King Charles was held during the English Civil War. Twenty minutes from Portsmouth there is Portchester Castle, first built by the Romans and even used to keep Napoleonic prisoners. At the front of the city we have a line of sea forts and at the back of the city we have a line of land forts. Intact Portsmouth was once the most heavily defended city on the planet such was its importance. Finally you could even catch a train and be at Arundel Castle in 45 minutes. There is of course way more history than I've mentioned but if you make it to HMS Victory you will have plenty to see and do.
Re: HMS Victory - for those really obsessed I do recommend making the Airfix model. It teaches you an enormous amount about how this ship was made - and you end up with an impressive model as well!
15:30 You might be interested in a painting called "The Fighting Temeraire" by William Turner. It shows the HMS Temeraire, a veteran of Trafalgar, being towed away for scrap by a steam tug, symbolising the end of the age of sail. EDIT: Temeraire is actually visible in the painting at 26:04. The ship slightly to right of centre is Victory. To our left of her (on her starboard side) is an enemy ship with it's main- and mizzen-(rear-)masts missing, and on the other side of that ship, with the Union Jack flying in the rigging, is Temeraire. You can also see another enemy ship approaching Temeraire's other side (Temeraire has just fired a broadside, hence the smoke). Temeraire fought, defeated and captured both of these ships, saving Victory in the process (Victory was being boarded by the dismasted ship).
I recollect that in the approach to the Franco-Spanish fleet Temeraire was immediately astern of Victory and was creeping level when Nelson reportedly took a speaking trumpet and hailed Captain Harvey with “I’ll thank you to take your proper station, Captain Harvey, which is astern of the Victory!”.
We have a glorious picture of the fleet in Battle on the Nile hanging in our drawing room. When in the UK visit Portsmouth, of course, but also the historic dockyards of Chatham. They are so fascinating and it is Chatham where the Victory was built.
Really enjoyable history lesson, we love our statue of Nelson in London, got to say that lollypop you were eating looks so good, keep up the good work.
The interesting thing about the Battle of Trafalgar was Nelson's tactics. Traditionally ships fought broadside against broadside, and so ships sides were heavily protected. Nelson approached the French and Spanish ships in two lines at right angles to the enemy line, thus presenting a small target area for the enemy canons. As the two lines reached the enemy line, the British ships fired on both sides along the length of the enemy ships going through the rear of the ships and along the whole length of them, the canonballs taking out most of the crew and canons along the whole length of the ships.
If you ever get to the U.K, Portsmouth where the HMS Victory is moored is about a 90 minute train ride away from London costing around $45 today and a ticket to tour the HMS Victory would be about $30. I did the tour maybe 35 to 40 years ago as a kid and always remember the guide asking me to move because I was stood on the spot and I’d memory serves a plaque where Nelson took that fatal blow.
At Trafalgar Square if you look at the lamp posts in the direction he is facing you’ll notice ships on top of them this is symbolising nelson looking over his fleet it is a great tribute is hidden in plain sight :)
I live just outside of Portsmouth where HMS Victory is in dry dock and have been on it several times, it is fantastic, you get a real sense of what life was like on the Victory, Also Henry VIII Mary Rose is in Portsmouth again fantastic, along with HMS Warrior, an iron clad war ship
In Master and Commnder - the movie has the enemy ship as being French. In the book, it's a American ship. But the movie makers didn't think that would play well with American audiences.
Up until 2016 I was in the Royal Navy and to this day all the ships in Portsmouth harbour take their lead for colours (raising and lowering the Jack and Ensign) from the Victory. You can actually be drafted to her and serve aboard her. Although it's more of a ceremonial position and they normally only have about 6 drafted at any one time. During training we visit and learn about the history. I find it incredible that Victory and Nelson still hold a huge place in Naval tradition and the legacy (good and bad) of Britain 🇬🇧
As great as Nelson was, Thomas Cochrane ( The Sea Wolf ) was a much more accomplished sailor, strategist and political. Master and Commander was based on him but his life story is absolutely epic.
Bro I think in that moment we were all a child and got a giggle out of it, the best part is the couple of seconds of silence where your brain did a hard reset before trying to figure out how you will back yourself out of that corner.
You can visit and walk all over/in HMS Victory, Nelson's flagship at Trafalgar. It's at Portsmouth on the south coast. Another ship you can visit there is HMS warrior the first Ironclad ocean going warship. Highly recommend it.
You can visit 'The Victory' in Portsmouth. There's a very old joke about how an old lady was on a guided tour of the ship. The guide pointed to a brass plate on the deck and said, "This is where Lord Nelson fell." The old lady replied, "I'm not surprised; I damned near slipped on it myself." That joke is even more ancient than me 😊 More seriously, when the video said that Tsar Peter I of Russia died after the Battle of Copenhagen, it was crazily wrong, as Peter the Great died in 1724. Very strange, as he's usually pretty accurate with his information.
To bring his body back to England, rather than a burial at sea, he was put into a barrel of rum to preserve it. When he got back to England the sarcophagus used was the one that was built for Henry VIII but never used.
@@rogertaylor6386 I’ve heard it was brandy but thought it was rum, mainly as there would have been plenty of it on board. Rum was part of the rations. Also there is a rum called Pusser’s rum which is known as Nelson’s Blood!
29:05 I’m so glad he lived long enough to know that his fleet had destroyed 22 enemy ships and hasn’t lost a single one himself. I don’t want it say ‘happy’ but I bet he died satisfied and proud of both himself and his fleet. I’m a Brit 🇬🇧 and I’ve learnt some of this stuff, maybe I don’t remember but I didn’t realise he was known for his essentially nice treatment of the crew or exactly how good his strategy was. I mean I know it obviously was good because…obviously; but sliding between the two French ships and broadsiding both of them at once is the modern day equivalent of drifting a car around the target and picking them off before exiting the drift. That’s badass. Being English 🏴 and obviously British 🇬🇧 I went to school in an area where we had a day trip to HMS Victory. That on its own is incredible…but I didn’t realise that Sir Nelson had Captained her…I was young so they probably said and I forgot but I definitely didn’t recall that he (from the way it sounds) died on board the ship itself.
