Back to Trafalgar Day

Nelson's unorthodox head-on attack at the Battle of Trafalgar produced a mêlée that destroyed the Franco-Spanish fleet

Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson (1758-1805)

Other than what you will have seen in the media regarding today's date, for 210 years, 21st October has always been an auspicious date in the British calendar, especially for the Royal Navy. With Napoleon Bonaparte's army encamped across the channel at Boulogne, all that was required for a successful invasion of the British Isles in October 1805 was the protection of the invasion ships and barges by the Franco-Spanish Combined Fleet at anchor in Cadiz harbour. Unfortunately, for the "Bogeyman", waiting for the Spanish and French ships in the open sea, and blockading them in the harbour, was the Royal Navy fleet commanded by Lord Horatio Nelson.

Stung into action by the impending demotion the French emperor was going to inflict on him, the commander of the Combined Fleet, Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve ordered the French and Spanish ships to sea on 19th October 1805. On the morning of the 21st October, both fleets were in sight of one another and 27 Royal Navy ships readied to do battle with 33 ships of the Combined Fleet.

HMS Victory

The battle that followed not only saw the destruction of the French and Spanish Navies, but also ensured that the name of Horatio Nelson would go down in British folklore. Already a national hero at the time of the battle, Nelson's death at the moment of triumph on the poop deck of the British flagship, HMS Victory, would ensure that his name would be legend for ever more.


To appreciate the lives of the sailors on board the great ship of the line during the time of the battle and which that has place of honour in Portsmouth harbour today, why not purchase a copy of my book Cromarty Biggs, Powder Monkey in hardback or ebook form? Available from Amazon for Kindle or in hardback from FeedARead.com, the story concerns the adventures of two teenage boys from modern day England time travelling back to 1805 on board HMS Victory and follows their lives as they are pressed into the service of the Georgian Royal Navy.

For Kindle:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cromarty-Powder-Monkey-Stuart-Rivers-ebook/dp/B00AUYYU9S











From FeedARead in hardback:
http://www.feedaread.com/books/Cromarty-Biggs-Powder-Monkey-9781782996163.aspx