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Nicely shown, as always a big thank you!!! Daniel

Thank you Sirs, very appreciated! And just to round off the topic a small overview :-) Just compare the side with the crews handling the guns with the fire lee. If the pictures are merged, one gets a nice impression of the crowded decks while battle. Also nice is the view more from deck height :-) XXXDAn

And they finally gave me the time to finish the show off of the gun crews :-) Charging For orientation positions by the clock (seen from the top): 06 o`clock gun captain, covering the vent hole with a leather thump protector, for that while sponging the barrel no ashes or embers are pushed into the vent hole from the inside by the pressure 12 o`clock sponging the barrel 11 o`clock the cartridge is passed 01 o`clock afterwards the wad 10 o`clock the bullet is handed 09, 08, 07 und 03, 04, 05 o`clock the crew holds tight the tackles 6:30 o`clock the inhaul tackle is secured 03 o`clock second row the sponges, rammers, bars and crowbars are handled aiming 06 o`clock the gun captain is directing by hand signs 11 und 01 o`clock leveling the horizontal elevation by the bars 10, 09, 08, 07 und 02, 03, 04, 05 o`clock the crew holds tight the tackles 6:30 o`clock the second gun captain holds ready the lead apron to protect the vent 6:30 o`clock second row the inhaul tackle is secured 03 o`clock second row the sponges, rammers, bars and crowbars are handled (and almost the eye of the black sailor is pierced by the worm ...) prior the shot 06 o`clock gun captain has to bow down a lot to aim properly 11 und 01 o`clock two crew membres crouch against the hull, ready to jump after the shot to jam the wheels of the carriage in the backward position, as in that moment the tackles are laying still on deck not being manned, to avoid the gun to run out again 10, 09, 08, 07 und 02, 03, 04, 05 o`clock the crew holds tight the tackles, correcting the side orientation - if necessary helped by the gents with the bars. Just prior the shot they put down the tackle onto the deck without disturbing the recoil of the gun and gather in the center line of the ship 02 o`clock second row the sponge is already waiting for after the shot 03 o`clock second row the sponges, rammers, bars and crowbars are handled As the sea is calsm, the gun port tackle is not manned - in rough seas one man has to secure it to be able to close it fast in emergencies. Supplies Also some other had to be done. The cartridges were to be transported by a chain of people from the magazine up the companionway to the decks and ... ... hurry-hurry-hurry, from there distributed towards the guns. By the regulations this was not to be done by the boys for safety reasons. Their duty was much more to clear loose powder with a wet mop. Was this the origin for the powder monkey? And one crew member was to servey the lint stocks, necessary in case one of the flintlocks does not work. XXXDAn

After I did not manage to do much due to dailies work, I decided to get some auxiliaries workers for the ship yard ... ... they were described as very dedicated ... ... I immediately made them do some trial work ... ... but what did he do there?!? XXXDAn

Just realised I never really congratulated for the great result ... Wonderfully done, DAniel ... and for nostalgic reasons I repeat the first picture you showed - what a marvel you did!

The Proxxon 0,5 mm are good, much better than the same kind of 0,5 drills from the DIY departments (at least in Germany) On modeling fairs one can also find the 0,3 mm with shaft :-) XXXDAn

Lovely work as usual! Daniel

Lovely work, especially on rudder and screws :-) XXXDAn

PS: As the sea is rather calm at the moment, I omitted one duty: In rough seas one man was to hold the lanyard for the gunport lid for emergency closing. XXXDAn

Thank you guys, doing the best to make them move! And yes Evan, there would be :-) XXXDAn

All the best!!! Cheers, Daniel

Here a picture to show the system: The wooden stock is in two halves and squeezes the shaft of the anchor. The 4 iron loops hold the system. If the shaft gets loose, the loops only have to be hammered inwards, and because of the conical form of the stock and the shaft will be held tight again. Ingenious design :-) I doubt that it was ever replaced by rope, but hey its your model, do something like the woolings on the masts, if you do not like the paper version :-) XXXDan

Both of them ... ... a bit more like free style ;-) XXXDAn

Thank you Frank! And for that the gang looks lifelike comes some ink and a nice wash. See the before and after pictures - let there be life :-) XXXDAn

