Her keel was laid down in Chatham on July 23, 1759, and she was launched on May 7, 1765. She weathered at the dock for 13 years until she was commissioned in 1778 under the command of Rear Admiral John Campbell (1st Captain) and Captain Jonathan Faulknor (2nd Captain), with the flag of Admiral the Honorable Augustus Keppel.
Keppel put to sea from Spithead on July 9, 1778, with a force of 30 ships of the line and, on July 23rd, sighted a French fleet of 29 sail 100 miles west of Ushant. The French Admiral, the Comte d'Orvilliers, who had orders to avoid battle, was cut off from Brest but retained the weather gage. Two of his ships to windward escaped into port leaving him with 27. The two fleets manoeuvered during shifting winds and a heavy rain squall until a battle became inevitable with the British more or less in column and the French in some confusion. However, the French managed to pass along the British line to windward with their most advanced ships. At about a quarter to twelve Victory opened fire on Bretagne, 110, followed by Ville de Paris, 90. The British van escaped with little loss but Sir Hugh Palliser's rear division suffered considerably. Keppel made the signal to wear and follow the French but Palliser did not conform and the action was not resumed. Keppel was court-martialled and cleared and Palliser criticised by an enqiry before the affair turned into a party political squabble.
On December 2, 1781, Victory, now commanded by Captain Henry Cromwell and bearing the flag of Rear Admiral Richard Kempenfelt, sailed with 11 other ships of the line, a 50 and five frigates, to intercept a convoy which sailed from Brest on December 10. Ignorant of the fact that the French Comte de Guichen had twenty-one ships of the line, Kempenfelt ordered a chase when they were sighted on December 12 and began the Battle of Ushant. When he noted the French superiority he contented himself with capturing 15 sail of the convoy. The French were dispersed in a gale and forced to return home.
In 1796 Captain Robert Calder (First Captain) and Captain George Grey (Second Captain) commanded Victory under Admiral Sir John Jervis's flag. Sir John sailed from from the Tagus on January 18, 1797, and after being reinforced on February 6 by five ships from England, his fleet consisted of 15 sail of the line and six frigates. On February 14, the Portuguese frigate Carlotta, commanded by a Scotsman named Campbell with a Portuguese commission, brought news that a Spanish fleet was close. Jervis maneuvered to intercept, and the Battle of Cape St. Vincent was joined. Principe de Asturias, leading the Spanish lee division, tried to break through the British line ahead or astern of Victory but that ship poured such a tremendous fire into her, followed by several raking broadsides, that the whole Spanish division wore round and bore up. Horatio Nelson, in HMS Captain (primarily), also played a decisive role in this action.
In February 1798, Victory was stationed as a prison ship at Chatham under the command of Lieutenant J. Rickman. In 1799, Rickeman was relieved by Lieutenant J. Busbridge. In 1801, Victory was rebuilt.
Lord Nelson hoisted his flag in Victory in May 1803 with Samuel Sutton as his flag captain. His Lordship sailed to assume command in the Mediterranean on May 20 but removed into the frigate Amphion. On May 28th Captain Sutton captured the French Embuscade, 32, bound for Rochefort from San Domingo. Victory rejoined Lord Nelson off Toulon on July 30 when Captain Sutton exchanged with Captain Thomas Hardy into Amphion.
Victory was passing the island of Toro on April 4, 1805, when Phoebe brought the news that the French fleet under Pierre-Charles Villeneuve had escaped from Toulon. While Nelson made for Sicily to see if the French were heading for Egypt, Villeneuve was entering Cadiz to link up with the Spanish fleet. On May 7 Nelson reached Gibraltar and received his first definite news. The British fleet completed their stores in Lagos Bay, Portugal, on May 10 and two days later sailed westward with ten ships and three frigates in pursuit of the combined Franco-Spanish fleet of 17 ships. They arrived in the West Indies to find that the enemy was sailing back to Europe where Napoleon Bonaparte was waiting for them with his invasion forces at Boulogne.
The combined fleet were involved in an indecisive action in fog off Ferrol with Admiral Sir Robert Calder's squadron on July 22 before taking refuge in Vigo and Ferrol to land wounded and abandon three damaged ships. Calder on August 14 and Nelson on August 15 joined Admiral Cornwallis's Channel Fleet off Ushant. Nelson continued to England in Victory leaving his Mediterranean fleet with Cornwallis who detached 20 of his 33 ships of the line and sent them under Calder to find the combined fleet at Ferrol. On August 19 came the worrying news that the enemy had sailed from there, followed by relief when they arrived in Cadiz two days later. On the evening of Saturday, September 28, Lord Nelson joined Lord Collingwood's fleet off Cadiz, quietly, so that his presence would not be known.