I've been to visit so many castles during my life due to living in England it always comes as a surprise when someone has it on their bucket list to visit one
I went on board HMS Victory 2 years ago and it was about £25 but you could also go around HMS Warrior and other ships in Portsmouth dockyard. with the exception of the Mary Rose. and it was excellent value for money and you have access to everything. on board and can see the place where he died in the bowels of the ship, which has a permanent light there. also a plaque on the ships upper deck where he fell.
Pity the video didn’t show you anything of HMS Victory. There are some very cool videos of tours around the ship. You should check them out. It’s not just Nelson who is a national treasure. His ship is too!
Coincidentally I watched that yesterday and was going to recommend it. I can't believe that I've never heard of him. He earned all of his reputation and more
23:24 I think biographics got that thing wrong it was Paul I who died not Peter I(Peter the great), Peter was generations older than Paul, and died in the 1720s(u saw him in the great Northern war series)
Connor, the perfect book for your interest in the old square rigged Navy ships is: The Country Life Book of Nautical Terms Under Sail. No longer in print but available used. You’d love it!.
Little pieces of trivia. The last ship that took part at Trafaglar that was sunk was on 2nd December 1949. Fourth ship back from the French-Spanish fleet was the Duguay-Trouin. It was captured after the battle and became HMS Implacable. Sadly neither Britain or France to which it was offered back to could afford the restoration due to WW2. So was taken out and with ceremony was blown up with both British and French flags flying.Film of this event can be found on You Tube.
Your admiration for the design of the ships from that time is really obvious. If you ever visit England, please go to Portsmouth and walk along the decks of HMS Victory for yourself. The ship is beautiful and the history is all around you.
You are aware Master and Commander is based on the real life, Lord Thomas Cochrane. The word you were looking for was Pressed, where men would be pressed in to service of the Royal Navy, happened all over. I am surprised you didn't know that having a third person in a marriage was a done thing at the time, they were all at it. You must look at Manning the mast, a tradition in the Navy.
8:30 Hi Conner. I think what you're refering to is 'pressganging' where a ship's crew when docked n port would forcibly conscript men in the inns into the ship's crew and therefore the navy. Don't know if it ever happened at sea (pirate ships probably did this), but certainly happened in port.
hahaha The Royal Navy were renown for pressganging at sea. We did it for centuries & nearly went to war again with the USA because of us constantly stealing any sailor who was black ( thus freeing him in theory from slavery oppression ) and all other able men when they come into contact with another ship at sea. Deaths onboard & naval engagements on the high sea's could mean a ship was at service for up 3 years before coming home. Manpower had to be taken from where they could get it.
Fun fact..( well I hope it is )...The nickname for the Royal Navy is "The Andrew" so called allegedly after the Navy officer in charge of the press gang Andrew Miller.
The normal way of two fleets fighting at this time, was to sail in a line passing each other with cannons blazing, until one fleet was sunk, and the other victorious. However, Nelson was a maverick and never did anything the 'normal ' way. So instead, he lined his fleet up before the combined French and Spanish fleets, but then just as they approached he ordered his ships to turn into two separate lines head on to the French- Spanish ships and sail right between them. Nelson aboad HMS Victory leading one line and Admiral Collingwood leading another. This completely took the enemy by surprise, and is how he could fire a broadside from both sides in a devastatingly bold manoeuvre. You can visit HMS Victory at Portsmouth dock yard and walk all around it, both on deck and below, viewing not only the place where he fell, but also where he died.
If you go to Greenwich visit the Maritime Museum. I believe it still has on show Nelsons uniform he wore when he was killed. You can go on the HMS Victory and see the spot on the ship where he died.
In the Master and Commander film, the filmmakers had to change the US ship into a French one just to receive funding from American producers. It changes the whole premise of the novel.
24:30 while HMS Victory may be the ship most associated with Nelson, so much so that history has linked them as closely as Abbott and Costello or Doc Brown and Marty Mcfly she wasn't Nelson's favourite ship, by all accounts the ship he became most attached to was the HMS Agamemnon placed under his command from January 1793 to June 1796 before being given the HMS Captain.
I was born in Portsmouth and have visited the Victory many times, it never disappoints, please, if you get the chance, go and a bonus, on the same site is the Mary Rose, the flag ship of Henry VIII raised from the Solent in 1982, so many artefacts bring these amazing ships ‘to life’ and not forgetting HMS Warrior, all within strolling distance 😁
The thing is about the taking of sailors is the fact that the British viewed all so called Americans as British and I guess until the end of the war they were still British. It was a British colony after all so the people either travelled to the 13 colonies from Britain or those born there were still born in a British colony and there for British, this is a big reason why a lot of people say the USA have never defeated us because the USA didn't exist until after the war ended. So it was the British with help from Spain and France defeating the British
Streets in Glasgow named for his victories West Nile Street... Battle of the Nile. St.Vincent Street... Battle of St.Vincent Nelson. Britain's greatest hero..
I have a Nile medal, which I think was awarded to a relative who was aboard HMS Audacious, it’s quiet big and gold, it shows the fleets and the French flag ship blowing up. Nelson and Britannia are also depicted.
