TRAFALGAR

The facts about Trafalgar are straightforward enough. Following the resumption of the war between Great Britain and France (the final part of the Second Hundred Years' War), Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte put in place plans to invade our islands. But whilst the French army was dominant on land, so the British navy ruled the waves. The year 1805 found Napoleon increasingly impatient with his admiral, Villeneuve, who seemed afraid of his British rival Horatio Nelson. Fears of dismissal finally forced Villeneuve to lead the combined Franco-Spanish fleet (18 French, 15 Spanish ships) out against the 27 ships under Nelson. They met off Cape Trafalgar, on the approaches to the Straits of Gibraltar. As usual Nelson's tactics were perfect; by slicing into the enemy line halfway he delayed the vanguard of their fleet from engaging whilst he dealt with the rest. Although he lost his life during the battle, the result was a crushing defeat for Boney; the British came out with 35 ships after capturing eight of the enemy, whilst the Franco-Spanish were reduced to 9. Britannia still ruled the waves, and fears of rule by a hostile European superpower were crushed.

The fleets on 21st October, 1805 were as follows:

Fleets

Ships

Guns

Men

British

27

2,178

17,076

Franco-Spanish

33

2,652

25,200

Enemy superiority

6 (22%)

474 (22%)

8,124 (48%)

*

THE BRITISH FLEET

110-gun

Victory (flagship), Royal Sovereign

100-gun

Britannia

98-gun

Dreadnought, Neptune, Prince, Temeraire

80-gun

Tonnant

80-gun

Ajax

74-gun

Achille, Belleisle, Bellerophon, Colossus, Conqueror, Defence, Defiance, Leviathan, Mars, Minotaur, Orion, Revenge, Spartiate, Swiftsure, Thunderer

64-gun

Africa, Agamemnon, Polyphemus


Total losses: 0/27 (-8, counting the captured ships that were salvageable)

*

THE FRANCO-SPANISH FLEET

140-gun


Santissima Trinidad (dest.)

112-gun


Principe d'Asturias, Santa Anna

100-gun


Rayo (dest.)

84-gun

Bucentaur (dest.), Indomptable (dest.), Neptune

Neptuno (dest.)

80-gun

Formidable (s.d.)

Argonauta (dest.)

74-gun

Achille (dest.), Algeziras, Argonaute (beached), Duguay Trouin (s.d.), Fougueux (dest.), Heros, Intrepide (burnt), L'Aigle (dest.), Le Berwick (dest.)*, Le Swiftsure (capt.)*, Mont Blanc (s.d.), Pluton, Redoubtable (dest.), Scipion (s.d.)

Bahama (capt.), Monarca (dest.), Montanez, San Augustin (burnt), San Francis d'Afis (dest.), San Ildefonso (capt.), San Juste, San Nepomaceno (capt.)

64-gun


San Leandro


Total losses: 14/18 (78%)

Total losses: 10/15 (67%)

Total losses: 24/33 (73%)



s.d.= subsequently destroyed; four French ships that fled the battle but were badly damaged, and were caught and taken by another British squadron before they could reach safety.

* British ships taken by the enemy, retaken at Trafalgar.

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