HMS Victory supplies a familiar visual and statistical benchmark because no reliable image of Rostislav is available. Rostislav is described as shorter, narrower, and shallower-drafted, carrying about 100 guns against Victory's 104. Her battery included 36-, 18-, 12-, and 3-pounders, but their exact numbers and distribution remain uncertain. The comparison gives Victory 30 32-pounders, 28 24-pounders, 42 short 12-pounders, two medium 12-pounders, and two 68-pounder carronades. That detailed British list helps show what remains unknown about the Russian arrangement. Rostislav nevertheless offered a substantial first rate around which the fleet could form, with firepower that most Swedish ships would struggle to face individually.
Chapter · 7:32-10:49
Rostislav compared with HMS Victory
HMS Victory provides a visual benchmark for Rostislav's smaller dimensions and roughly 100-gun battery, whose exact composition remains uncertain.