Anything that has potential for Simon to say 'Empire' is worth a watch lol Edit: Didn't disappoint.. So fictional French ship? "Victorious", "Brave", "Dependable", "The Staunch Ally", "Never Surrender"... ok I'll stop
Visiting the Victory is easy enough once you get off the train in Portsmouth. Try the summer though when it's not so bloody cold. Not too far away is HMS Warrior Britains first mostly metal purpose built Ironclad warship (a beauty in her own right); well worth a visit if you're into naval history. The Mary Rose museum is also doable if you have the time. As for castles? OMG take your pick! We have hundreds in various states of repare and dating back to before the Romans if you include Ironage hill forts. It's an entire subject in itself and depends on where you are in the Uk
Hi Connor. If you come to the UK your head will spin will our collection of castles. We have tons. However we have few ships to look at. (They tend to disintegrate) HMS Victory is good, but we also have SS Great Britain (Brunel's iron ship) in Bristol which I recommend. If you go to London you can look at the remains of Henry the Eighth's ship The Mary Rose.
In modern parlance Nelson was an absolute beast who was loved by the men who served under him. 1 story always makes me laugh. They boarded a ship to take it. As that was happening another ship came to reinforce the 1st. Nelson then jumped straight onto that 1 and took that too hahaha. Officers hand there swords to the enemy captain! Admiral as a sign of surrender. In that fight Nelson literally couldn't carry all the swords he got given so he handed them off to another guy who stood there holding them. That must've been an incredible sight haja
Double broadside HMS Victory sailed between the stern of one ship and the bow of another the gunners fired as the bare so multiple rounds went into and along the ships creating carnage. The other tactic was to bounce a cannon ball across the sea like skimming stones, this was timed for the enemy ship to role exposing the lower hull. His victory on the River Nile, the British sailed down the line of anchored French ships from the rear destroying the whole fleet.
I remember standing in front of Nelson's coat that he was wearing when he was shot. He was a small man as I remembered that the coat looked tiny. It was a bit surreal
Great review. You have to get over here to the U.K. Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is a must visit. Victory is there as well as Warrior the worlds first iron clad warship and Henry VIII ship the Mary Rose as well as countless other museums and attractions. Across the water in Gosport is the Submarine Museum. You can go aboard Victory and Warrior and it is a fascinating tour. I saw Nelson’s uniform at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London and it is amazing how small he was. What a life starting at 12yo onboard ship. How many 12yo today could do that. I live not far from Portsmouth, hope you make it to U.K. to visit. Andy UK
you should visit chatham dock yard where hms victory was built and the rope hall that is still in use today , it made the 35 miles of rope that furnished victory and yes you can roam all around hms victory and stand on the spot where nelson fell its a wonderfull ship to visit as is the mary rose both are in portsmouth docks
Fly to London a few days there then down the road to Arundel to see the town and castle then just down the road to Portsmouth to the Navel Dockyards to see HMS Victory! HMS Warrior is worth a look!
Hi Connor I live in Portsmouth home of the Royal navy and I visit hms victory alot on my way to work I frequently pass hms warrior Britain's first iron hulled warship. Just a short walk from my home I can see the naval base where hms queen Elizabeth and hms prince Charles our newest and largest aircraft carriers. Its also where the largest flotilla ever assembled set sail for Normandy and there's a museum dedicated to the D day landings. It's a city steeped in history with southsea Castle built by Henry the 8th and at one time in history was the largest and busiest port in the world. There's a host of 3 sea forts too. If you ever come to the UK please check Portsmouth out.
I've posted this before but it's funny and true so I will post it again. On a guided tour of HMS Victory a French tourist asked if the cannon balls were real "No actually these are replicas " he was told he asked why? "Because you have all the real ones" came the reply!
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
@Fossy: OOOooowww, ouch, has anyone got some Ice water!
Nelson was incredible. There was a story not included in this video about the time Wellington met Nelson. Apparently when Nelson first spoke to Wellington he had no idea who he was and just spoke about all his achievements & how great he was before leaving. When Nelson was told who he had been speaking to he went back to Wellington and they discussed the progress of the war and other matters and Wellington apparently found this a stimulating conversation. I would have really liked to listen in on the conversation between two of Britains greatest heroes.
I defy you to provide a credible reference, Nelson started his sea career as boy and not form a sea faring background and as a boy defined who he was as a man long before he became a man, He did not need to brag, his deeds went before him!
@@iangrantham8300 This is accurate. The Duke recounted his meeting with Nelson when speaking to the diarist Wilson Croker in 1834. It was at the colonial office in Downing Street, September 1805, Wellesley had just returned from India and Nelson was there to receive the commission for Trafalgar. “He could not know who I was, but he entered at once into conversation with me, if I can call it conversation, for it was almost all on his side, and all about himself, and in really a style so vain and so silly as to surprise and almost disgust me. I suppose something that I happened to say may have made him guess that I was somebody, and he went out of the room for a moment, I have no doubt to ask the office-keeper who I was, for when he came back he was altogether a different man, both in manner and matter. All that I had thought a charlatan style had vanished, and he talked of the state of this country and of the aspect and probabilities of affairs on the Continent with a good sense, and a knowledge of subjects both at home and abroad that surprised me equally and more agreeably than the first part of our interview had done; in fact, he talked like an officer and a statesman.”
It was Queen Victoria's funeral that was the biggest show of loss since Nelson, not Dianna's.......We forget about so much that small disabled man with the heart of a Titan did for modernising the Royal Navy. The heartbreaking reality that " powder monkeys " running ammunition to the guns were reportedly as young as 8 years old and a mortality rate of 70% onboard ships appalled Nelson. His letters of how inhumane it was for these children , some were the son's of serving seaman onboard , had the desired effect and the practice was outlawed by Admiralty.
Very true.
most of 'em were "powder monkeys", mr Abiff, skint and "pressed". well, pressed because they were skint. ya needed "goodly shillings" to buy ya self out of a pressgang. they knew who to target.. they were seen as far worse than the "peelers" were. love this bit of history.
The ‘powder monkeys’ were on the whole, orphans and were treated by their gun crews as their children.