Hello Jan, yes they were usually strictly separated :-) But the battle was different. As long as the Marines were not needed on deck, they were used as auxiliaries to handle the guns. There are some contemporary pictures and drawings showing it, also the Trafalgar Companion shows up to two marines per gun. The pictures show the full gun compliment of over a thirteen per two guns. But half the gun crew was assigned for second duties and had to leave if necessairy. Standard duties were cases of fire, water/leak/pumps, handling of sails and repel boarders or boarding the enemy. So in the height of the battle it could happen that some 6 men had to deal with two big guns. This is not even counting the casualties. So fire rate could drop dramatically at this stage. Cheers, Daniel

Love it, great work!!! XXXDAn

EXERCISE of the great guns. 1st. Silence. 2d. Cast loose your guns. 3d. Level your guns. 4th.Take out your tompions. 5th. Run out your guns. 6th. Prime. 7th. Point your guns. 8th. Fire. " The man who takes care of the powder is to place himself on the opposite side of the deck from that where we engage, except when fighting both sides at once, when he is to be amid-ships. He is not to suffer any other man to take a cartridge from him, but he who is appointed to serve the gun with that article, either in time of a real engagement, or at exercise. " Lanthorns are not to be brought to quarters in the night, until the midshipman gives his orders for so doing to the person he charges with that article. Every thing being in it's place, and not the least lumber in the way of the guns, the exercise begins with, 1st. Silence. At this word every one is to observe a silent attention to the officers. 2d. Cast loose your guns. " The muzzle lashing is to be taken off from the guns, and (being coiled up in a small compass) is to be made fast to the eye-bolt above the port. The lashing-tackles at the same time to be cast loose, and the middle of the breeching seized to the thimble of the pomillion. The spunge to be taken down, and, with the crow, handspec, &c. laid upon the deck by the gun. "N.B. When prepared for engaging an enemy, the seizing within the clinch of the breeching is to be cut, that the gun may come sufficiently within-board for loading, and that the force of the recoil may be more spent before it acts upon the breeching. 3d. Level your guns. " The breech of your metal is to be raised so as to admit the foot of the bed's being placed upon the axle-tree of the carriage, with the quoin upon the bed, both their ends being even one with the other. " N. B. When levelled for firing, the bed is to be lashed to the bolt which supports the inner end of it, that it may not be thrown out of it's place by the violence of the gun's motion, when hot with frequent discharges. See fig. 17, plate VII. 4th. Take out your tompions. "The tompion is to be taken out of the gun's mouth, and left hanging by it's laniard. 5th. Run out your guns. " With the tackles hooked to the upper-bolts of the carriage, the gun is to be bowsed out as close as possible, without the assistance of crows or handspecs; taking care at the same time to keep the breeching clear of the trucks, by hawling it through the rings; it is then to be bent so as to run clear when the gun is fired. When the gun is out, the tackle-falls are to be laid along-side the carriages in neat fakes, that when the gun, by recoiling, overhauls them, they may not be subject to get foul, as they would if in a common coil. 6th. Prime. "If the cartridge is to be pierced with the priming wire, and the vent filled with powder, the pan also is to be filled; and the flat space, having a score through it at the end of the pan, is to be covered, and this part of the priming is to be bruised with the round part of the horn. The apron is to be laid over, and the horn hung up out of danger from the flash of the priming. 7th. Point your guns. At this command the gun is, in the first place, to be elevated to the heighth of the object, by means of the side-sights; and then the person pointing is to direct his fire by the upper-sight, having a crow on one side and a handspec on the other, to heave the gun by his direction till he catches the object. " N. B. The men who heave the gun for pointing are to stand between the ship's side and their crows or handspecs, to escape the injury they might otherwise receive from their being struck against them, or splintered by a shot; and the man who attends the captain with a match is to bring it at the word, " Point your guns," and kneeling upon one knee opposite the train-truck of the carriage, and at such a distance as to be able to touch the priming, is to turn his head from the gun, and keep blowing gently upon the lighted match to keep it clear from ashes. And as the missing of an enemy in action, by neglect or want of coolness, is most inexcusable, it is particularly recommended to have the people thoroughly instructed in pointing well, and taught to know the ill consequences of not taking proper means to hit their mark; wherefore they should be made to elevate their guns to the utmost nicety, and then to point with the same exactness and having caught the object through the upper-sight, at the word, 8th. Fire. " The match is instantly to be put to the bruised part of the priming; and when the gun is discharged the vent is to be closed, in order to smother any spark of fire that may remain in the chamber of the gun; and the man who spunges is immediately to place himself by the muzzle of the gun in readiness, when, at the next word, 9th. Spunge your gun. "The spunge is to be rammed down to the bottom of the chamber, and then twisted round, to extinguish effectually any remains of fire; and when drawn out, to be struck against the out-side of the muzzle, to shake off any sparks or scraps of the cartridge that may have come out with it; and next it's end is to be shifted ready for loading; and while