The Battle That Changed The World
Nelson's brilliant victory at Trafalgar shaped history and enshrined his name among its greatest warriors
Did Nelson really matter in all this? That's the question the anniversary of his most famous battle invites us to ponder.
BRITAIN'S SEA CHANGE
On Oct. 21,1805, Great Britain's Royal Navy engaged the combined French and Spanish fleet west of Cape Trafalgar, off the southern coast of Spain. At the end of the five-hour battle, Adm. Horatio Nelson's British fleet had defeated the Combined Fleet under Adm. Pierre-Charles Villeneuve, crushing Napoleon's plans to invade England and establishing British dominance of the seas.
[MAP]
SPAIN
Cadiz
Cape Trafalgar
Strait of Gilbraltar
Atlantic Ocean
Tangier
MOROCCO
Gibraltar (U.K.)
BATTLE AREA
FRENCH EMPIRE AND REGIONS UNDER ITS INFLUENCE
Circa 1810
Area of detail
THE MELEE
At Trafalgar and other battles, Nelson abandoned traditional naval warfare tactics of orderly lines of attack under central command and encouraged his captains to break through the enemy lines and engage in close combat.
[SHIP KEY]
British: 27 ships
0 ships lost
1,666 killed or wounded
French: 18 ships and Spanish 15 ships:
18 ships lost
5,239 killed or wounded
7,000 captured
1 In his initial approach, Nelson, aboard the Victory, led his line in a feigned attack on the lead enemy ships.
2 By the time French and Spanish commanders realized his real target, the middle of their line, it was too late and Nelson rammed through, raking the French ships Bucentaure and Redoutable.
[labels]
Combined French and Spanish fleet
Bucentaure (Villeneuve)
Victory (Nelson)
Redoutable (From which a French sharpshooter mortally wounded Nelson)
Royal Sovereign (Collingwood)
Vice Admiral Collingwood's line
Admiral Nelson's line
BATTLE TACTICS
Broadside - Each ship turns maximum firepower on the other.
Raking - This leaves one ship powerless to return fire.
INSIDE VICTORY
POOP DECK
QUARTER DECK AND FORECASTLE
UPPER DECK
MIDDLE DECK
LOWER DECK
ORLOP DECK
Mainmast
Captain's cabin
12-pounder guns
Coal or wood burning stove (one per ship)
24-pounder guns
32-pounder guns
Crew hammocks
Boatswain's store
Carpenter's store
Carpenter's walk (always kept clear so repairs could be quickly made)
Main hold
Main magazine (gunpowder and small weapons storage)
Ballast
"Limber Passage" (rids ship of seeping water)
Copper sheathing
VICTORY
Total length: 227 ft. 6 in.
Widest point: 51 ft. 10 in.
VICTORY'S GUNS AT TRAFALGAR
104 guns fired an average of 25 shots for a total of 2,669 rounds using 17,100 pounds of gunpowder.
12 POUNDERS
Upper deck: 30
Quarterdeck: 12
Forecastle: 2
24 POUNDERS
Middle deck: 28
32 POUNDERS
Lower deck: 30
68 POUNDERS
Forecastle: 2
GUN DECKS
Quarter Deck and Forecastle
Upper Deck
Middle Deck
Lower Deck
Sources: The Trafalgar Companion by Mark Adkin; BBC; HMS-Victory.com;
National Geographic; Popular Science
STEPHEN ROUNTREE-- USN&WR
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