Master and Commander did a fantastic job of portraying the wooden world of Patrick O'Brien's Aubrey-Maturin series of the Napoleonic Wars. The Hornblower TV series (7 Oct 1998 to 6 Jan 2003) did a fair job as well. It is a fascinating period of history and the incredible machines that made it. Home for hundreds of men, self repairing, immensely powerful floating gun batteries that dominated the oceans of the world. Consider this: the total firepower of the armies at the battle of Waterloo, fought ten years later, amounted to just 7.3% of the firepower at Trafalgar
That’s true👍 Wellington hid most of his army beyond the ridge which allowed the french to waste most of their shots. Only when the french columns advanced did we let them have it.
That is a very interesting fact. Just 7.3%
'Tapping the Admiral' is a British idiom which means to have a sly drink of alcohol. It comes from when Admiral Nelson's body was returned from Trafalgar. To preserve his body they stored it in a barrel of rum and some of the crew would stick straws in the barrel and have a sly drink.
Ok I love a bit of rum every now and again, but OOF that’s disgusting 🥴
It was brandy, not rum.
It’s a myth they did that
Wellington was once sat in a room opposite nelson both genuinely had no idea who each other were. How ironic was that. Apparently they chatted briefly. Imagine being a fly on the wall right then.
According to Elizabeth Longford’s biography of Wellington, ‘The Years of the Sword’, Wellington and Nelson were waiting in an anteroom together. Not knowing who was waiting with him, Nelson began to talk about himself in a vain way, to Wellington’s annoyance. After a while, Nelson left the room for a moment and apparently found out who was with him. He returned and had a far more polite and less self-centred conversation.
@@chrismackett9044 isn’t that amazing. Two of Britain’s greatest right there.
In the novel Master And Commander was based on the ship he was chasing was American. It was during the War of 1812, a side show of the Napoleonic Wars.
The story of what happened to Emma Hamilton after Nelson's death is very sad.
Connor: "I love British seamen...ship. I am a child."
All of us kids out here: "Yeah, Connor...get your mind out of the gutter" (while trying really hard and mostly failing to hold in our own laughter)
😏💯✌😂😂😂😂😂
When you visit the UK next,you can go on the HMS victory and get a real feeling for how they lived and fought.
Nelson is right at the top when it comes to British heroes!
I'm surprised Hollywood haven't made a recent film about him.
He had all the ingredients for an epic movie.
I wouldn't put Nelson above Sir Alexander Flemming (who invented Penicillin), or George Stephenson (who invented the railway).
because he's a "lime ball", mr Mud . da ya not think if he was a"sceptic" a million films would have been made ? must do better, Bob lad.
@@AhsokaTanoTheWhite prithee, my good fellow, there be people in ye "sarwest" of England who might have summat ta say ta yer ....the perennial question is , which PIT put "steel rails" in first..( they originated in mines in case ya did'nt know) long before "Georgie boy".
@@blackbob3358 Steam engines made the railways work, not pit ponies.
@@AhsokaTanoTheWhite you’ll be not from this side of the pond then, Flemming and Stevenson were great inventors/Scientists, whilst Nelson was a great seaman, 2 different categories.
When you come to London you should go to Greenwich! They’ve got a ship there called the Cutty Sark, which was built in 1870 I think and it used to bring in tea from China. It’s a lovely little area by the river. It’s also got some nice pubs, market, old royal naval college, maritime museum, and a beautiful park with amazing views of London. I live round the corner from there and it’s one of my favourite parts of London.
One day in India the Cutty Sark and another ship sailed out of Bombay together full of tea so a race was on to see who would be first to London and hence get the highest price for the tea , one ship sailed around and up Africa to London while the other sailed across the Atlantic and up the Americas catching the big winds as she went , the 2 ships landed in London only 30 minutes apart !!!
My Partners brother lives in Greenwich. It's been the best place I've been so far, with St Paul's and the Tower of London.
I was born in Greenwich and lived my first 10 years all around there. There is the Royal Navel College, and thr National Maritime Museum, the HMS Victory which was Nelson's flagship is available for tours in Portsmouth as this is the flagship of the Royal Navy, the first sea lord has an office onboard. This was a recent change for thr Victory to be the new unofficial flagship.
You didn't mention that in the Maritime Museum they have the uniform Nelson was wearing at the battle of Trafalgar when he was killed. The bullet hole is there to be seen. It is very moving.
Built in Dumbarton for the tea trade,fastest clipper in the British merchant services, her name copied from the poem by Robert Burns... Tam o , Shanter.
Where Tam sees the Devil play for the coven of witches and Tam shouts out" Weel done cutty Sark" short shirt in English..
The witches hurl after him until he gets to running water,his horse Meg loses her tail, crossing the bridge over the river Doon.
No one mentions Nelsons great friend and 2nd in command, Admiral Collingwood! First in action with Royal Sovereign. After Nelsons death he saved the British Fleet from the approaching storm that evening. He established communications with the Spanish, landed rescued Spanish sailors, landed wounded british sailors. It was his dogged gunnery training that gave the British such an advantage. He and Nelson were both the students of Admiral Jervis whose tactics Nelson used. In later life he considered Trafalgar as just another action in which he lost his good friend.
Don't forget that as well as visiting HMS Victory, you can also visit the remains of the Mary Rose which was the flagship of King Henry 8th
You need to visit HMS Victory! I now visit Portsmouth around once a year and almost always have a trip around her. You can go around almost the whole ship. Absolutely fascinating! But check out the battle of Trafalgar first, after that there was no serious challenge to the Royal Navy until the battle of Jutland in 1916... you'll definitely find it fascinating. Another great reaction video...
2nd that, a visit to Portsmouth’s Historical Dockyard is well worth a visit and then a stroll along the front to Old Portsmouth towards Square Tower where Nelson embarked.
