You may have read recently that some intrepid and well-equipped undersea treasure hunters recently came across the HMS "Victory," a storied warship as familiar to English schoolboys as George Washington is to students in this country.
The Victory was armed with as many as 110 bronze cannons, making her one of the deadliest vessels of the age. Her largest "big gun" weighed four tons and could fire cannonballs of 42 pounds — the most powerful gun then used in naval warfare.
Lost after skirmishing with the French in 1744, Victory was separated from the British fleet shortly after it entered the English Channel on Oct. 5, 1744 and was believed somewhere off the Channel Islands when she went down with all hands. The flagship was the only vessel of the returning British fleet lost at sea, and was only recently found - almost by accident - by a team from Odyssey Marine Explorations.
After some momentary confusion about the wreck's identity, her cannon - particularly her distinctive 42-pounder, gave her away. Home to Blighty at last.
No comments:
Post a Comment