Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson

The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy.

On 20 October 1805 off the south-west coast of Spain, just west of Cape Trafalgar, the combined French and Spanish fleet under Villeneuve's command numbered 33 ships of the line and was sighted making its way out of harbour by patrolling British frigates. Nelson was informed that they appeared to be headed to the west.

At four o'clock in the morning of 21 October, Nelson ordered the Victory to turn towards the approaching enemy fleet, and signalled the rest of his force to battle stations. Despite having 27 ships to Villeneuve's 33, Nelson was confident of success.

He retired briefly to his cabin to write a final prayer, after which he joined Victory's signal lieutenant, John Pasco. "Mr Pasco, I wish to say to the fleet, 'England expects that every man will do his duty' ", the signal was hoisted.

Nelson departed from the prevailing naval tactical orthodoxy of engaging the enemy in a single line of battle parallel to its fleet, instead he divided his smaller force into two columns directed perpendicularly against the larger enemy fleet, with decisive results.

As the fleets converged, the Victory's captain, Thomas Hardy suggested that Nelson remove the decorations on his coat, so as not to be so easily identified by enemy sharpshooters. Nelson declined adding that they were 'military orders and he did not fear to show them to the enemy'. Nelson also turned down Hardy's suggestion to let Eliab Harvey's HMS Temeraire come ahead of the Victory and lead the line into battle.

As battle was joined, Victory came under fire, shots initially passing harmlessly wide, but then with greater accuracy as the distances decreased. A cannon ball struck Nelson's secretary, John Scott, nearly cutting him in two. Hardy's clerk took over, but he too was immediately killed. Decking and parts of rigging flew through the air and Victory's wheel disintergrated, another cannon ball cut down eight marines. Hardy, standing next to Nelson on the quarterdeck, heard him observe 'this is too warm work to last long'.

The Victory by now reached the enemy line, and Hardy asked Nelson which ship to engage first. Nelson allowed him to take his pick, and Hardy moved Victory across the stern of the 80-gun French flagship Bucentaure. Almost immediately Victory came under fire from the 74-gun Redoutable, lying off the Bucentaure's stern, and also the 130-gun Santísima Trinidad. Snipers from the enemy ships rigging fired onto Victory's deck.

Nelson and Hardy continued to walk about, directing and giving orders, seemingly oblivious to the maelstrom about them.
Whithin a short while around one o'clock, Hardy realised that Nelson was no longer by his side. Turning, he saw Nelson kneeling on the deck, supporting himself with his hand, before slowly falling onto his side. Hardy rushed to his side at which point Nelson smiled through the shock and pain uttering 'Hardy, I do believe they have done it at last... my backbone is shot through'.

A marksman from the Redoutables rigging, firing at a range of 50 feet had shot Nelson, the bullet entering his left shoulder, piercing his lung, and coming to rest at the base of his spine.

Admist a battle that was to prove the most decisive British naval victory of the war, Nelson was carried below by marines and seamen where he finally died of his wounds after three hours.

Twenty-seven British ships of the line led by Vice Admiral Lord Nelson aboard HMS Victory, defeated the combined ships of the line of Spain and France. The victory spectacularly confirmed the naval supremacy that Britain had established during the past century and was achieved in part through Nelson's departure from orthodox naval tactics.

The Franco-Spanish fleet lost twenty-two ships, without a single British vessel being lost.

Not knowing whether to mourn or rejoice, the country had gained the most splendid and decisive Victory that had ever graced the naval annals of England; but it had been dearly purchased.

On 9 January 1908, a funeral procession consisting of 32 admirals, over a hundred captains, and an escort of 10,000 troops, took the coffin from the Admiralty to St. Paul's Cathedral. After a four-hour service Nelson was laid to rest within a sarcophagus originally carved for Cardinal Wolsey.

Nelson's fame reached new heights after his death, and he came to be regarded as one of Britain's greatest military heroes, alongside the Duke of Marlborough and the Duke of Wellington.

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The Battle Of Trafalgar ~ Vintage Fine Art Collage




England Expects ~ Vintage Fine Art Canvas Print




Horatio Nelson ~ Vintage Fine Art Print


Lord Horatio Nelson ~ Fine Art Print


Rear Admiral ~ Sir Horatio Nelson ~ Fine Art Print


Rear-Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson ~ Vintage Fine Art Canvas Print


Nelson's Flagship ~ 'Victory' ~ Fine Art Print

Taking a highly original, thematic approach to the study of Horatio Lord Nelson, this book analyzes the admiral's unique war-fighting style. Doctrine, tactics, and operational art are part of the analysis, as are Nelson's command and leadership abilities and his attitudes and beliefs. But the book's focus is on how all these elements combined to form the man whose infectious ethos spread through his entire force. It shows that Nelson's creative genius, excitable and intense personality, dramatic visage, and fervor for all things martial not only inspired courage and loyalty but so dazzled and enflamed the hearts and minds of his men that he reached near cult status in his lifetime.
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Organized chronologically by topic, Seize, Burn, or Sink contains over 3,000 quotations from Sir Horatio Nelson. Moreover, the addition of a chronology of Lord Nelson's life, a bibliography, and maps and photos further enhance the usefulness of Sir Horatio's quotes.
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6 " LONG X 2 1/2 " WIDE This item does not violate US Customs or US Fish and Game Marine Mammal Wildlife Laws. It is a high quality reproduction made of polymer composites. No animal was harmed in the manufacturing of this replica scrimshaw. MUSEUM QUALITY REPRODUCTION OF WHALE TOOTH "HMS VICTORY" SAILING SHIP MOTIF REVERSE HORATIO NELSON NEAT ITEM BRAND NEW- NEVER DISPLAYED .
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To mark the bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar, fought in October 1805, comes The Trafalgar Companion, a lavishly illustrated volume that surpasses, in both scale and authority, anything ever published on this historic naval battle.
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