In the museum next to Victory is the actual sail from Victory kept under the correct conditions for it being maintained. On Victory is part of the mast with a cannon hole through it. There is one deck only with the original wood decking [3rd deck i think] .In the Maritime museum in London is the actual uniform of Nelson [can not take photos] and the hole in the left shoulder is clearly visible where the ball entered .I have a photo taken from a post card. There is a photo of H.M.S. Victory in water [can be seen on the web] before it was dry docked.
Nelson was loved by his men. He made sure they were well fed and had the best possible conditions
He also tried to help the families if they were injured or killed.
Hard bitten old seamen wept openly when he was killed.
The destruction of L'Orient was heard 100 miles away in Cairo. Napoleon knew then his campaign in Egypt was over. It also inspired the rhyme "the boy stood on the burning on the burning deck...". This was the Admirals son who was killed when the ship blew itself up. It was also the first time a night fleet action had taken place. And the first time an enemy fleet at anchor had been attacked. The rule books were re written by Nelson that day. The Copenhagen signal is slightly mis leading. The signal was basically telling Nelson that if he felt the need to withdraw due to the very effective shore batteries, then he could do so with his honour intact. Nelson continued the engagement as it was easier to continue than to try to withdraw. The coast line around is a bitch to attack, it's very shallow, lots of sandbanks and shore batteries sited along the approaches. It's a death trap. Interestingly, one of the ships under Nelson's command was commanded by one William Bligh. His ship fought with such vigour that Nelson Mentioned him In Despatches, a high accolade. This was after the bounty mutiny.
Bligh was an excellent captain, a first rate navigator and has been done a great disservice by both history and Hollywood who have painted him in the role of villain.
@@vinnyganzano1930 I agree wholeheartedly
"Guys I don't have coffee - be right back" .... ... ... appears with popsicle. Priorities ;)
The HMS Victory is fully open to the public with official tours. The remains of the Mary Rose are at the same location. Fascinating.
And HMS Warrior too
Yeah it’s where I live haha!
I remember watching HMS warrior return to Portsmouth harbour when I was a kid
@@garethsillman I remember watching them raise the Mary Rose from the bottom of the Solent. We dropped all lessons at school and just watched live footage on TV.
I remember learning it at school! Being from gosport it’s a major part of my history
It was in the War of 1812 where sailors were pressed from American ships, what often gets overlooked in the American telling if events is that many were deserters from the Royal Navy that they were taking back
Actually during the entirety of the Napoleonic wars of which the 1812 war was a part although the incident between USN Chesapeak and HMS Leopard in 1807 almost sparked off a war then. Leopard in searching for deserters from the RN fired 3 broadsides in 5 mins into Chesapeak killing some of her crew in "bringing her to".
Love that you're looking at this subject! You might also be interested in looking up the Naval tradition of celebrating Trafalgar Day and Pickle Night. Also here in Portsmouth on the 200 year Anniversary of Trafalgar back in 2005 there was an International Fleet review and celebration (apparently the fleet review dates back to the 1500's) there's plenty of online footage to see. My husband is a Royal Navy veteran but was still serving at that time and it was an amazing event! By the way HMS Victory is totally open to view you can walk through the ship as she is what they have termed as a living museum one if my favourite visits was as a parent helper with my daughter's school some years back!
HMS victory is an access all areas museum. Awesome ship to walk around and appreciate how tough it must have been to fight on her in the 19th century
Me again! There's one documentary about Trafalgar which even goes through how Victory and other 1st Rate ships were built, plus how progressive the Royal Navy was toward it's sailors and the less glamourous subject of logistics! I'm sure you'll love it.
I love Simon's channels as well. It's also really refreshing to see an American with such reverence for the Brits.
I've visited the HMS Victory twice & I'm blown away by it. I'm 6 feet tall and spent most of my time bent over, (no jokes about sailors and bending over please). I tried to imagine what it must have been like trying to fight in those conditions with clouds of smoke and cordite filling the gun decks. It must have been hell. If or when you do get a chance to visit Portsmouth it's worth taking note of the tools used in the 'sick bay' they are monstrously crude. Also, check out HMS Warrior the first iron built war ship. Also, The Mary Rose, Henry Vlll's flag ship. Plus the musium. Portsmouth is an amazing and informative place to visit dude. Love your enthusiasm for history mate. ✌️
The little island I live on has two pubs/hotels one called the lady Hamilton the other called the Lord Nelson, named for where each of them stayed whilst here. Apparently their affair was common knowledge
Perhaps the second greatest naval officer is Thomas Cochrane. His naval exploits almost beggar belief. You may have heard of him already but if not, his youtube video is Thomas Cochrane, craziest sea Captain. Relatively speaking, given the tools at his disposal and the disadvantages he faced from the British class system his achievements may be said to be equal to if not greater than Nelson's.
A man after my own heart. Cochrane's life was genuinely insane from hero to stock exchange fraudster (allegedly) to hero of South America and Greece and then back to Britain. No wonder so many authors base their characters on real men like these.
Look up HMS Victory rolling broadside for a treat, where you get an idea of what it was like when these ships fired.
Always a good trip around HMS Victory. Fantastic day out at the Dock yard.
Thanks for learning more about Lord Nelson.
If you ever make it to Portsmouth to see HMS Victory not only can you walk in his steps but you can see so much more. As has been mentioned you can see other famous ships at HM Dockyard but so much more. You can have a pint where Nelson spent his last night on British soil and go along the walkway that he took to board Victory. You can stand on Southsea Castle in Portsmouth and stand where Henry VIII watched the pride of his navy sink and could have seen it raised 437 years later. You can also use the only regular hovercraft passenger service in the world and 10 minutes later be on the Isle of Wight and see Carisbrook Castle, where King Charles was held during the English Civil War. Twenty minutes from Portsmouth there is Portchester Castle, first built by the Romans and even used to keep Napoleonic prisoners. At the front of the city we have a line of sea forts and at the back of the city we have a line of land forts. Intact Portsmouth was once the most heavily defended city on the planet such was its importance. Finally you could even catch a train and be at Arundel Castle in 45 minutes. There is of course way more history than I've mentioned but if you make it to HMS Victory you will have plenty to see and do.
