What was battle of trafalgar

On 29 September Nelson arrived in his flagship, Victory , to take command. Villeneuve, 20 days later, was ordered by Napoleon to leave Cadiz and threatened by the loss of his command, finally put to sea but hoped to avoid a battle. The British lost no ships but took 20 from the French and Spanish. Nelson was mortally wounded by a shot from the French ship Redoubtable but British naval supremacy was secured for the remainder of the 19th century.

View all reference entries ». View all related items in Oxford Reference ». Search for: 'Battle of Trafalgar' in Oxford Reference ». All Rights Reserved. Their approach depended on a calculated risk that British naval gunnery was vastly superior to that of the enemy, and ensured that a close-range, decisive battle would be fought.

Discover what happened during the battle and in the aftermath. Entry to the National Maritime Museum is free, open daily from 10am. Find out more. Visit Us. Search Want to search our collection? The Battle of Trafalgar, as seen from the starboard mizzen shrouds of the Victory by J. Normally opposing fleets would form two lines and engage in a clash of broadsides until one fleet withdrew.

Instead, Nelson split his fleet in two, placing half of it under the command of his deputy, Admiral Collingwood, and sailed straight at the French and Spanish lines, aiming to cleave them in half, and avoid engaging the numerically superior fleet in a battle of attrition.

It had guns, and was constructed from 6, oaks and elms. It required 26 miles of rope and rigging for the three masts, and was crewed by men. As the ship engaged the Spanish Santa Anna , Collingwood supposedly remained composed, eating an apple and pacing about. Translated and edited by Constance Eastwick. Oxford: Clarendon Press, An invaluable source for primary French material, including transcriptions of all the dispatches of the French and Spanish admirals and captains.

Jackson, T. Sturges, ed. Logs of the Great Sea Fights, — London: Navy Records Society, For Trafalgar, see vol. Knight, Roger. New York: Penguin, By far the best of all the many new biographies of Nelson; includes an excellent section on the campaign and battle, with excellent illustrations and plans. Mackenzie, R. London: George Allen, London: Chatham, A complete list, with biographical details, of all the officers on the British side, together with biographies of all the British ships.

Paris: Tallandier, The latest and most comprehensive French account of the battle. Nicolson, Adam. London: HarperCollins, A study of the battle from the point of view of a cultural historian, placing the conflict in its contemporary social context. Warwick, Peter, ed. Voices from the Battle of Trafalgar.

London: David and Charles, A vivid account of the battle itself, made up almost entirely of accounts by participants. White, Colin.