this is doing, the man appointed to provide a cartridge is to go to the box, and by the time the spunge is out of the gun, he is to have it ready; and at the word, 10th. Load with cartridge. The cartridge (with the bottom end first, seam-downwards, and a wad after it) is to be put into the gun, and thrust a little way within the mouth, when the rammer is to be entered; the cartridge is then to be forcibly rammed down, and the captain at the same time is to keep his priming-wire in the vent, and, feeling the cartridge, is to give the word home, when the rammer is to be drawn, and not before. While this is doing, the man appointed to provide a shot is to provide one (or two, according to the order at that time) ready at the muzzle, with a wad like-wise, and when the rammer is drawn, at the word, 11th. Shot your guns. "The shot and wad upon it are to be put into the gun, and thrust a little way down, when the rammer is to be entered as before. The shot and wad are to be rammed down to the cartridge, and there have a couple of forcible strokes, when the rammer is to be drawn, and laid out of the way of the guns and tackles, if the exercise or action is continued; but if it is over, the spunge is to be secured in the place it is at all times kept in. 13th. Put in your tompions. "The tompions to be put into the muzzle of the cannon. 14th. House your guns. "The seizing is to be put on again upon the clinched end of the breeching, leaving it no slacker than to admit of the guns being housed with ease. The quoin is to be taken from under the breech of the gun, and the bed, still resting upon the bolt, within the carriage, thrust under, till the foot of it falls off the axle-tree, leaving it to rest upon the end which projects out from the foot. The metal is to be set down upon this. The gun is to be placed exactly square, and the muzzle is to be close to the wood, in it's proper place for passing the muzzle lashings. See CANNON, and fig. 19, plate VII. 14th. Secure your guns. "The muzzle lashings must first be made secure, and then with one tackle (having all it's parts equally taught with the breeching) the gun is to be lashed. The other tackle is to be bowsed taught, and by itself made fast, that it may be ready to cast off for lashing a second breeching. "N.B. Care must be taken to hook the first tackle to the upper bolt of the carriage, that it may not otherwise obstruct the reeving of the second breeching, and to give the greater length to the end part of the fall. No pains must be spared in bowsing the lashing very taught, that the gun may have the least play that is possible, as their being loose may be productive of very dangerous consequences. EXERCISE to EYES of a ship "The quoin, crow, and handspec, are to be put under the gun, the powder-horn hung up in it's place, &c. "Being engaged at any time when there is a large swell, a rough sea, or in squally weather, &c. as the ship may be liable to be suddenly much heeled, the port-tackle fall is ro be kept clear, and (whenever the working of the gun will admit of it) the man charged with that office is to keep it in his hand; at the same time the muzzle lashing is to be kept fast to the ring of the port, and being hauled taught, is to be fastened to the eye-bolt over the port-hole, so as to be out of the gun's way in firing, in order to haul it in at any time of danger. "This precaution is not to be omitted, when engaging to the windward, any more than when to the leeward, those situations being very subject to alter at too short a warning. "A train-tackle is always to be made use of with the lee-guns, and the man stationed to attend it is to be very careful in preventing the gun's running out at an improper time." EXERCISE may also be applied with propriety to the forming our fleets into orders of sailing, lines of battle, &c. an art which the French have termed evolutions, or tactiques. In this sense exercise may be defined, the execution of the movements which the different orders and dispositions of fleets occasionally require, and which the several ships are directed to perform by means of signals. It is interesting that about 1800 there was no official standardised instruction for the gun handling, this was just to be introduced years later. This usual sequence was described by Falconer. To get a feeling what happens in this moments, I made a small display, which shows three different stages. On the left the gun is aiming, the middle one loading and the right one just prior the shot before the tackles are put in flakes onto the deck. 7th. Point your guns. Here we see the adjustment of the height of the gun by the handspikes. Here we can easily see the sense of the steps on the side of the carriage, it serves the handspikes as a stable support. The gun captain is giving the instructions, while the second gun captain with the blue head is ready to reposition the coin. Falconer mentions that first the height is adjusted, then the direction. The other men are busy to keep the gun steady. 8th. Fire. Here the moment before the shot. The crew are still steadying the gun with on the tackles, these tackles are to be laid in flakes onto the deck prior the shot and then the men to retreat to a more safe area amidships. Nice detail to be seen on the Master and Commander Bonus DVD: The two men with the handspikes on the hull at both sides of the gun, ready to jump and to jam the wheels after the shot for the gun not to run back out immediately after the recoil, as the tackles are not manned jet again. 9th. Spunge your gun. Here the loader is sponging the barrel. One nicely to be seen the exposed position and how far the sponge points outwards. Left is the cartride ready, right the wad. Also left the shot and right the second wad. The gun captain is closing the vent with his thump as described by Falconer. See also the tools right on the deck, the sponge, rammer, worm and the pot with water for the sponge. XXXDAn

