Battle of Trafalgar
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 | Guns | Captain | Ships fate | |
| British Fleet - Weather Column | ||||
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Victory | 100 | Flag - Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson (Killed in Action) Cptn. - Thomas Masterman Hardy |
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Temeraire | 98 | Eliab Harvey | |
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Neptune | 98 | Thomas Francis Fremantle | |
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Leviathan | 74 | Henry William Bayntun | |
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Conqueror | 74 | Israel Pellew | |
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Brittania | 100 | Flag - Rear Admiral the Earl of Northesk Cptn. - Charles Bullen |
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Agamemnon | 64 | Sir Edward Berry | |
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Ajax | 74 | Lt. John Pilford (acting captain) | |
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Orion | 74 | Edward Codrington | |
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Minotaur | 74 | Charles John Moore Mansfield | |
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Spartiate | 74 | Sir Francis Laforey | |
| British Fleet - Lee Column | ||||
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Royal Sovereign | 100 | Flag - Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood Cptn. - Edward Rotheram |
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Belleisle | 74 | William Hargood | |
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Mars | 74 | George Duff (Killed in Action) Lt. William Hennah (Acting) |
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Tonnant | 80 | Charles Tyler | |
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Bellerophon | 74 | John Cooke (Killed in Action) Lt. William Pryce Cumby (Acting) |
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Collosus | 74 | James Nicoll Morris | |
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Achille | 74 | Richard King | |
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Revenge | 74 | Robert Moorsom | |
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Polyphemus | 64 | Robert Redmill | |
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Swiftsure | 74 | William Gordon Rutherfurd | |
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Dreadnought | 98 | John Conn | |
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Defiance | 74 | Philip Charles Durham | |
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Thunderer | 74 | Lt. John Stockham (acting captain) | |
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Defence | 74 | George Hope | |
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Prince | 98 | Richard Grindall | |
| British Fleet - Isolated attacking head of Franco-Spanish Fleet | ||||
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Africa | 64 | Henry Digby | |
| Franco-Spanish Fleet | ||||
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Neptuno | 80 | Don H Cayetano Valdés y Flores | Captured. Recaptured & foundered 23 Oct. |
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Scipion | 74 | Charles Bellanger | (Eventually captured 4 Nov.) |
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Rayo | 100 | Don Enrique MacDonnell | (Eventually captured & foundered 23 Oct.) |
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Formidable | 80 | Flag - Rear-Admiral Pierre-Etienne-René-Marie Dumanoir Le Pelley Cptn. - Jean-Marie Lettelier |
(Eventually captured 4 Nov) |
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Duguay Trouin | 74 | Claude Toufflet | (Eventually captured 4 Nov.) |
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Mont Blanc | 74 | Guillaume-Jean-Noël Lavillegris | (Eventually captured 4 Nov.) |
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San Francisco de Asis | 74 | Don Luis de Florès | Captured. Recaptured & wrecked 23 Oct. |
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San Agustin | 74 | Don Felipe Jado Cagigal | Captured. Abandoned and burnt 28 Oct. |
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Héros | 74 | Jean-Baptiste-Joseph-René Poulain | |
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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. |
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Bucentaure | 80 | Flag - Vice-Admiral Pierre-Charles-Jean-Baptiste-Silvestre de Villeneuve Cptn. - Jean-Jacques Magendie |
Captured. Recaptured & wrecked 23 Oct. |
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Neptune | 80 | Commodore Espirit Tranquille Maistral | |
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Redoutable | 74 | Jean Jacques Etienne Lucas | Captured. Foundered 23 Oct. |
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San Leandro | 64 | Don José Quevedo | |
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San Justo | 74 | Don Francisco Javier Garstón | |
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Santa Ana | 112 | Flag - Vice-Admiral Ignacio María de Álava y Navarrete Cptn. - Don José de Gardoqui |
Captured. Recaptured 23 Oct. |
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Indomptable | 80 | Jean Joseph Hubert | Wrecked 24 Oct. |
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Fougueux | 74 | Louis Alexis Baudoin (Killed in Action) | Captured. Wrecked 22 Oct. |
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Intrépide | 74 | Louis-Antoine-Cyprien Infernet | Captured. Blown up deliberately 24 Oct. |
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Monarcha | 74 | Don Teodoro de Argumosa | Captured. Foundered 25 Oct. |
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Pluton | 74 | Julien-Marie Cosmao-Kerjulien | |
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Bahama | 74 | Dionisio Alcalá Galiano (Killed in Action) | Captured |
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L'Aigle | 74 | Pierre-Paul Gourège | Captured. Wrecked 23 Oct. |
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Montãnez | 74 | Francisco Alcedo y Bustamente | |
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Algésiras | 74 | Flag - Rear-Admiral Charles-René Magon de Médine (Killed in Action) Cptn. -Laurant Le Tourneur |
Captured. Recaptured 23 Oct. |
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Argonauta | 80 | Don Antonio Parejo | Captured & Scuttled |
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Swiftsure | 74 | Charles-Eusèbe l'Hôpitalier-Villemadrin | Captured |
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Argonaute | 74 | Jacques Epron-Desjardins | |
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San Ildefonso | 74 | Don Jose Ramón de Vargas y Varáez | Captured |
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Achille | 74 | Louis Gabriel Deniéport | Surrendered & blew up |
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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 |
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Berwick | 74 | Jean-Gilles Filhol-Carnas | Captured. Foundered 22 Oct. |
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San Juan Nepomuceno | 74 | Commodore Don Cosmé Damián Churruca y Elorza (Killed in Action) | Captured |
| British Fleet - Also Present | ||||
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Naiad | 38 | Thomas Dundas | |
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Euryalus | 36 | Hon. Henry Blackwood | |
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Phoebe | 36 | Hon. Thomas Bladen Capel | |
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Sirius | 36 | William Prowse | |
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Pickle | 12 | Lt. John Richards La Penotière | |
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Entreprenante | 10 | Lt. Robert Benjamin Young | |
| Franco-Spanish Fleet - Also Present | ||||
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Cornélie | 40 | de Martinenq | |
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Hermione | 40 | Mahé | |
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Hortense | 40 | La Marre La Melilerie | |
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Rhin | 40 | MJA Chesneau | |
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Thémis | 40 | Jugan | |
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Furet | 18 | Lt. Dumay | |
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Argus | 16 | Lt. Tailliard | |
