As the Victory approached the French line, Nelson ordered a series of feints
towards the head of the line as if to cut off the retreat to Cadiz before tacking
towards the center as the Allied lines revealed their colours at 11.45, sailing
parallel to the enemy but in the opposite direction. His plan was to disguise
the point of attack until the last moment so that the enemy would keep his formation
as long as possible. This, however, also caused disorder in his column as they
attempted to follow. At 12.40, Victory came within range of the leading
enemy ships but pressed on towards the center. Bucentaure fired the first
effective salvos at 12.15 as Victory closed and it is estimated that Victory
may have had as many as 50 casualties by the time she reached the French line.1.
Nelson's original intention was to pass between Bucentaure (Villeneuve)
and the Santissima Trinidad but Bucentaure closed the gap forcing
him to pass astern. The following ship, Redoubtable attempted to close
the gap but Victory barged through anyway. As she passed astern of Bucentaure,
she fired the port 68 pounder cannonades and gun by gun as they came to bare,
ripping out the insides of the ship. Fired on by Bucentaure, Neptune and
Redoubtable from the starboard, Victory turned hard a port and crashed
into Redoubtable at 1.10, locking yardarms.
Despite Vileneuve's pre-battle instructions that "any captain who is not under
fire is not at his post", Admiral Dumunoir, commanding the van, led the 10 ships
at the head of the line on their original course, leaving the British with a numerical
superiority of 27:23.
Source: Schom A. Trafalgar: Countdown to Battle
1803-1805, Michael Joseph Ltd., London, 1990, p.326
The commander of Redoubtable, having recognized the British superiority
in shiphandling and gunnery had trained his crew at sharpshooting and boarding.
Ordering his sharpshooters into the rigging, he prepared to board. Victory
continued to pound Redoubtable which had closed its gun ports to prevent
boarding by Victory. So effective was murderous fire of the French sharpshooters
that Nelson ordered the 12-pounder crews on the quarterdeck and the marines below
in order to save life. It was about 1.25 when a sharpshooter shot Nelson through
the spine. As Redoubtable attempted to board, a short sharp fight developed
with 19 killed and 22 wounded.
Help came as Temeraire pulled out of Victory's wake, passing astern
of Redoubtable and between Victory and Neptune (Fr), firing
into both French ships, but was raked by San Justo from astern and San
Leandro from starboard. Using the starboard batteries to engage San Justo
and the port batteries on Redoubtable, she was heavily battered. As Victory
and Redoubtable battered each other, the heavy swell slowly took Redoubtable
into Temeraire and they locked together. Together, the two British ships,
with three times the firepower of the French ship, proceeded to pummel Redoubtable
into submission, who finally surrendered to Victory with 487 killed and
81 wounded out of a crew of 643.
As Redoubtable surrendered, Fougueux, who had just left a skirmish
with Belleisle ranged up and raked Temeraire with a broadside. As
Temeraire had lost both of her flags in the battle, the French ship mistakenly
believed that she had struck colours and approached to board. When she had closed
to within 100 yards, Temeraire unleashed a series of devastating broadsides,
wrecking the French ship, before boarding. In only 10 minutes, Fougueux
surrendered. Victory managed to break free of Redoubtable, leaving
Temeraire with a captured ship lashed to each side in her charge. Neptune
(Fr) continued to fire into Temeraire and her prizes until threatened
by Leviathan.
At around 1.45, Neptune (Br), followed by Leviathan and Conqueror,
each passed astern of Bucentaure, raking her stern as they passed, taking
away her masts. Neptune (Br) moved up alongside Santissima Trinidad
and engaged, helped by Leviathan. Conqueror, engaged Bucentaure,
who also fired on by Victory and Leviathan, eventually surrendered
to the Conqueror at around 4.15.
Leviathan, leaving Neptune (Br) to deal with Santissima Trinidad,
headed for Neptune (Fr) who fled. Without a prize for the day, she closed
on the van and engaged San Augustin returning to the battle at 3.00. When
within 100 yards, the Spaniard turned hard to starboard to rake her but Leviathan
beat her turning to port and raking her starboard side. Fearful that the Spaniard
with full maneuverability would escape, Leviathan ran aboard her, laid
down heavy fire and captured the Spanish ship. Having just secured her capture,
Leviathan was raked by Intrepide, returning from the van. They exchanged
broadsides before Intrepide turned to meet the fast approaching Africa.
Source: Schom A. Trafalgar: Countdown to Battle
1803-1805, Michael Joseph Ltd., London, 1990, p.336
Africa, having fallen out of position during the night, had hastened to
the battle. When finally in position, believing Santissima Trinidad had
struck her colours, she had sent Lieutenant John Smith aboard to receive her surrender.
On boarding, he was informed that the Spanish ship had not surrendered and according
to the custom of the time, the Spanish commander allowed him to return to his
own ship. In the 3/4 hour battle with Intrepide, she was crippled and only
avoided capture as Orion raked Intrepide's bow and came between
them. In the battle that followed, Intrepide fought valiantly, finally
surrendering dismasted and surrounded by six English ships at 5.00. Meanwhile,
Santissima Trinidad, unable to fight and out of control, eventually surrendered
to Prince.
Admiral Dumanoir eventually responded to Villeneuve's frantic signals, which he
had ignored for over two hours, and turned his division back at around 2.00pm.
The only way for him to envelop the rear of the British column would be to tack
into the wind. Instead he chose the easier option of wearing with the wind. As
the wind dropped, they were forced to lower their boats to drag the ships around.
Of the ships in the van, Scipion, Formidable, Duguay-Trouin and Mont-Blank
turned and remained in good order under Dumanoir's command, San Francisco de
Asis and Rayo ignored Dumanoir and continued on towards Cadiz while
only Intrepide, San Augustin and Neptuno had headed for the thick
of the battle.
Ajax and Agamemnon at the rear of the English column place themselves
between the embattled Intrepide and Dumanoir's column to block any attempt
at rescue. Meanwhile Britannia, who had managed to stay out of any great
danger for the entire battle, fired on the rapidly departing San Francisco
de Asis and Rayo from long range.
Leaving Orion in possession of Intrepide, Minotaur and Spartiate
gave chase to and caught Neptuno, ranging up on either side. For the next
hour, they blasted the Spaniard until she surrendered at 5.10. Out of control,
she eventually drifted into Temeraire, still lashed to two enemy ships.
Dumanoir and his four ships sailed between the beaten Intrepide and the
besieged Neptuno making no effort to come to the aid of either. He was
challenged by Ajax and Agamemnon and was hit by several broadsides
but declined the honor of battle. They continued to sail on out of harms way into
the Atlantic.
1.Schom A. Trafalgar:
Countdown to Battle 1803-1805, Michael Joseph Ltd., London, 1990, p.325
