The book review traces Admiral John Balchen’s nearly six decades of service from the 1680s to his loss in 1744. It also follows an earlier HMS Victory through repeated renaming, dismantling, storage, rebuilding, collision, and service as a flagship before she foundered with all hands. The public shock of the loss came to overshadow both the officer’s career and the ship’s long institutional history. Discovery of the wreck and recovery of a bronze gun reopen questions about ship design, dockyard administration, maintenance, courts martial, and Balchen’s relationship with his crews.
Notable Point · 2:45:05-2:52:36
A forgotten HMS Victory and Admiral Balchen
A book discussion recovers the eighteenth-century HMS Victory and Admiral Balchen from a history dominated by their loss at sea.