Re: HMS Victory - for those really obsessed I do recommend making the Airfix model. It teaches you an enormous amount about how this ship was made - and you end up with an impressive model as well!
The HMS Victory tour is fantastic, well worth the visit
15:30 You might be interested in a painting called "The Fighting Temeraire" by William Turner. It shows the HMS Temeraire, a veteran of Trafalgar, being towed away for scrap by a steam tug, symbolising the end of the age of sail.
EDIT: Temeraire is actually visible in the painting at 26:04. The ship slightly to right of centre is Victory. To our left of her (on her starboard side) is an enemy ship with it's main- and mizzen-(rear-)masts missing, and on the other side of that ship, with the Union Jack flying in the rigging, is Temeraire. You can also see another enemy ship approaching Temeraire's other side (Temeraire has just fired a broadside, hence the smoke). Temeraire fought, defeated and captured both of these ships, saving Victory in the process (Victory was being boarded by the dismasted ship).
I recollect that in the approach to the Franco-Spanish fleet Temeraire was immediately astern of Victory and was creeping level when Nelson reportedly took a speaking trumpet and hailed Captain Harvey with “I’ll thank you to take your proper station, Captain Harvey, which is astern of the Victory!”.
We have a glorious picture of the fleet in Battle on the Nile hanging in our drawing room. When in the UK visit Portsmouth, of course, but also the historic dockyards of Chatham. They are so fascinating and it is Chatham where the Victory was built.
Really enjoyable history lesson, we love our statue of Nelson in London, got to say that lollypop you were eating looks so good, keep up the good work.
The interesting thing about the Battle of Trafalgar was Nelson's tactics. Traditionally ships fought broadside against broadside, and so ships sides were heavily protected. Nelson approached the French and Spanish ships in two lines at right angles to the enemy line, thus presenting a small target area for the enemy canons. As the two lines reached the enemy line, the British ships fired on both sides along the length of the enemy ships going through the rear of the ships and along the whole length of them, the canonballs taking out most of the crew and canons along the whole length of the ships.
If you ever get to the U.K, Portsmouth where the HMS Victory is moored is about a 90 minute train ride away from London costing around $45 today and a ticket to tour the HMS Victory would be about $30. I did the tour maybe 35 to 40 years ago as a kid and always remember the guide asking me to move because I was stood on the spot and I’d memory serves a plaque where Nelson took that fatal blow.
Used to pass the Victory everyday ..Gosport to Portsmouth on the Ferry ...Amazing ship ..I am from London but moved to Hampshire ..
"Guy's I don't have coffee I'll be right back"
Comes back with an ice lollipop 😂 just made me laugh haha
At Trafalgar Square if you look at the lamp posts in the direction he is facing you’ll notice ships on top of them this is symbolising nelson looking over his fleet it is a great tribute is hidden in plain sight :)
I live just outside of Portsmouth where HMS Victory is in dry dock and have been on it several times, it is fantastic, you get a real sense of what life was like on the Victory, Also Henry VIII Mary Rose is in Portsmouth again fantastic, along with HMS Warrior, an iron clad war ship
A visit to Southsea Castle is a must, and of course there’s the stroll from the Dockyard thru Old Portsmouth and then onto Southsea Castle…
In Master and Commnder - the movie has the enemy ship as being French. In the book, it's a American ship. But the movie makers didn't think that would play well with American audiences.
🤦🏻♂️are we Americans THAT self conscious?
@@McJibbin ice lolly.. 🤣
@@McJibbin Yep, sorry but you don't like losing very much. It must be all the Scottish and Irish blood that got transplanted.
Lord Nelson had a home in Merton, where I used to live. (Not in Nelson's home btw lol)
We also had a pub in Merton park, the Emma Hamilton.
Up until 2016 I was in the Royal Navy and to this day all the ships in Portsmouth harbour take their lead for colours (raising and lowering the Jack and Ensign) from the Victory. You can actually be drafted to her and serve aboard her. Although it's more of a ceremonial position and they normally only have about 6 drafted at any one time. During training we visit and learn about the history. I find it incredible that Victory and Nelson still hold a huge place in Naval tradition and the legacy (good and bad) of Britain 🇬🇧
The Royal Navy coined the phrase if anyone scored a triple "1" on the dart board as a " Nelson" the "111" meant 1x Eye - 1 x Arm - 1 Ambition.
As great as Nelson was, Thomas Cochrane ( The Sea Wolf ) was a much more accomplished sailor, strategist and political. Master and Commander was based on him but his life story is absolutely epic.
I love anything to do with the sea and maritime history you can never grow tired of it.
Bro I think in that moment we were all a child and got a giggle out of it, the best part is the couple of seconds of silence where your brain did a hard reset before trying to figure out how you will back yourself out of that corner.
You can visit and walk all over/in HMS Victory, Nelson's flagship at Trafalgar. It's at Portsmouth on the south coast. Another ship you can visit there is HMS warrior the first Ironclad ocean going warship. Highly recommend it.
HMS Victory is Portsmouth's big tourist attraction - you can actually walk on Nelson's flagship!
You can visit 'The Victory' in Portsmouth. There's a very old joke about how an old lady was on a guided tour of the ship. The guide pointed to a brass plate on the deck and said, "This is where Lord Nelson fell." The old lady replied, "I'm not surprised; I damned near slipped on it myself." That joke is even more ancient than me 😊 More seriously, when the video said that Tsar Peter I of Russia died after the Battle of Copenhagen, it was crazily wrong, as Peter the Great died in 1724. Very strange, as he's usually pretty accurate with his information.
