Wreck of the legendary HMS Victory to be raised

The wreck of the Royal Navy ship HMS Victory is to see the light of day again! One of the most famous wreck exploration companies, Odyssey Marine Exploration, is to be responsible for its excavation.

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Odyssey employees found the wreck four years ago, and now they are commissioned by the Maritime Heritage Foundation to raise it from the seabed. To clear up any doubts, it is not the wreck of the flagship of the famous Captain Nelson, but a direct predecessor bearing the same name. It is quite a common practice in the Royal Navy that over the centuries names given to ships were passed on to subsequent vessels, e.g. after sinking.

Nevertheless, the ship in question was one of the finest in the world at the time and her disappearance on 5 October 1744 was quite a surprise. The ship was commanded by Admiral Sir John Balchin, one of the longest serving officers in British naval history. For almost 300 years, the fate of HMS Victory was shrouded in mystery, which gave rise to many conjectures and theories about the ship’s supposed fate.

The wreck was identified, among other things, by the bronze cannons found on the bottom. This immediately aroused great excitement, as it is believed that in the holds of HMS Victory, there was a huge cargo of gold and silver.

Wreck searchers from Odyssey, have located the pride of the Royal Navy at a depth of 100m, near the Channel Islands. The exploration so far, has been carried out as is usual at great depths, using a remotely operated robotic ROV.

Everyone involved in the project to excavate the sailing ship has high hopes for the information it will provide on the history of shipbuilding and naval history from that period.

Source: shipwreck.net