HMS ''Trafalgar'' was a 120-gun

first-rate In the rating system of the British Royal Navy used to categorise sailing warships, a first rate was the designation for the largest ships of the line. Originating in the Jacobean era with the designation of Ships Royal capable of carrying at ...

ship of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which depended on the two colu ...

of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

, launched on 21 June 1841 at

Woolwich Dockyard Woolwich Dockyard (formally H.M. Dockyard, Woolwich, also known as The King's Yard, Woolwich) was an English Royal Navy Dockyard, naval dockyard along the river Thames at Woolwich in north-west Kent, where many ships were built from the early 1 ...

. HMS ''Trafalgar'' was the last ship to complete the successful . The ship was named by Lady Bridport, niece of

Lord Nelson Vice-admiral (Royal Navy), Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British people, British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strate ...

at the request of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

, who with Prince Albert also attended the launch. The wine used was some kept from after returning from Trafalgar. Five hundred people were on board the ship at the time of its launch, of whom 100 had been at Trafalgar. It was estimated 500,000 people came to watch the event and the Thames was covered for miles with all manner of boats. The launch was the subject of the most notable work by Woolwich-based artist William Ranwell. She was engaged in the Bombardment of Sebastopol on 17 October 1854 during the

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...

.Duckers, The Crimean War at Sea, Appendix 1. ''Trafalgar'' was fitted with screw propulsion in 1859. As training ship at Portland, she was renamed HMS ''Boscawen'' in 1873, and finally sold out of the service in 1906. Commander Lawrence de Wahl Satow was appointed in command 15 April 1902.

Notes

References

*Duckers, Peter (2011) ''The Crimean War at Sea: The Naval Campaigns against Russia, 1854-56.'' Pen & Sword Maritime. . * Lavery, Brian (2003) ''The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850.'' Conway Maritime Press. . * Lyon, David and Winfield, Rif (2004) ''The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815-1889.'' Chatham Publishing, London. .

External links

* Ships of the line of the Royal Navy Caledonia-class ships of the line Ships built in Woolwich 1841 ships {{UK-line-ship-stub