To bring his body back to England, rather than a burial at sea, he was put into a barrel of rum to preserve it. When he got back to England the sarcophagus used was the one that was built for Henry VIII but never used.
I think it was brandy not rum
@@rogertaylor6386 I’ve heard it was brandy but thought it was rum, mainly as there would have been plenty of it on board. Rum was part of the rations. Also there is a rum called Pusser’s rum which is known as Nelson’s Blood!
29:05 I’m so glad he lived long enough to know that his fleet had destroyed 22 enemy ships and hasn’t lost a single one himself. I don’t want it say ‘happy’ but I bet he died satisfied and proud of both himself and his fleet. I’m a Brit 🇬🇧 and I’ve learnt some of this stuff, maybe I don’t remember but I didn’t realise he was known for his essentially nice treatment of the crew or exactly how good his strategy was. I mean I know it obviously was good because…obviously; but sliding between the two French ships and broadsiding both of them at once is the modern day equivalent of drifting a car around the target and picking them off before exiting the drift. That’s badass. Being English 🏴 and obviously British 🇬🇧 I went to school in an area where we had a day trip to HMS Victory. That on its own is incredible…but I didn’t realise that Sir Nelson had Captained her…I was young so they probably said and I forgot but I definitely didn’t recall that he (from the way it sounds) died on board the ship itself.
I've been to visit so many castles during my life due to living in England it always comes as a surprise when someone has it on their bucket list to visit one
I went on board HMS Victory 2 years ago and it was about £25 but you could also go around HMS Warrior and other ships in Portsmouth dockyard. with the exception of the Mary Rose. and it was excellent value for money and you have access to everything. on board and can see the place where he died in the bowels of the ship, which has a permanent light there. also a plaque on the ships upper deck where he fell.
Pity the video didn’t show you anything of HMS Victory. There are some very cool videos of tours around the ship. You should check them out. It’s not just Nelson who is a national treasure. His ship is too!
If you want another British seaman of that era then Thomas Cochrane is a great example, and even better, he was Scottish.
Coincidentally I watched that yesterday and was going to recommend it. I can't believe that I've never heard of him. He earned all of his reputation and more
Talking about masts and rigging, take a look at Climbing the mast HMS Ganges, and the 'button boy'
23:24 I think biographics got that thing wrong it was Paul I who died not Peter I(Peter the great), Peter was generations older than Paul, and died in the 1720s(u saw him in the great Northern war series)
Connor, the perfect book for your interest in the old square rigged Navy ships is: The Country Life Book of Nautical Terms Under Sail.
No longer in print but available used. You’d love it!.
I have visited Trafalgar. It was a monumental moment in my life.
8:50 that was during the Napoleonic wars, as there was an embaro on trade with France but America continued trading
Little pieces of trivia. The last ship that took part at Trafaglar that was sunk was on 2nd December 1949. Fourth ship back from the French-Spanish fleet was the Duguay-Trouin. It was captured after the battle and became HMS Implacable. Sadly neither Britain or France to which it was offered back to could afford the restoration due to WW2. So was taken out and with ceremony was blown up with both British and French flags flying.Film of this event can be found on You Tube.
Your admiration for the design of the ships from that time is really obvious. If you ever visit England, please go to Portsmouth and walk along the decks of HMS Victory for yourself. The ship is beautiful and the history is all around you.
You are aware Master and Commander is based on the real life, Lord Thomas Cochrane. The word you were looking for was Pressed, where men would be pressed in to service of the Royal Navy, happened all over. I am surprised you didn't know that having a third person in a marriage was a done thing at the time, they were all at it. You must look at Manning the mast, a tradition in the Navy.
There is nothing. More
Beautiful than a ship in ful sail lifts the heart
8:30 Hi Conner. I think what you're refering to is 'pressganging' where a ship's crew when docked n port would forcibly conscript men in the inns into the ship's crew and therefore the navy. Don't know if it ever happened at sea (pirate ships probably did this), but certainly happened in port.
hahaha The Royal Navy were renown for pressganging at sea. We did it for centuries & nearly went to war again with the USA because of us constantly stealing any sailor who was black ( thus freeing him in theory from slavery oppression ) and all other able men when they come into contact with another ship at sea. Deaths onboard & naval engagements on the high sea's could mean a ship was at service for up 3 years before coming home. Manpower had to be taken from where they could get it.
@@hiramabiff2017 I thought they would, given the lost of life and injuries after any raid.
Taking the kings/ queens shilling.
Fun fact..( well I hope it is )...The nickname for the Royal Navy is "The Andrew" so called allegedly after the Navy officer in charge of the press gang Andrew Miller.
The normal way of two fleets fighting at this time, was to sail in a line passing each other with cannons blazing, until one fleet was sunk, and the other victorious. However, Nelson was a maverick and never did anything the 'normal ' way. So instead, he lined his fleet up before the combined French and Spanish fleets, but then just as they approached he ordered his ships to turn into two separate lines head on to the French- Spanish ships and sail right between them. Nelson aboad HMS Victory leading one line and Admiral Collingwood leading another. This completely took the enemy by surprise, and is how he could fire a broadside from both sides in a devastatingly bold manoeuvre.
You can visit HMS Victory at Portsmouth dock yard and walk all around it, both on deck and below, viewing not only the place where he fell, but also where he died.
If you go to Greenwich visit the Maritime Museum. I believe it still has on show Nelsons uniform he wore when he was killed. You can go on the HMS Victory and see the spot on the ship where he died.
I remember growing up with a picture of Emma Hamilton at my grandmother's house, so I guess she had some recognition or respect from some people.
In the Master and Commander film, the filmmakers had to change the US ship into a French one just to receive funding from American producers.
It changes the whole premise of the novel.