When Admiral Villeneuve learned that he was to be removed from command he took his ships to sea on the morning of October 19, first sailing south towards the Mediterranean but then turning north towards the British fleet, beginning the Battle of Trafalgar. Nelson had already made his plans: to break the enemy line some two or three ships ahead of their Commander in Chief in the centre and achieve victory before the van could come to their aid. In the event fitful winds made it a slow business. For five hours after Nelson's last manoeuvering signal the two columns of British ships slowly approached the French line before Royal Sovereign, leading the lee column, was able to open fire on Fougueux. Twenty-five minutes later Victory broke the line between Bucentaure and Redoubtable firing a double-shotted broadside into the stern of the former from a range of a few yards. At 25 minutes past one Nelson was shot, the fatal ball entering his left shoulder and lodging in his spine. He died at half past four. Such killing had taken place on Victory's quarter-deck that Redoubtable attempted to board her, but the marines and small arms men repelled them. Nelson's last order was for the fleet to anchor but this was rejected by Vice Admiral Collingwood. Victory lost 57 killed and 102 wounded.
Victory took Nelson's body to England where, after lying in state at Greenwich, the burial took place in St. Paul's Cathedral on January 6, 1806.
Victory bore many Admiral's flags after Trafalgar, and sailed on numerous expeditions, including two Baltic campaigns under Admiral Sir James Saumarez. Her active career ended on November 7, 1812, when she was moored in Portsmouth Harbour off Gosport.
Over the next century, Victory slowly deteriorated at her moorings. A campaign to save her started in 1921 and in 1922 the fragile hull was moved into the oldest drydock in the world: No.2 dock at Portsmouth. Restoration continued and in 1928 King George V was able to unveil a tablet celebrating the completion of the work, which still continues.
HMS Victory is still in commission as the flagship of the Second Sea Lord in his role as admiral in command of the Royal Navy's Home Command.
Originally from http://www.cronab.demon.co.uk/V.HTM, with the author's permission.
Admirals who have hoisted flags in Victory
| Admiral The Honorable Augustus Keppel | May 16, 1778 | October 28, 1778 |
| Admiral Sir Charles Hardy | March 19, 1779 | May 14, 1780 |
| Admiral Geary | May 24, 1780 | August 28, 1780 |
| Rear Admiral Francis W Drake | September 26, 1780 | December 29, 1780 |
| Vice Admiral Sir Hyde Parker | March 20, 1781 | May 31, 1781 |
| Commodore John Elliot | June 1781 | August 1781 |
| Rear Admiral Richard Kempenfelt | September 10, 1781 | March 11, 1782 |
| Admiral Lord Howe | April 20, 1782 | November 14, 1782 |
| Admiral Lord Howe | July 1790 | August 1790 |
| Admiral Lord Hood | August 1790 | August 1791 |
| Rear Admiral Sir Hyde Parker | February 6, 1793 | May 1793 |
| Admiral Lord Hood | May 6, 1793 | December 15, 1794 |
| Rear Admiral John Man | July 8, 1795 | September 27, 1795 |
| Vice Admiral Robert Linzee | October 1795 | November 1795 |
| Admiral Sir John Jervis | December 3, 1795 | March 30, 1797 |
| Vice Admiral Lord Nelson | May 8, 1803 | October 21, 1805 |
| Admiral Sir James Saumarez | March 18, 1808 | December 9, 1808 |
| Admiral Sir John Moore | December 1808 | January 23, 1809 |
| Admiral Sir James Saumarez | April 8, 1809 | December 1809 |
| Admiral Sir James Saumarez | March 11, 1810 | December 3, 1810 |
| Rear Admiral Sir Joseph Yorke | December 1810 | March 1811 |
| Admiral Sir James Saumarez | April 2, 1811 | December 25, 1811, |
| Admiral Sir James Saumarez | April 14, 1812 | October 15, 1812 |
| In Ordinary | December 18, 1812 | January 31, 1824 |
| Commissioner Sir Michael Seymour | 1824 | |
| Paid off | April 30, 1827 | October 21, 1831 |
| became Flagship of Port Admiral | ||
| Rear Admiral Sir F L Maitland | 1832 | |
| Rear Admiral D Pleydell Bouverie | 1837 | |
| Rear Admiral Hyde Parker | 1842 | |
| Rear Admiral W H Shiffeff | 1847 | |
| Admiral Sir C. Ogle | March 20, 1848 | December 19, 1848 |
| Admiral Sir T B. Capel | December 20, 1848 | December 19, 1851 |
| Admiral Sir Thomas Briggs | December 20, 1851 | March 19, 1853 |
