Battle of Trafalgar

Battle of Trafalgar

Part of: Third Coalition War

Gemälde der Schlacht von Trafalgar von William Turner
Painting of the Battle of Trafalgar by
William Turner

Third Coalition War (1805)

Cape Finisterre - Wertingen - Günzburg - Haslach-Jungingen - Elchingen - Ulm - Trafalgar - Caldiero - Ried - Lambach - Bodenbühl - Steyr - Amstetten - Mariazell - St. Pölten - Cape Ortegal - Dürnstein - Schöngrabern - Wischau (Vyškov) - Austerlitz

The Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805 was a naval battle at Cape Trafalgar between the British and the allied French and Spanish in the Third Coalition War. It marked the beginning of more than a century of British naval supremacy. It indirectly contributed to Napoleon's defeat on the European mainland.

In the course of the battle, the Royal Navy under Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson defeated the Franco-Spanish Armada under French Vice-Admiral Pierre de Villeneuve. The latter had been ordered by Napoleon to break out of the port of Cadiz, which had been blockaded by the British, in order to support a landing in southern Italy - Napoleon had already had to abandon the actually planned landing in England shortly before after a failed diversionary manoeuvre by Villeneuve. The Franco-Spanish fleet suffered a devastating defeat off Trafalgar: the British captured or destroyed 20 enemy ships, including the unique Santissima Trinidad, while they themselves did not lose a single ship. Nelson fell in battle, but his victory definitively thwarted Napoleon's plans for an invasion of the British Isles.

The Battle of Trafalgar by Clarkson StanfieldZoom
The Battle of Trafalgar by Clarkson Stanfield

Strategic background

Crucial to Napoleon's original plan to invade Britain was his fleet, which had to cover the landing of his army by eliminating or at least distracting the Royal Navy. After Villeneuve had joined his fleet at Toulon with the allied Spanish fleet at Cadiz, he was to sail to the West Indies to attack British possessions there and reinforce French forces in Martinique, for which an additional 12,000 troops were embarked. This was to draw part of the Royal Navy away from European waters. The plan was then to have the combined fleet turn and sail to Brest to rendezvous with the French Atlantic Fleet. With this force, Napoleon then intended to gain naval supremacy in the Channel to secure the planned invasion of Britain.

The British tried to prevent this by blockading the ports of Brest and Toulon. However, on 30 March 1805, the French fleet was able to leave Toulon unnoticed, as the British ships were prevented from effectively blockading by adverse winds. Subsequently, the French ships managed to rendezvous with the Spanish fleet off the Spanish coast and cross the Atlantic. The British Mediterranean fleet under Nelson took up the pursuit but was unable to engage the enemy. Villeneuve, however, did not take advantage of his naval supremacy in the Caribbean, but remained almost inactive. He even refrained from discharging the 12,000 troops. His fleet then consisted of 19 ships of the line and several frigates, while Nelson pursued him across the Atlantic with only nine ships of the line and two frigates.

When the latter arrived in Barbados, Villeneuve, despite his overwhelming superiority, did not seek a decision, but left the Caribbean waters in flight for Europe. The British Admiralty, however, divined Napoleon's plan and ordered Vice-Admiral Robert Calder to sail with his ships to meet the enemy. This fleet succeeded in bringing the numerically superior enemy force to battle off Cape Finisterre on July 22, 1805. The British captured two Spanish ships before the battle was broken off due to poor visibility.

Villeneuve then managed to reinforce his forces with another ten Napoleonic ships of the line, which Calder had previously blockaded at Ferrol. However, disobeying Napoleon's orders, he did not sail on to Brest to engage the Channel Fleet in battle, but sought refuge at Cadiz on 20 August. Allegedly, Villeneuve was given false information about a superior British fleet in the Bay of Biscay, so he disobeyed orders and returned to Cadiz. Thus the French strategic advantage was lost, for now the Royal Navy immediately blockaded Cadiz harbour: initially, however, only with Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood's vastly inferior forces, which were reinforced by Calder's ships on 30 August. Nelson himself initially returned to England, only joining the blockading fleet on 29 September with a further three ships of the line and assuming overall command. Nevertheless, the British were narrowly outnumbered by the enemy.

