Collingwood's original intention
was to break the line 12 ships from the rear but he found himself heading for
the 18th and 19th in line, the Santa Ana and Fougueux. The first
shots were fired a little before 12.00 at Collingwood's Royal Sovereign
by the French ship Fougueux, closely followed by the Santa Ana, Monarca,
Pluton and Indompable. The Royal Sovereign, fresh out of the
dockyards, had broken away ahead of the others in his division by about 3/4 of
a mile, causing Nelson to comment, "See how that noble fellow Collingwood carries
his ship into action."
Fougueux put on extra sail to get ahead and Santa Ana slowed in
order to close the gap for which the Royal Sovereign was heading but were
too late. Royal Sovereign stormed through the gap, raking Santa Ana's
stern and came along side her. She soon found herself surrounded, however, as
Fougueux, Monarca, and Indompable came up to the leeward of the
Royal Sovereign firing at and demasting her.
Belleisle, the second of Collingwood's column, broke through behind Fougueux
having received heavy fire. Firing into Fougueux's stern, Belleisle
engaged Indompable and San Juan Nepomuceno, losing her main topmast
at 12.45. At around 1.00, Fougueux approached from the starboard. Half
an hour later, Achille (Fr) moved across her stern while Aigle, San
Leandro and San Justo appeared off her bows. To make matters worse,
for Belleisle, the powerful Principe de Asturias passed her bows
firing a salvo while Neptune (Fr) also moved to engage. Surrounded and
blasted by five enemy ships, Belleisle somehow managed to hand on until
3.15 when Polythemus came between her and Neptune (Fr), drawing
fire. At 3.20, Defiance engaged Aigle and a few minutes later, Swiftsure
(Br) attacked Achille (Fr). With no masts from which to hang a flag,
the desperate but unbeaten crew of Belleisle proudly waved their colours
from a pike, drawing cheers from the British ships coming to her aid. On seeing
Argonauta strike, Belleisle's Captain Hardwood even managed to send
a boarding party to claim the surrender.
Source: Schom A. Trafalgar: Countdown to Battle
1803-1805, Michael Joseph Ltd., London, 1990, p.341
Mars followed and attacked Pluton but was outmaneuvered and raked
through the stern. Fired on by San Juan Nepomuceno, Monarca, Pluton and
Algesiras, she lost way to avoid hitting Santa Ana and was raked
by Monarca and Algesiras. Breaking through between Pluton
and Monarca, Tonnant came to the rescue. Fougueux moved away in
the direction of Temeraire while Pluton, about to board Mars,
broke off action when threatened from astern, moving away from the battle towards
Principe de Asturias.
Tonnant headed straight for Algesiras, firing a broadside before
coming alongside Monarca, forcing her temporary surrender. At Algesiras
attacked, Tonnant ran aboard her while Monarca raised her colours
again unnoticed in the background. Admiral Charles Magon aboard Algesiras
attempted to board but a well-timed shot from a cannonade filled with grapeshot
decimated his boarding party. Its one survivor was captured when he attempted
to board. The battle continued for an hour with Tonnant's starboard guns
engaging Algesiras, port guns Pluton and the forwardmost guns aimed
at San Juan Nepomuceno. The nearly as damaged Tonnant finally beat
Algesiras into submission at around 2.30. San Juan Nepomuceno surrendered
at 2.45 but the boat sent to accept her surrender was swamped and Tonnant,
without another, was unable to secure her surrender. Defiance eventually
accepted the surrender 1 1/4 hours later.
Bellerophon passed astern of Monarca as she rehoisted her colours,
moving to the lee side where Aigle engaged her at 12.50. As Monarca
and Montanes closed, Bahama laid down heavy fire and Swift-Sure
(Fr) engaged from starboard. In 10 minutes, Bellerophon had lost her
main and mizzen topmasts and the mainsail had burst into flames. Montanes
fell astern while Bahama received a devastating broadside from Colossus
who was entering action. Swift-Sure (Fr), moved off to engage her. At 1.45,
Aigle dropped astern and was raked by Bellerophon and Revenge.
Bellerophon fired her few remaining guns at Monarca who surrendered.
Colossus fired a broadside into Swift-Sure (Fr) and at 1.00 loomed
up out of the smoke next to Argonaute and fouled. For the next 10 minutes
they pounded each other until the force of their firing pushed them apart. Argonaute
steered away and after a brief skirmish with Revenge, steered for Cadiz.
Engaging both Swift-Sure (Fr) and Bahama, she forced Bahama's
surrender at around 3.00 as Swift-Sure (Fr) fell astern. Swift-Sure
(Fr), still unbeaten, went to Bahama's aid but was raked by Colossus
and when Orion took away her mainmast, she surrendered at 3.30.
Achilles (Br), coming to Bellerophon's aid, challenged Montanes
who steered away before coming upon Argonaute with whom she traded broadsides
for an hour. About to board and take possession, Achille (Fr) came up to
port and Berwick to starboard separating her from Argonaute. Achille
(Fr) continued on towards Bellerophon while Achilles (Br) and
Berwick fought on for an hour before Berwick surrendered.
At around 2.00, Dreadnought entered action with the badly mauled San
Juan Nepomuceno whose surrender was given 1/4 hour later. As she prepared
to accept surrender, Dreadnought set off in chase of Principe de Asturias
who was attempting to leave the battle, leaving the astonished San Juan Nepomuceno
to surrender to Defiance. While Dreadnought and Principe de Asturias
exchanged some fire, Dreadnought was too slow through the water and her
quarry escaped.
Defense had fought Berwick for half an hour before it broke off
action at around 3.00. Looking for another opponent, she came upon San Ildefonso
with whom she battled for an hour before the Spaniard's surrender on the approach
of Polythemus.
Defiance, following Defense was badly mauled by Principe de Asturias
and was unable to give chase. Coming upon the battered Aigle and meeting
no resistance, she boarded with marines that hoisted the British flag but came
under heavy musket fire. As the boarding party scrambled back on board, Defiance
moved away to a range of about 50 yards, and blasted Aigle for 25 minutes
before reboarding and securing the surrender. Later, she came upon the drifting
San Juan Nepomuceno who had been abandoned by Dreadnought and secured
her surrender also.
At around 3.30, Swiftsure (Br) engaged Achille (Fr) who had been
firing on Belleisle. Polythemus, who had been firing on Neptune
(Fr) engaged on the other side. By this stage 11 of the 19 ships in the second
half of the allied line had surrendered and seven had fled. Achille (Fr)
ceased resistance as she caught fire and was fired on by Prince who also
ceased firing when she realized what had happened. The British ships sent their
boats to rescue as many of the crew as possible, rescuing about 100 from the flames.
When the fire reached the magazine, Achille (Fr) blew up at around 5.45
marking the end of the battle.
