historicalfirearms: Steam & Sail In this photograph taken…
Steam & Sail
In this photograph taken of Portsmouth Harbour in the 1890s we can see several grand old First Rate Men of War. The two first rates (ships of 100 guns or more) are the famous HMS Victory (right), which at the time would have been over 130 years old and HMS Duke of Wellington (left) which in its prime was home to over 130 guns.
While Victory & Wellington look much alike they in fact of very different generations, the Victory was commissioned in 1765 and had an active service life of some 80 years. While the Duke of Wellington was commissioned in 1852 and while she retained the masts and rigging akin to Victory she also had a 780hp steam boiler which powered a screw propeller. However, even though she boasted a mighty battery of guns and a new steam engine she was relegated to harbour duties after less than 10 years service. Such was the speed with which naval technology progressed. For many years Victory & Duke of Wellington shared the harbour of Portsmouth serving as training ships. The Duke of Wellington was sold and broken up in 1904.
Behind the Men of War in the distance can be seen numerous hulks of other older Men of War being used as store, maintenance or training ships and in amongst the forest of masts you can clearly make out numerous steam funnels of newer ships. In the foreground a steam launch and its crew pose for the camera.
Reposted from http://lies.tumblr.com/post/48848964223.