Comparison of the fleets

British ships

Cannons

Type

French ships

Cannons

Type

Spanish ships

Cannons

Type

Victory

104

Triplane

Bucentaure

80

Biplane

Santissima Trinidad

136

Four decker

Royal Sovereign

100

Triplane

Formidable

80

Biplane

Santa Ana

112

Triplane

Britannia

100

Triplane

Indomptable

80

Biplane

Principe de Asturias

112

Triplane

Dreadnought

98

Triplane

Neptune

80

Biplane

Rayo

100

Triplane

Neptune

98

Triplane

Achille

74

Biplane

Neptuno

80

Biplane

Prince

98

Triplane

L'Aigle

74

Biplane

Argonauta

80

Biplane

Temeraire

98

Triplane

Algesiras

74

Biplane

Bahama

74

Biplane

Tonnant

80

Biplane

Argonaute

74

Biplane

Monarca

74

Biplane

Achille

74

Biplane

Duguay-Trouin

74

Biplane

Montañes

74

Biplane

Ajax

74

Biplane

Fougueux

74

Biplane

San Agustin

74

Biplane

Bellerophon

74

Biplane

Héros

74

Biplane

San Francisco de Asis

74

Biplane

Colossus

74

Biplane

Intrépid

74

Biplane

San Ildefonso

74

Biplane

Conqueror

74

Biplane

Mont Blanc

74

Biplane

San Juan Nepomuceno

74

Biplane

Defence

74

Biplane

Pluton

74

Biplane

San Justo

74

Biplane

Defiance

74

Biplane

Redoutable

74

Biplane

San Leandro

64

Biplane

Leviathan

74

Biplane

Scipion

74

Biplane

Mars

74

Biplane

Berwick

74

Biplane

Minotaur

74

Biplane

Swiftsure

74

Biplane

Orion

74

Biplane

Cornelie

40

Frigate

Revenge

74

Biplane

Hermione

40

Frigate

Swiftsure

74

Biplane

Hortense

40

Frigate

Thunderer

74

Biplane

Rhin (ship)

40

Frigate

Belleisle

74

Biplane

Themis

40

Frigate

Spartiate

74

Biplane

Furet (ship)

18

Sloop

Africa

64

Biplane

Argus

10

Sloop

Agamemnon

64

Biplane

Polyphemus

64

Biplane

Euryalus

36

Frigate

Naiad

36

Frigate

Phoebe

36

Frigate

Sirius

36

Frigate

Pickle

10

Sloop

Entreprenante

10

Sloop

Totals

Four decker

-

Four decker

-

Four decker

1

Triplane

7

Triplane

-

Triplane

3

Biplane

20

Biplane

18

Biplane

11

Frigates

4 Notes.

Frigates

5 Notes.

Frigates

-

Sloops

2 Notes.

Sloops

2 Notes.

Sloops

-

Cannons:

2312

Cannons:

1584

Cannons:

1280

Note Frigates and sloops are not included in the ship numbers given in the article due to their low combat power.

Questions and Answers

Q: When was the Battle of Trafalgar fought?



A: The Battle of Trafalgar was fought on 21 October 1805.

Q: Which countries participated in the Battle of Trafalgar?



A: The navies of France and Spain participated on one side, while Great Britain fought on the other.

Q: Where did the Battle of Trafalgar take place?



A: The Battle of Trafalgar took place near Cape Trafalgar, which is in southwest Spain.

Q: Who emerged victorious in the Battle of Trafalgar?



A: The British forces emerged victorious in the Battle of Trafalgar.

Q: What was the significance of the British victory in the Battle of Trafalgar?



A: The British victory in the Battle of Trafalgar allowed Britain to become the world's largest sea power for 100 years.

Q: Was the Battle of Trafalgar an important sea battle?



A: Yes, the Battle of Trafalgar was the most important sea battle of the 19th century.

Q: Did the Battle of Trafalgar have any lasting impact?



A: Yes, the Battle of Trafalgar had a lasting impact on global naval power dynamics and the history of Europe.

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