HMS Victory is a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She was ordered in 1758, laid down in 1759, and launched in 1765. With 246 years of service as of 2024, she is the world's oldest naval vessel still in commission.
HMS Victory at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
HMS Victory and HMS Dauntless
The Sick Room, HMS Victory
Interior, HMS Victory
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 involved the two columns of opposing warships maneuvering to volley fire with the cannons along their broadsides. In conflicts where opposing ships were both able to fire from their broadsides, the opponent with more cannons firing – and therefore more firepower – typically had an advantage.
A 1784 painting of French ship of the line Saint-Esprit by Nicholas Pocock
Two fleets in their line of battle during the Battle of Cuddalore
HMS Hercule as depicted in her fight against the frigate Poursuivante
The carrack Henri Grace à Dieu, from the Anthony Roll