In 1805 Napoleon decided to attack the Royal Navy itself as a preparatory move in an invasion of Britain. He amassed an impressive fleet: 33 ships with a total of 2,640 guns. The vessels were, however, undermanned, and the crews poorly fed, poorly trained,and poorly led. The Royal Navy, on the other hand, was led by a highly professional officer corps who punished the slightest act of disobedience among the crew with brutal corporal justice. The cat-o'-nine-tails, a nine-tailed; whip studded with knots, was a favorite flogging tool. The crews were generally well fed and displayed a spirit of professionalism similar to that of their officers, even though some of them shared criminal backgrounds. The Franco-Spanish Navy aggressively, sought the Royal Navy for battle by sailing to the British naval base at Gibraltar. At first sight of the Royal Navy the Franco-Spanish...