Nelson's flagship HMS Victory, which helped to destroy a Franco-Spanish fleet during the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar, may be about to show her true colours following a new discovery.
The ship which, despite her age, is still a commissioned Royal Navy warship, the oldest commissioned warship in the world, and is the flagship of the Second Sea Lord, may have to be repainted and her colours changed from the current orange and black.
A team of historic paint experts has recovered hundreds of fragments of the original paint surfaces from the ship in Portsmouth that suggest the hull was originally mostly black and later repainted.
The researchers at Lincoln University claim that attempts to restore the famous ship after she had become a symbol of British naval might resulted in her being painted in ‘that hideous orange’.
Michael Crick-Smith, co-founder of conservation consultants Crick Smith, told The Guardian: ‘What you see today is largely an early 20th century invention of what an 18th century warship looked like.’
Along with his partner Ian Crick-Smith, he has disentangled a whopping 72 layers of paint to discover how the ship - best known for her pivotal role in the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar - once appeared.
Built from 6,000 trees, the equivalent of 100 acres of woodland, HMS Victory was lauched in May 1765 and cost over £63,000, the equivalent to building an aircraft carrier today.
Despite being 249 years old, HMS Victory is still a serving Royal Navy warship meaning that, if she was needed, the Royal Navy could still sail the 104-gun first rate ship of the line into battle.
Nelson's flagship HMS Victory to show its true colours - with a blue deck and none of that 'hideous' orange
Historic paint experts recover hundreds of fragments of its original paint
These suggest hull of ship was originally mostly black and later repainted
Lincoln researchers claim she was painted in orange as part of restoration
They have disentangled 72 layers of paint to discover how ship appeared
HMS Victory is best known for her pivotal role in 1805 Battle of Trafalgar
It’s instantly recognisable as one of the world’s most famous ships - but the distinctive orangey-brown and black colours of the HMS Victory may have to be repainted, following a dramatic discovery.
A team of historic paint experts has recovered hundreds of fragments of the original paint surfaces from the ship in Portsmouth that suggest the hull was originally mostly black and later repainted.
The researchers at Lincoln University claim that attempts to restore the famous ship after she had become a symbol of British naval might resulted in her being painted in ‘that hideous orange’.
Michael Crick-Smith, co-founder of conservation consultants Crick Smith, told The Guardian: ‘What you see today is largely an early 20th century invention of what an 18th century warship looked like.’
Along with his partner Ian Crick-Smith, he has disentangled a whopping 72 layers of paint to discover how the ship - best known for her pivotal role in the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar - once appeared.
Legend has it that Admiral Lord Nelson asked that the vessel - first launched in 1765 when he was just a schoolboy - be repainted in his favourite colours when she was refitted as his flagship.
But the Crick-Smith couple’s research has found the hull was originally mostly black, before being later repainted in an ochre shade far more pale than the current colour, reported The Guardian.
Depicted: The Death of Nelson, 21 October 1805, by Arthur William Devis. The orlop deck - where Nelson died of blood loss after being shot at the 1805 battle - was once a pale creamy stone colour
The orlop deck - where Nelson died of blood loss after being shot at the 1805 battle - was a pale creamy stone colour, while the surgeon's cabin on that level was a grand two shades of blue.
The researchers - who found patches of original paint dating back to the first scheme in 1765 - also believe that the admiral's and captain's cabins would have been painted light blue.
HMS Victory first saw battle in 1778 in the first Battle of Ushant and again two years later in the second Battle of Ushant. She was also called into action in the 1797 Battle of Cape St Vincent.
The ship is currently undergoing restoration in Portsmouth, with her topmasts and rigging taken down for the first time since 1944. Her planking is also under investigation at the moment.
VICTORY: BUILT FROM 6,000 TREES AND RIGGED WITH 26 MILES OF CORDS
HMS Victory was launched in 1765 at a cost of £63,176 - the equivalent to building an aircraft carrier in modern-day figures.
She was built from 6,000 trees, 90 per cent of which were oak - the equivalent of 100 acres of woodlands.
HMS Victory has 37 sails flown from three masts and she could carry 23 spare sails during battle. The total sail area is 6,510 square yards. The Bowsprit protrudes 110ft from the ship's head.
The Fore mast is 182ft above the waterline, the Main mast extends 250ft, the Mizzen mast is 152ft and the Main yard is 102ft tall.
A total of 26 miles of cords were used to rig the ship and this was used with 768 blocks, made from elm or ash, were used for the rigging. A further 628 blocks were used for the guns.
Many other blocks were carried for the ground tackle, the ship's boats, storing and spares. Her top speed is 11 knots, or 12mph.
HMS Victory first saw battle in 1778 under Admiral Augustus Keppel in the First Battle of Ushant and again two years later in the second Battle of Ushant.
She was also called into action in the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1797, but she will always be best known for her pivotal role in the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar under Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson.
The battle was a decisive victory for the British but Nelson was fatally wounded.
She continues to be flagship of the Second Sea Lord and is the oldest naval ship still in commission - this means if she was needed the Navy could sail her into battle.
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