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21st October, 1805 the combined strength of the Spanish and French Navy's faced the might of the English Navy commanded by Nelson.

	...culmination of many months of tedium.

This was to be the Battle of Trafalgar the culmination of many months of tedium for the English Navy which had been set the task of blockading Napoleon's expected invasion of England.

battle preperation

On this most important morning of English history Nelson did the final rounds of HMS Victory to give encouragement to the crew, a considerable number of whom were volunteers. Indeed 71 were foreigners, among them 22 Americans and three emigrant Frenchmen.

Nelson then returned to the upper deck and suggested one last signal to "amuse the fleet." It had to be put out in a hurry. The original signal was going to be the "England confides that every man will do his duty" but expects us substituted for confides because in the language of the flags expects was within the vocabulary but confines had to be spelt and would have taken to long.

PLAYERS, Life on Board a Man-O-War 1805-1905 [1905]

The enemy having arranged their ships in the traditional single line of attack was taken unawares by Nelson's departure from this tactic when the English fleet was split into two attacking groups.

This tactic worked superbly and by the time the battle was over in late afternoon some 20 French and Spanish ships had been destroyed or captured whilst not a single British vessel was lost.

a high price

This is not to say there were not British casualties, there were in fact, 1500 men wounded including Nelson.

At about 1.15 whilst pacing the quarter deck he had been hit through the shoulder by a bullet fired from the Redoubtable. "They have done for me at last" said Nelson "my backbone is shot through!"

	ON THIS DAY... Naval Gazing Dreadnoughts

His face covered by a handkerchief, so as not to alarm the men, he was taken below decks. There he lingered for some three hours in great pain but lived to hear the news, the battle had been won.