It was on the twenty-first of October, 1805, that the combined squadrons of France and Spain on the one side, and the fleet of Great Britain on the other, came face to face off the Cape of Trafalgar.  The rocks of Gibraltar might be seen in the distance.  The sea was calm and the sky clear.  The combatants discerned in advance the greatness of the event that was at hand.

The conflict that ensued ranks among the great naval battles of the world.  Lord Nelson, with all his heroism, was a vain man, capable of spectacular display.  He clad himself in the insignia of the many orders to which he belonged, and might be conspicuously seen from the decks of the French ships.  In fact, he seemed to court death almost as much as he strove for victory.  In the beginning of the engagement he displayed from his pennon, where it might be read by the whole fleet, this signal:  “England expects every man to do his duty.”

On the display of this signal the British fleet rang with cheers.  The shouting was heard as far as the opposing Armada.  The tradition goes that Villeneuve said on hearing the shouts of the British marines:  “The battle it lost already.”  The admirals of the allied fleet arranged their vessels in parallel lines, so that each ship of the rear line should break the space between two of the advanced line.  This arrangement enabled all the ships to fire at once, and it was the purpose of Villeneuve to hold his vessels in this form so that the British squadron might gain no advantage from manoeuvring.

Nelson’s arrangement, however, was quite different.  His plan was to attack at two points and break through the Armada, throwing the ships into confusion right and left.  This brought his own vessels into the arrangement of two harrows, each pointing the apex against the designated vessels of the opposing squadron.  One of the harrows was to be led by Collingwood in his ship called the “Royal Sovereign.”  Nelson led his column in his flagship the “Victory.”  The preliminaries of the battle extended to noon, and then the British attack was begun by Collingwood, who bore down on the two opposing vessels, the “Santa Anna” and the “Fougeux.”  Nelson also sailed to the attack in the “Victory” and broke through the enemy’s line between the “Redoubtable” and the “Santissima Trinidad.”  The “Victory” in passing poured terrible broad-sides into both vessels.

It seems that both the British admirals in going into battle outsailed somewhat their supporting ships; but these soon came into action and the battle line of the allied fleet was fatally broken at both points.  All the vessels were soon engaged, and the rear line of Villeneuve gave way as well as the first.  Nevertheless, the battle continued furiously for about two hours.  The “Santissima Trinidad” was at that time the largest warship and the most formidable that had ever been built.  The “Redoubtable” was only second in strength and equipment.  Five or six others were men-of-war of the heaviest draught and metal.  The French and Spanish soldiers fought bravely, going into the battle with flying streamers and answering shouts.