Battle of Trafalgar by WC StanfieldThe 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  
UK Victory 100 Flag - Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson (Killed in Action)
Cptn. - Thomas Masterman Hardy
 
UK Temeraire 98 Eliab Harvey  
UK Neptune 98 Thomas Francis Fremantle  
UK Leviathan 74 Henry William Bayntun  
UK Conqueror 74 Israel Pellew  
UK Brittania 100 Flag - Rear Admiral the Earl of Northesk
Cptn. - Charles Bullen
 
UK Agamemnon 64 Sir Edward Berry  
UK Ajax 74 Lt. John Pilford (acting captain)  
UK Orion 74 Edward Codrington  
UK Minotaur 74 Charles John Moore Mansfield  
UK Spartiate 74 Sir Francis Laforey  
  British Fleet - Lee Column  
UK Royal Sovereign 100 Flag - Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood
Cptn. - Edward Rotheram
 
UK Belleisle 74 William Hargood  
UK Mars 74 George Duff (Killed in Action)
Lt. William Hennah (Acting)
 
UK Tonnant 80 Charles Tyler  
UK Bellerophon 74 John Cooke (Killed in Action)
Lt. William Pryce Cumby (Acting)
 
UK Collosus 74 James Nicoll Morris  
UK Achille 74 Richard King  
UK Revenge 74 Robert Moorsom  
UK Polyphemus 64 Robert Redmill  
UK Swiftsure 74 William Gordon Rutherfurd  
UK Dreadnought 98 John Conn  
UK Defiance 74 Philip Charles Durham  
UK Thunderer 74 Lt. John Stockham (acting captain)  
UK Defence 74 George Hope  
UK Prince 98 Richard Grindall  
  British Fleet - Isolated attacking head of Franco-Spanish Fleet  
UK Africa 64 Henry Digby  
  Franco-Spanish Fleet  
Spain Neptuno 80 Don H Cayetano Valdés y Flores UK Captured. Recaptured & foundered 23 Oct.
France Scipion 74 Charles Bellanger UK (Eventually captured 4 Nov.)
Spain Rayo 100 Don Enrique MacDonnell  UK (Eventually captured & foundered 23 Oct.)
France Formidable 80 Flag - Rear-Admiral Pierre-Etienne-René-Marie Dumanoir Le Pelley
Cptn. - Jean-Marie Lettelier
UK (Eventually captured 4 Nov)
France Duguay Trouin 74 Claude Toufflet UK (Eventually captured 4 Nov.)
France Mont Blanc 74 Guillaume-Jean-Noël Lavillegris UK (Eventually captured 4 Nov.)
Spain San Francisco de Asis 74 Don Luis de Florès UK Captured. Recaptured & wrecked 23 Oct.
Spain San Agustin 74 Don Felipe Jado Cagigal UK Captured. Abandoned and burnt 28 Oct.
France Héros 74 Jean-Baptiste-Joseph-René Poulain  
Spain Nuestra Señora de la Santísima Trinidad 136 Flag - Rear Admiral Báltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros
Cptn. - Francisco Javier de Uriarte y Borja
UK Captured. Foundered 23 Oct.
France Bucentaure 80 Flag - Vice-Admiral Pierre-Charles-Jean-Baptiste-Silvestre de Villeneuve
Cptn. - Jean-Jacques Magendie
UK Captured. Recaptured & wrecked 23 Oct.
France Neptune 80 Commodore Espirit Tranquille Maistral  
France Redoutable 74 Jean Jacques Etienne Lucas UK Captured. Foundered 23 Oct.
Spain San Leandro 64 Don José Quevedo  
Spain San Justo 74 Don Francisco Javier Garstón  
Spain Santa Ana 112 Flag - Vice-Admiral Ignacio María de Álava y Navarrete
Cptn. - Don José de Gardoqui
UK Captured. Recaptured 23 Oct.
France Indomptable 80 Jean Joseph Hubert Wrecked 24 Oct.
France Fougueux 74 Louis Alexis Baudoin (Killed in Action) UK Captured. Wrecked 22 Oct.
France Intrépide 74 Louis-Antoine-Cyprien Infernet UK Captured. Blown up deliberately 24 Oct.
Spain Monarcha 74 Don Teodoro de Argumosa UK Captured. Foundered 25 Oct.
France Pluton 74 Julien-Marie Cosmao-Kerjulien  
Spain Bahama 74 Dionisio Alcalá Galiano (Killed in Action) UK Captured
France L'Aigle 74 Pierre-Paul Gourège UK Captured. Wrecked 23 Oct.
Spain Montãnez 74 Francisco Alcedo y Bustamente  
France Algésiras 74 Flag - Rear-Admiral Charles-René Magon de Médine (Killed in Action)
Cptn. -Laurant Le Tourneur
UK Captured. Recaptured 23 Oct.
Spain Argonauta 80 Don Antonio Parejo UK Captured & Scuttled
France Swiftsure 74 Charles-Eusèbe l'Hôpitalier-Villemadrin UK Captured
France Argonaute 74 Jacques Epron-Desjardins  
Spain San Ildefonso 74 Don Jose Ramón de Vargas y Varáez UK Captured
France Achille 74 Louis Gabriel Deniéport Surrendered & blew up
Spain 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
 
France Berwick 74 Jean-Gilles Filhol-Carnas Captured. Foundered 22 Oct.
Spain San Juan Nepomuceno 74 Commodore Don Cosmé Damián Churruca y Elorza (Killed in Action) UK Captured
  British Fleet - Also Present  
UK Naiad 38 Thomas Dundas  
UK Euryalus 36 Hon. Henry Blackwood  
UK Phoebe 36 Hon. Thomas Bladen Capel  
UK Sirius 36 William Prowse  
UK Pickle 12 Lt. John Richards La Penotière  
UK Entreprenante 10 Lt. Robert Benjamin Young  
  Franco-Spanish Fleet - Also Present  
France Cornélie 40 de Martinenq  
France Hermione 40 Mahé  
France Hortense 40 La Marre La Melilerie  
France Rhin 40 MJA Chesneau  
France Thémis 40 Jugan  
France Furet 18 Lt. Dumay  
France Argus 16 Lt. Tailliard  

 Trafalgar_plan

© 2008-2023 David Hayes (Astrodene)