During HMS Victory's active life the ships of the Royal Navy were classified or 'Rated' by the number of guns they carried. To be a First Rate the Victory had to carry at least 100 guns and at Trafalgar she carried 104.
|
Rate |
No. of Guns |
Size of Crew |
|
First |
100+ |
850 |
|
Second |
90 -98 |
740 |
|
Third |
64 - 84 |
500 - 700 |
|
Fourth |
44 - 54 |
300 - 400 |
|
Fifth |
32 - 40 |
250 |
|
Sixth |
24 - 28 |
200 |
The Royal Navy's First Rates were the largest battleships that were sent to sea. Due to the high financial costs of building and maintaining a First Rate they only made up a small part of the British Navy's entire fleet. At Trafalgar there were 27 British battleships and of these only three - including the Victory - were First Rates.
|
Type
|
Number of guns
|
Number
at battle
|
|
1st rate
|
100
|
3
|
|
2nd rate
|
98
|
4
|
|
3rd rate
|
80
|
1
|
|
3rd rate
|
74
|
16
|
|
3rd rate
|
64
|
3
|
|
5th rate
|
38
|
1 |
|
5th rate
|
36
|
3 |
|
Armed Schooner
|
12
|
1 |
|
Armed Cutter
|
10
|
1 |
|
Total
|
33 |
