Adapted from an article in The Times                                                Thursday 2nd September 2004

HMS Victoria, which sank in 1893 off the coast of Lebanon, has been discovered resting vertically with bows in the sea bed and propellers pointing upwards - like Nelson's Column, but over twice the height. A former archeologist who is making a documetary about the discovery said: "It's a wreck that surpasses any other in the world. It looks like a skyscraper."

Vice-Admiral Sir George Tryon lost his 10,000 ton iron-clad flagship when, showing off his skills to watchers ashore, he ordered his fleet of 10 battleships in close formation to make a dramatic 90 degree turn. It would have looked spectacular had not Tryon's ship collided with HMS Camperdown, causing the largest peacetime loss of ife in British naval history, with 358 men (half the crew) drowned, including Tryon himself. His dying words were reputedly: "It's all my fault."

Two of Admiral Tryton's officers had told him that 1,200 yards was an insufficient distance to complete the manoeuvre without colliding. Nevertheless he signalled the battleships to proceed. Rear-Admiral Albart Markham on HMS Camperdown hesitated. Admiral Tryon signalled: "What are you waiting for?"

Following the discovery of the wreck, a British Defence attaché said that the officers of the nine other ships had obeyed orders to execute the unwisely tight turn. "They knew the plan was crackers, but they went ahead anyway because they had blind faith in their admiral." They assumed he had another plan.

The Camperdown struck the Victoria on the starboard side below the waterline; 13 minutes later the flagship sank below the surface, bows first. There were only 357 survivors.

The Victoria is thought to have nosedived because of the weight of her 14¼in forward guns, her 18in armour plating, and the fact that her propellers were still spinning as she went down.

The wreck, lying in more than 350ft of water, has about a quarter of her length buried in the sea floor. It is thought to be the only shipwreck in the world in a vertical position.

SIMPLY THE BEST - THAT'S THE SEA CADETS !