The Battle of Trafalgar (cont.)
21 OCTOBER 1805
THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR (cont.)
Watching the British advance, Villeneuve ordered his fleet into a traditional line-ahead (historians suspect a lack-luster execution was made in spite of Villeneuve’s suspicion that Nelson might break his line). The vacillating Villeneuve then made a last-minute attempt to reverse course back to Cadiz, turning his line to the north, still in the lee of the English. This deteriorated the French line into an arc, concave to Nelson’s approach. In a masterful tactical stroke, Nelson now directed his 11-ship column against the center of the French line while Collingwood led his 16 toward the windward end. The nine men-o-war of the French van, to the leeward, were thus held out of the action by the wind. At 1135 Nelson hoisted the immortal signal to his men, “England expects every that every man will do his duty,” followed around noon with his last, “Engage the enemy more closely.” Moments later HMS ROYAL SOVEREIGN, 100, came within range, and FOUGUEUX’s, 74, broadside opened the battle.
ROYAL SOVEREIGN pierced the enemy line between SANTA ANA, 112, and FOUGUEUX, raking both with double-shotted broadsides, then fell upon the heavier SANTA ANA. Collingwood’s division intentionally cut out the last 17 enemy ships to his 16, banking on superior British gun accuracy and a 2:1 greater rate of fire. Over the next two hours of heated battle his confidence proved meritorious.
Meanwhile, Nelson kept his column charging headforemost against the full weight of the Franco-Spanish broadside. Aboard VICTORY Nelson’s officers pleaded with him to cover his uniform and medals with a coat, making him less a target. He dissented however, owning that his officers and men would be greatly encouraged to see him plainly. VICTORY forced the center of the enemy line between Villeneuve’s flagship BUCENTAURE, 80, and REDOUTABLE, 74. She was followed closely by HMS TRÉMÉRAIRE, 98, whose raking broadside left 200 dead aboard REDOUTABLE. VICTORY fell in with REDOUTABLE and BUCENTAURE, and in the height of the ensuing carnage, a sharpshooter in REDOUTABLE’s fighting tops recognized Nelson, striking him with a musket ball that tore through his right lung and lodged in his spine. He was carried below where he lingered several hours, long enough to learn of the total English Victory.
By robbing Napoleon of his fleet, Trafalgar completely thwarted the Corsican’s designs on England. The success understandably propelled Nelson to immortality, while completely shaking the Admiralty’s confidence in the century-old Permanent Fighting Instructions. As a result, Trafalgar is hailed today as the greatest victory in 500 years of Royal Navy history and the culminating battle of the Age of Sail.
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CAPT James Bloom, Ret.
Rehabilitation Medicine
Bennett, Geoffrey. Nelson the Commander. New York, NY: Charles Schribner’s Sons, 1972, pp. 85, 250-82.
Callo, Joseph F. “Lasting Lessons of Trafalgar.” Naval History, Vol 19 (5), October 2005, pp. 16-22.
Herman, Arthur. To Rule the Waves: How the British Navy Shaped the World. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2004, pp. 360-94.
Nicolson, Adam. Seize the Fire: Heroism, Duty, and the Battle of Trafalgar. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2005.
Potter, E.B. Sea Power: A Naval History, 2nd ed. Annapolis, MD: USNI Press, 1981, pp. 79-80.
Ross, Steven T. European Diplomatic History 1789-1815: France Against Europe. Malabar, FL: Robert E. Krieger, 1981, pp. 247-48.
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ADDITIONAL NOTES: The Battle of Cape Trafalgar serves to illustrate how minor a player was the American Navy during the Age of Sail. Never did we possess a fleet of the size and scope of that of England, France, or Spain, and even our largest sail warship, PENNSYLVANIA, 120, was eclipsed by larger at Trafalgar. The nearest we came to a “fleet” action occurred at the outset of the Revolutionary War, when an eight-ship squadron led by the 24-gun ALFRED (a converted merchantman) raided British shore stations in the Bahamas.
