Quote:
Originally Posted by andy97
Yes, Grant. Convention of the time had it that opposing naval forces would maneuver in two parallel lines alongside each other and slug it out with broadsides.
Nelson was outnumbered 27 to 33 ships i think, so drove at the French/Spanish in two columns at right angles to the enemy and split them in to 3 groups.
He then maneuvered such that his 2 groups could disable the smaller enemy groups before getting ships alongside each other and boarding for hand to hand fighting (wooden ships actually being quite difficult to sink). It was brutal.
The “hospital deck” on Victory has the deck painted in red so as sailors didnt recognise how much blood there actually was!!
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This manoeuvre meant that the ships in the van (front) of the British columns would suffer the combined fire power of the entire French/Spanish fleet as they approached, and unable to bring their own guns to bear. Nelson lead the column that headed for the centre of the French line, leading by example.
Not only was this tactic unconventional, but in order to ensure that every Captain was free to act as he thought fit, and not worry about 'rules' he issued the following edict;
"No captain can do very wrong if he places his ship alongside that of the enemy."
The combined French/Spanish fleet lost 22 ships, while Nelson suffer none.
He also once held his telescope to his blind eye, and announced; "I see no signals."