| Vice Admiral Sir Thomas J. Cochrane | March 20, 1854 | March 19, 1856 |
| Vice Admiral Sir George F. Seymour | March 20, 1856 | March 19, 1859 |
| Admiral William Bowles | March 20, 1859 | March 19, 1860 |
| Vice Admiral Henry Bruce | March 20, 1860 | December 19, 1864 |
| Vice Admiral Sir Michael Seymour | December 20, 1864 | March 19, 1866 |
| Vice Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley | March 20, 1866 | March 20, 1869 |
| Tender to HMS Duke of Wellington | December 20, 1869 | September 1, 1891 |
| Admiral The Hon Earl of Clanwilliam | August 1, 1891 | September 17, 1894 |
| Admiral Sir Nowell Salmon VC | September 18, 1894 | August 31, 1897 |
| Admiral Sir Michael Culme-Seymour | September 1, 1897 | November 17, 1900 |
| Admiral Sir Charles F Hotham | November 18, 1900 | September 30, 1903 |
| Admiral Sir John A. Fisher | October 1, 1903 | March 18, 1904 |
| The Port Admiral's flag moved to Hercules and on February 1, 1905, to Firequeen | ||
| Admiral Sir Archibald L Douglas | March 18, 1905 | March 1, 1907 |
| Admiral Sir Day H Bosanquet | March 2, 1907 | March 17, 1908 |
| Admiral Sir Arthur D. Fanshawe | March 18, 1908 | April 30, 1910 |
| Admiral Sir Assheton Gore Gurzon-Howe | May 1, 1910 | March 17, 1911 |
| Admiral Sir Arthur W. Moore | March 18, 1911 | July 31, 1912 |
| Admiral of the Fleet Sir Hedworth Meux | August 1, 1912 | February 17, 1916 |
| Admiral The Hon Sir Stanley Colvill | February 18, 1916 | April 17, 1919 |
| Admiral Sir Cecil Burney | April 18, 1919 | June 17, 1920 |
| Admiral Hon Sir Arthur Gough-Calthorpe | June 18, 1920 | May 31, 1923 |
| Admiral Sir Sidney Robert Fremantle | June 1, 1923 | April 1, 1926 |
| Admiral Sir Osmond de Beauvior Brock | May 18, 1926 | April 30, 1929 |
| Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes | May 1, 1929 | June 17, 1931 |
| Admiral Sir Arthur Waistell | June 18, 1931 | February 17, 1934 |
| Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Kelly | February 18, 1931 | August 31, 1936 |
| Admiral of the Fleet The Earl of Cork and Orrery | August 18, 1937 | June 30, 1939 |
| Admiral Sir William M. James | July 1, 1939 | September 30, 1942 |
| Admiral Sir Charles Little | October 1, 1942 | September 28, 1945 |
| Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton | September 29, 1945 | June 29, 1947 |
| Admiral Lord Fraser of North Cape | June 30, 1947 | April 18, 1949 |
| Admiral of the Fleet Sir Algernon Willis | April 19, 1949 | October 17, 1950 |
| Admiral of the Fleet Sir Arthur J. Power | October 18, 1950 | October 17, 1952 |
| Admiral Sir John Edelsten | October 18, 1952 | October 17, 1954 |
| Admiral of the Fleet Sir George E Creasy | October 18, 1954 | July 17, 1957 |
| Admiral Sir Guy Grantham | July 18, 1957 | July 17, 1959 |
| Admiral Sir Manley L Power | July 18, 1959 | January 17, 1962 |
| Admiral Sir Alexander N C Bingley | January 18, 1962 | January 17, 1963 |
| Admiral Sir Wilfrid J. W. Woods | January 18, 1963 | September 9, 1965 |
| Admiral Sir Varyl C. Begg | September 10, 1965 | June 9, 1966 |
| Admiral Sir Frank E. Hopkins | June 10, 1966 | October 30, 1967 |
| Admiral Sir John B. Frewen | October 31, 1967 | February 27, 1970 |
| Admiral Sir Horace R. Law | February 28, 1970 | February 28, 1972 |
| Admiral Sir Andrew Lewis | February 29, 1972 | June 29, 1974 |
| Admiral Sir Derek Empson | June 30, 1974 | October 30, 1975 |
| Admiral Sir Terence Lewin | October 31, 1975 | October 30, 1976 |
| Admiral Sir David Williams | October 31, 1976 | October 30, 1978 |
| Admiral Sir Richard Clayton | October 31, 1978 | June 30, 1981 |
| Admiral Sir James Eberle | July 1, 1981 | December 31, 1983 |
| Admiral Sir Desmond Cassidi | January 1, 1983 | October 30, 1984 |
| Admiral Sir Peter Stanford | October 31, 1984 | October 30, 1987 |
| Admiral Sir John Woodward | October 31, 1987 | October 30, 1989 |
| Admiral Sir Jeremy Black | October 31, 1989 | March 30, 1991 |
| Admiral Sir John Kerr | March 31, 1991 | March 30, 1993 |
| Admiral Sir Michael Layard | March 31, 1993 | March 30, 1994 |
| Admiral Sir Michael Boyce | March 31, 1994 | March 30, 1997 |
| Admiral Sir John Brigstocke | March 31, 1997 | January 18, 2000 |
| Vice Admiral Sir Peter Spencer | January 19, 2000 | present |