HMS Victory on display at the Porthmouth Historic Dockyard in England is revered as the world’s oldest commissioned battleship. Launched in 1765 and commissioned to the Royal Navy in 1778 it was the British fleet’s flagship in the Trafalgar battle. 2005 marks this 200th anniversary of one of the greatest naval battles in history between the English fleet and the Franco-Spanish fleet. It took place in 1805 near the Straits of Gibraltar off the cape of Trafalgar. A very bloody battle led by the French flagship Bucentaure and the victory under the command of Lord Nelson left the famous Admiral fatally wounded when he was struck in the spine by a sniper. British losses were 1’500 lives while their enemies lost about 14’000. However the British fleet won a brilliant victory over the French capturing the Bucentaure and sinking many of the French battleships. It meant the end to French Emperor Napoleon’s dreams of dominance.