The Battle of Trafalgar took place on the 21st October 1805 off the coast of Spain.
The Royal Navy, under the command of Vice-Admiral the Lord Nelson (who died in the action) with 27 ships of the line defeated a combined Franco-Spanish fleet of 33 ships under the command of Vice-Admiral Pierre de Villeneuve.
Summary:
The Britsh fleet was divided into two lines under Nelson and Collingwood which, after suffering a raking fire during their approach, cut through the Franco/Spanish line to cut off and overwhelm the centre and rear before the van could turn in support. After a fierce engagement this tactic proved succesful with many French and Spanish ships taken.
A storm that blew up at the end of the battle which resulted in the loss of many of the captured ships.
Novels based around this battle.
Ships Present
British Fleet - Weather Column
Victory (100) Flag - Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson (Killed in Action), Cptn. - Thomas Masterman Hardy
Temeraire (98) Eliab Harvey
Neptune (98) Thomas Francis Fremantle
Leviathan (74) Henry William Bayntun
Conqueror (74) Israel Pellew
Brittania (100) Flag - Rear Admiral the Earl of Northesk, Cptn. - Charles Bullen
Agamemnon (64) Sir Edward Berry
Ajax (74) Lt. John Pilford (acting captain)
Orion (74) Edward Codrington
Minotaur (74) Charles John Moore Mansfield
Spartiate (74) Sir Francis Laforey
British Fleet - Lee Column
Royal Sovereign (100) Flag - Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, Cptn. - Edward Rotheram
Belleisle (74) William Hargood
Mars (74) George Duff (Killed in Action), Lt. William Hennah (Acting)
Tonnant (80) Charles Tyler
Bellerophon (74) John Cooke (Killed in Action), Lt. William Pryce Cumby (Acting)
Collosus (74) James Nicoll Morris
Achille (74) Richard King
Revenge (74) Robert Moorsom
Polyphemus (64) Robert Redmill
Swiftsure (74) William Gordon Rutherfurd
Dreadnought (98) John Conn
Defiance (74) Philip Charles Durham
Thunderer (74) Lt. John Stockham (acting captain)
Defence (74) George Hope
Prince (98) Richard Grindall
British Fleet - Isolated attacking head of Franco-Spanish Fleet
Africa (64) Henry Digby
Franco-Spanish Fleet
Neptuno (80) Don H Cayetano Valdés y Flores Captured. Recaptured & foundered 23 Oct.
Scipion (74) Charles Bellanger (Eventually captured 4 Nov.)
Rayo (100) Don Enrique MacDonnell (Eventually captured & foundered 23 Oct.)
Formidable (80) Flag - Rear-Admiral Pierre-Etienne-René-Marie Dumanoir Le Pelley, Cptn. - Jean-Marie Lettelier (Eventually captured 4 Nov)
Duguay Trouin (74) Claude Toufflet (Eventually captured 4 Nov.)
Mont Blanc (74) Guillaume-Jean-Noël Lavillegris (Eventually captured 4 Nov.)
San Francisco de Asis (74) Don Luis de Florès Captured. Recaptured & wrecked 23 Oct.
San Agustin74Don Felipe Jado Cagigal Captured. Abandoned and burnt 28 Oct.
Héros (74) Jean-Baptiste-Joseph-René Poulain
Nuestra Señora de la Santísima Trinidad (136) Flag - Rear Admiral Báltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros, Cptn. - Francisco Javier de Uriarte y Borja Captured. Foundered 23 Oct.
Bucentaure (80) Flag - Vice-Admiral Pierre-Charles-Jean-Baptiste-Silvestre de Villeneuve, Cptn. - Jean-Jacques Magendie Captured. Recaptured & wrecked 23 Oct.
Neptune (80) Commodore Espirit Tranquille Maistral
Redoutable (74) Jean Jacques Etienne Lucas Captured. Foundered 23 Oct.
San Leandro (64) Don José Quevedo
San Justo (74) Don Francisco Javier Garstón
Santa Ana (112) Flag - Vice-Admiral Ignacio María de Álava y Navarrete, Cptn. - Don José de Gardoqui Captured. Recaptured 23 Oct.
Indomptable (80) Jean Joseph Hubert Wrecked 24 Oct.
Fougueux (74) Louis Alexis Baudoin (Killed in Action) Captured. Wrecked 22 Oct.
Intrépide (74) Louis-Antoine-Cyprien Infernet Captured. Blown up deliberately 24 Oct.
Monarcha (74) Don Teodoro de Argumosa Captured. Foundered 25 Oct.
Pluton (74) Julien-Marie Cosmao-Kerjulien
Bahama (74) Dionisio Alcalá Galiano (Killed in Action) Captured
L'Aigle (74) Pierre-Paul Gourège Captured. Wrecked 23 Oct.
Montãnez (74) Francisco Alcedo y Bustamente
Algésiras (74) Flag - Rear-Admiral Charles-René Magon de Médine (Killed in Action), Cptn. -Laurant Le Tourneur Captured. Recaptured 23 Oct.
Argonauta (80) Don Antonio Parejo Captured & Scuttled
Swiftsure (74) Charles-Eusèbe l'Hôpitalier-Villemadrin Captured
Argonaute (74) Jacques Epron-Desjardins
San Ildefonso (74) Don Jose Ramón de Vargas y Varáez Captured
Achille (74) Louis Gabriel Deniéport Surrendered & blew up
Principe de Asturias (112) Flag - Admiral Don Federico Carlos Gravina y Nápoli (Died of his wounds 9 Mar 1806), Flag - Rear-Admiral Don Antonio de Escãno, Cptn. Commodore Rafael de Hore
Berwick (74) Jean-Gilles Filhol-Carnas Captured. Foundered 22 Oct.
San Juan Nepomuceno (74) Commodore Don Cosmé Damián Churruca y Elorza (Killed in Action) Captured
British Fleet - Also Present
Naiad (38) Thomas Dundas
Euryalus (36) Hon. Henry Blackwood
Phoebe (36) Hon. Thomas Bladen Capel
Sirius (36) William Prowse
Pickle (12) Lt. John Richards La Penotière
Entreprenante (10) Lt. Robert Benjamin Young
Franco-Spanish Fleet - Also Present
Cornélie (40) de Martinenq
Hermione (40) Mahé
Hortense (40) La Marre La Melilerie
Rhin (40) MJA Chesneau
Thémis (40) Jugan
Furet (18) Lt. Dumay
Argus (16) Lt. Tailliard
Plan of the Battle
