Salvage crews find wreck of legendary British warship HMS Victory

**Fade** · 02-01-2009

Salvage crews find wreck of legendary British warship HMS Victory
By Mitch Stacy, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

TAMPA, Fla. - Florida deep-sea explorers who found $500 million in sunken treasure two years ago say they have discovered another prized shipwreck: A legendary British man-of-war that sank in the English Channel 264 years ago.

Odyssey Marine Exploration hasn't found any gold this time, but it's looking for an even bigger jackpot. The company's research indicates HMS Victory was carrying almost four tonnes of gold coins that could be worth considerably more than the treasure that Odyssey raised from a sunken Spanish galleon in 2007, co-founder Greg Stemm said ahead of a news conference set for Monday in London.

So far, Odyssey has recovered two brass cannons from the wreck of the Victory and continues to examine and map the debris field, which lies about 100 metres beneath the surface, Stemm said.

The company said it is negotiating with the British government over collaborating on the project.

"This is a big one, just because of the history," Stemm said. "Very rarely do you solve an age-old mystery like this."

Odyssey said the 31 brass cannons and other evidence on the wreck allowed definitive identification of the Victory, a 53-metre sailing ship that was separated from its fleet during a storm and sank in the English Channel on Oct. 4, 1744, with at least 900 men aboard.

Article continued at http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/20...226351-ap.html

**Lov3ll** · 02-01-2009

If 900 men died when it sank surely this should count as a war grave?

**LineDoggie** · 02-01-2009

Originally Posted by Lov3ll

If 900 men died when it sank surely this should count as a war grave?

I would have thought so to, Is there a Time Limit on that? In other words from say 1900 onwards?

oddly enough it isnt listed under the UK's Protective Act of 1968

**Connaught Ranger** · 02-01-2009

Originally Posted by Lov3ll

If 900 men died when it sank surely this should count as a war grave?

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said Sunday the government was aware of Odyssey's claim to have found the Victory.
"Assuming the wreck is indeed that of a British warship, her remains are sovereign immune," he said on condition of anonymity in keeping with government policy. "This means that no intrusive action may be taken without the express consent of the United Kingdom."

This vessel is NOT to be confused with the legendary HMS Victory of Lord Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar Fame.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiRbJRNKyv8

Connaught Ranger.

**helomech** · 02-01-2009

Wow,pretty fascinating story,hope they can take pictures of the wreck-I'd like to see what those brass cannons look like

**SineJustitia** · 02-01-2009

Grave robbing infidels.

I hope they recommission the HMS Victory in Portsmouth and blow the Odyssey out of that holy water.

**Alpheus** · 02-01-2009

Originally Posted by SineJustitia

Grave robbing rebellious colonial subjects.

I hope they recommission the HMS Victory in Portsmouth and blow the Odyssey out of that holy water.

Fixed.

**loganinkosovo** · 02-01-2009

**Eoin666** · 02-02-2009

Law states that if the wreck is of a British warship it is the property of the state........negotiate with this Royal Marine boarding party

**One Man Gang** · 02-02-2009

There's $1.3 billion worth of gold down there and Britain is bankrupt. They'll go for it just for the tax revenue.

**Dexx** · 05-13-2012

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/ma...sey-excavation

The Ministry of Defence is facing a legal battle and parliamentary questions after letting a US company excavate a British 18th-century warship laden with a potentially lucrative cargo.
Lord Renfrew is among leading archaeologists condemning a financial deal struck over HMS Victory, considered the world's mightiest ship when she sank in a storm in the English Channel in 1744.
In return for excavating the vessel's historic remains, which may include gold and silver worth many millions of pounds, Odyssey Marine Exploration is entitled to receive "a percentage of the recovered artefacts' fair value" or "artefacts in lieu of cash".
Lord Renfrew, a Cambridge academic, said: "That is against the Unesco convention, in particular against the annexe, which states that underwater cultural heritage may not be sold off or exploited for commercial gain.
"Odyssey is a commercial salvager. It's not clear that payment could be obtained other than by the sale of the artefacts which are raised – which, of course, is how Odyssey has operated in the past. To raise artefacts simply for sale would be regarded by most responsible archaeologists as plundering."

So what is your take on that?

Acceptable for the MOD to have struck a deal with the company? Should it remain a war grave?

**LineDoggie** · 05-13-2012

Originally Posted by Dexx

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/ma...sey-excavation

So what is your take on that?

Acceptable for the MOD to have struck a deal with the company? Should it remain a war grave?

UK gov decided to go for the cash.

Thats plundering, but taking Mummies and everything they could find from Egypt is science while charging people to see it instead of commerical endeavor...

**DPM_Sheep** · 05-13-2012

Originally Posted by LineDoggie

UK gov decided to go for the cash.

Thats plundering, but taking Mummies and everything they could find from Egypt is science while charging people to see it instead of commerical endeavor...

Given a lot of what the British museum contains simply would exist anymore if it hadn't been acquired, that's a pretty ****ty thing to say. 19th century antiquarian methods may leave a lot of distaste to modern sensibilities but modern archaeology and paleontology wouldn't be sciences today with out them.

Regarding the Victory, there's always been conditional factors on the site of war graves, usually its in cases of historic importance (Mary Rose) or if the site is under threat. For instance there's a couple of RN Corsairs that crashed into a lake in Maine. The US and UK government stepped in to stop a salvage company from claiming and recovering the wrecks and the remains of the crew because they were deemed war graves and no historic significance justified disturbing the wrecks nor were they in any immediate danger from vandals or illegal removal of parts.

Conversely, an Australian crewed Lancaster wreck that crashed in the Scottish Highlands was recovered by an RAF team a few years ago because the landowners had noticed somebody had trespassed onto the site and begun taking large pieces away.

If there truly is gold aboard the Victory, someone will make an attempt on it. Cutting a salvage deal with Odyssey and having oversight of the recovery is probably the best outcome now rumors of the gold are out there.

**Warden** · 05-13-2012

I wouldn't be surprised if they have already recovered some/all the gold Odyssey work fast.

Funny seeing Neil in those videos, nice bloke.

**timetraveller** · 05-13-2012

Originally Posted by Lov3ll

If 900 men died when it sank surely this should count as a war grave?

And look at those who plundered the Titanic site .. what is the difference .. really very little imo

Both are grave sites ...

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