SILENCE!!!

Hurry up - hurry up !!! The starter is already getting impatient ... XXXDAn

Both ways are right depending on : - if not under tension / not being worked the messenger is on the bottom of the capstan. - under tension / when worked it works its way up to the shoulder of the whelps I first had it on the bottom but since I realised the change it is already refixed in an up position. This movement even is to be realised on my 1:100 capstan :-0 XXXDAn

Several hints: - Do not use pincers, use pliers with pointed head, they work much better, less danger of kazooong - Use the white cloth as suggested, but also on the floor and the rest of the table - and the best, put the eyelets on the leash: take a thin thread or wire to pass through the hole and you can find and retrieve the part quite easily :-) XXXDAn

Great!!! Thanks! As far as I can judge by the details that I already know, it is a quite faithful representation. Great to see the catheads properly. Nice to see another detail: The Vic first sat far too deep in the drydock and on top of it, the bow was even lower than the stern. After the King´s moaning, she had to be resettled to todays level. XXXDAn

Thank you guys, and Jan, as always, looks like I am an open book to you! This is one of the pictures that I am seeking still a better resolution! It shows some nice details of the deck structure in the bow section. If one looks around, there are loads of pictures of the empire attitude of the Victory, but only a few in a useful resolution, those ones I am seeking still. Here is one that confirmed some interesting bits, that I already guessed in other pictures: And very surprisingly - there are no whales and the hull is planked flush, no curve to be seen. No profiles to structure the surface, only thin battens as a split line for the color change, and this one follows exactly the line of the gun ports - not very elegant ... Ok- and I already believed that this could be a fast build. ... ... so I made a dummy .... ... and filled in all the well known artifacts of the original planking. Oh my dears, DAniel

Congratulations Frank, that really is the most tricky part imho in the whole etch set! Well done :-) Cheers, Daniel

Thank you Jan, the 2525 is the one I am already building ;-) But yes, for a long time already, she was turning around in my head - the empire Vic of 1910. Matchless in her appearance, she started to fascinate me as soon as I saw the first picture of this state some 30 years ago. By now I collected enough good pictures to have a good understanding of her hull and stern. Also the aft assemblies I get a clearer idea, even Nelson´s barque is already parked underneath the poop deck. Still looking for some high resolution pictures of the bow and the fo´castle, also those of contemporary ships, as this is a very outrageous design there ;-) So it is like in the sales: Everything has to go! XXXDAn