24:30 while HMS Victory may be the ship most associated with Nelson, so much so that history has linked them as closely as Abbott and Costello or Doc Brown and Marty Mcfly she wasn't Nelson's favourite ship, by all accounts the ship he became most attached to was the HMS Agamemnon placed under his command from January 1793 to June 1796 before being given the HMS Captain.
I was born in Portsmouth and have visited the Victory many times, it never disappoints, please, if you get the chance, go and a bonus, on the same site is the Mary Rose, the flag ship of Henry VIII raised from the Solent in 1982, so many artefacts bring these amazing ships ‘to life’ and not forgetting HMS Warrior, all within strolling distance 😁
The thing is about the taking of sailors is the fact that the British viewed all so called Americans as British and I guess until the end of the war they were still British. It was a British colony after all so the people either travelled to the 13 colonies from Britain or those born there were still born in a British colony and there for British, this is a big reason why a lot of people say the USA have never defeated us because the USA didn't exist until after the war ended. So it was the British with help from Spain and France defeating the British
Streets in Glasgow named for his victories
West Nile Street... Battle of the Nile.
St.Vincent Street... Battle of St.Vincent
Nelson. Britain's greatest hero..
I have a Nile medal, which I think was awarded to a relative who was aboard HMS Audacious, it’s quiet big and gold, it shows the fleets and the French flag ship blowing up. Nelson and Britannia are also depicted.
Haha, "If you're not ready to learn, get out!" 🤣 Good lad. Brilliant 👏
Anything that has potential for Simon to say 'Empire' is worth a watch lol
Edit: Didn't disappoint.. So fictional French ship? "Victorious", "Brave", "Dependable", "The Staunch Ally", "Never Surrender"... ok I'll stop
Captain at 21! That's going some! :)
HMS Victory is wonderful ....I've visited twice and will go again.
Visiting the Victory is easy enough once you get off the train in Portsmouth. Try the summer though when it's not so bloody cold. Not too far away is HMS Warrior Britains first mostly metal purpose built Ironclad warship (a beauty in her own right); well worth a visit if you're into naval history. The Mary Rose museum is also doable if you have the time.
As for castles? OMG take your pick! We have hundreds in various states of repare and dating back to before the Romans if you include Ironage hill forts. It's an entire subject in itself and depends on where you are in the Uk
Hi Connor. If you come to the UK your head will spin will our collection of castles. We have tons. However we have few ships to look at. (They tend to disintegrate) HMS Victory is good, but we also have SS Great Britain (Brunel's iron ship) in Bristol which I recommend. If you go to London you can look at the remains of Henry the Eighth's ship The Mary Rose.
In modern parlance Nelson was an absolute beast who was loved by the men who served under him.
1 story always makes me laugh. They boarded a ship to take it. As that was happening another ship came to reinforce the 1st. Nelson then jumped straight onto that 1 and took that too hahaha. Officers hand there swords to the enemy captain! Admiral as a sign of surrender. In that fight Nelson literally couldn't carry all the swords he got given so he handed them off to another guy who stood there holding them. That must've been an incredible sight haja
Mr Mc jibberish your intro's are sublime!
If you ever make it to Portsmouth I'd suggest checking out HMS Victory, been twice and it's very impressive
Double broadside HMS Victory sailed between the stern of one ship and the bow of another the gunners fired as the bare so multiple rounds went into and along the ships creating carnage. The other tactic was to bounce a cannon ball across the sea like skimming stones, this was timed for the enemy ship to role exposing the lower hull. His victory on the River Nile, the British sailed down the line of anchored French ships from the rear destroying the whole fleet.
'I love British Seamen ... Ship.' I don't know about you but it took me two minutes to stop laughing.. I hurt my throat.
I remember standing in front of Nelson's coat that he was wearing when he was shot. He was a small man as I remembered that the coat looked tiny. It was a bit surreal
Sailor and a Pirate, defeated in Cádiz in 1797 and specially in Tenerife, in the Canary Islands the same year, which was a disaster
06:31 yes I like "coffee" too, partial to a Solero myself.
Great review. You have to get over here to the U.K. Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is a must visit. Victory is there as well as Warrior the worlds first iron clad warship and Henry VIII ship the Mary Rose as well as countless other museums and attractions. Across the water in Gosport is the Submarine Museum. You can go aboard Victory and Warrior and it is a fascinating tour. I saw Nelson’s uniform at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London and it is amazing how small he was. What a life starting at 12yo onboard ship. How many 12yo today could do that. I live not far from Portsmouth, hope you make it to U.K. to visit. Andy UK
you should visit chatham dock yard where hms victory was built and the rope hall that is still in use today , it made the 35 miles of rope that furnished victory and yes you can roam all around hms victory and stand on the spot where nelson fell its a wonderfull ship to visit as is the mary rose both are in portsmouth docks
Britain's battleships were the pride of the country. You can visit HMS victory if you want - it is stunning.
Nelson's House in Merton is only a cpl of miles from me. The local church has canon in the church yard.
I think what you were trying to say when describing the ships of the old world is the Age of Sail
You can go on the victory, it's in Portsmouth. You should also view and warrior
British TV series on Horatio Hornblower is very good, 1998-2003.
I've been on Victory and it is a pretty special experience to say the least.
Fly to London a few days there then down the road to Arundel to see the town and castle then just down the road to Portsmouth to the Navel Dockyards to see HMS Victory!
HMS Warrior is worth a look!
Hi Connor I live in Portsmouth home of the Royal navy and I visit hms victory alot on my way to work I frequently pass hms warrior Britain's first iron hulled warship. Just a short walk from my home I can see the naval base where hms queen Elizabeth and hms prince Charles our newest and largest aircraft carriers. Its also where the largest flotilla ever assembled set sail for Normandy and there's a museum dedicated to the D day landings. It's a city steeped in history with southsea Castle built by Henry the 8th and at one time in history was the largest and busiest port in the world. There's a host of 3 sea forts too. If you ever come to the UK please check Portsmouth out.