In October 1805, Britain faced the threat of a French invasion. The only force standing in the way was the Royal Navy, leading to the Battle of Trafalgar.
In 1805, Europe’s future seemed to belong to France. Napoleon’s armies were advancing and had conquered much of the continent. Prussian and Austrian forces were nearly powerless under French control, and the Holy Roman Empire would soon dissolve. The Netherlands and most of Italy had surrendered. France’s alliance with Spain further alarmed Britain as Napoleon planned an invasion.
France and Spain assembled a powerful fleet to crush British naval resistance and pave the way for a French landing in England. However, the British Navy refused to yield easily. They launched an attack and drew the French into a battle near Cape Trafalgar, off Spain’s coast. What followed was a legendary clash that reshaped history: the Battle of Trafalgar.
Opening of the Battle of Trafalgar
By the time of Trafalgar, Europe was grappling with the rapid rise of the French Empire. In 1805, under Napoleon’s leadership, the French Empire was the continent’s mightiest land power, with armies poised to conquer eastern territories, especially Italy, Prussia, and Austria. Yet, at sea, Britain remained the dominant force, imposing naval blockades that successfully halted trade between French territories and the world.
Due to Britain’s naval supremacy, Napoleon’s 1804 plan to invade England failed. That year, the British fleet, led by Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, pursued the French fleet under Admiral Villeneuve from the West Indies and back but couldn’t force a battle. Frustrated by his navy’s inability to overcome obstacles, Napoleon shifted focus to Austria, which had just declared war on France.
The French fleet, bolstered by the Spanish navy, now had 33 warships and was dispatched to attack Naples, diverting Austria’s attention from a direct assault on France. But Britain didn’t overlook the Franco-Spanish fleet. They resolved to chase Villeneuve and neutralize Napoleon’s navy.
However, the British fleet wasn’t the stronger force. Nelson’s fleet had only 27 warships, fewer than the Franco-Spanish alliance. To defeat them, Nelson knew he had to rely on coordination and trained skill among his commanders and sailors to execute his battle plan, rather than waiting for chance or wearing down the enemy.
Nelson agreed with his commanders that their plan would hinge on the British Navy’s superiority in close combat. This approach diverged entirely from typical naval tactics of the time. For the previous 150 years, naval battles were fought in long lines, with ships broadside to the enemy, shielding vulnerable bows and sterns.
Ships engaged in this formation, seeking weaknesses in the enemy line to break through and attack the bows and sterns of opposing vessels, inflicting damage and disrupting order, as maintaining formation was vital for communication.
In September, Villeneuve’s fleet retreated to Spain’s Cadiz port near Cape Trafalgar. Nelson’s fleet blockaded the port, ordering the British to pull back toward Portugal and monitor the Franco-Spanish fleet from a distance. When Nelson sent six ships for supplies, Villeneuve saw a chance to destroy the British fleet. Fortunately for Nelson, the ships returned, and five rejoined the formation before the battle began. The sixth, HMS Africa, lagged but still fought in Trafalgar.
The Battle of Trafalgar Begins
At 6 a.m. on October 21, the Franco-Spanish fleet was spotted off Cape Trafalgar. By 6:40 a.m., Admiral Nelson ordered an attack. The French fleet moved in a long line northward, while Nelson split his fleet into two columns, advancing at a 90-degree angle toward the enemy line.
He planned to weather the enemy’s barrage and cut the Franco-Spanish line at two points. This way, each British ship passing through could fire all its guns on both sides into the sterns and rears of enemy ships.
Breaking the line would split the Franco-Spanish fleet into three parts. The British could focus on the middle and rear sections, while the enemy vanguard would be isolated, unable to fire on targets. It would need to turn back, by which time the British would have dealt with the other two parts, leveraging superior numbers, initiative, and gunnery.
The first column was led by Admiral Nelson on his flagship HMS Victory, while the second was commanded by Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood on HMS Royal Sovereign.
At 11:45 a.m., Nelson signaled from his flagship: “England expects that every man will do his duty.” The fleet cheered enthusiastically. French Admiral Pierre-Charles-Jean-Baptiste-Silvestre de Villeneuve ordered an attack. At 11:50 a.m., the French opened fire. The Battle of Trafalgar had begun.
Per the plan, Nelson and Collingwood led their columns straight into the Franco-Spanish line, which was bunched and slowed by light winds. The British ships endured heavy fire without replying. In Collingwood’s column, HMS Belleisle was pounded by four French ships and heavily damaged—masts stripped, sails crippled, and guns silenced. Yet, it kept its flag flying for 45 minutes until Collingwood’s other ships arrived to assist.
In Nelson’s column, HMS Victory took severe damage, losing many crew members. Its rudder was shot away, forcing steering from below deck. Still, HMS Victory endured, and at 12:45 p.m., it cut the French line between Villeneuve’s flagship Bucentaure and Redoutable.
The advantage shifted to the British as they pierced the Franco-Spanish line. British ships could fire on both sides of enemy vessels. HMS Victory unleashed a devastating broadside into Bucentaure, then turned on Redoutable. The two ships clashed head-on in fierce fighting as crews battled. With infantry support, the French tried to board and seize HMS Victory. Victory’s gunners were called to deck to repel the boarders but were scattered by French grenades.
Just as HMS Victory seemed at risk of capture, HMS Temeraire charged Redoutable’s starboard side and opened fire, inflicting heavy French casualties. Redoutable surrendered, but the clash came at a steep cost to the British. A rifle shot from Redoutable’s tops struck Nelson between his shoulder and neck. “They’ve got me at last. I’m done!” he exclaimed before being carried below for the ship’s surgeons to tend.
With the Franco-Spanish fleet’s northern section unable to join the fight, the rest was outnumbered and outgunned. Each ship resisted feebly before being overwhelmed. One by one, French and Spanish ships surrendered, unable to fight on. All Franco-Spanish ships north of Nelson’s line saw no way to alter the battle’s course. After a weak stand, they fled Trafalgar for Gibraltar.
The battle was swift and decisive. The British captured 22 ships without losing one. Yet, below HMS Victory’s deck, Admiral Nelson faced his final moments. “Thank God, I have done my duty!” surgeon William Beatty heard him whisper. Nelson’s chaplain, Alexander Scott, stayed by the commander’s side until the end. Three hours after the rifle shot pierced his body, Admiral Nelson died.
His body was preserved in a brandy cask for return to England. Nelson wasn’t the only casualty at Trafalgar. 458 British sailors died, and 1,208 were wounded. The French and Spanish lost 4,395 dead and 2,541 injured.
Aftermath of Trafalgar
On the return journey, fierce storms battered the seas, while French ships threatened the British fleet towing its prizes. The British had to abandon some spoils to avoid combat. Yet, the damage to Napoleon’s invasion plans was done, and he abandoned the idea.
Though the French fleet partially recovered, Trafalgar ensured France avoided serious naval clashes with Britain thereafter. However, war raged on land for another decade as Napoleon’s armies wrought havoc.
In London, Admiral Nelson received a hero’s funeral. Trafalgar Square was named for the battle, with a column topped by Nelson’s statue erected at its center.
Conclusion
The Battle of Trafalgar altered the war’s course, thwarting Napoleon’s invasion ambitions. Despite heavy losses, Britain secured a decisive victory, deterring France from further naval challenges. Through this article, Thefactsofwar has vividly illustrated the battle’s historical significance and Nelson’s sacrifice—a symbol of triumph and courage.
Translated by: Minh Tuan
Source: thecollector.com – Battle of Trafalgar: How Admiral Nelson Saved Britain from Invasion
