Trafalgar, Britain’s Greatest Naval Victory?

In 1805 the combined fleets of the British and French navies met in what was destined to be one of the most influential naval battles in history. The success of the British ships commanded by Admiral Lord Nelson was so complete that it confirmed the preeminence of the British navy over all others, and solidified the supremacy of the British navy as the paramount naval force in the world. Britain held this position until the ascension of the American Navy in World War Two.

Trafalgar was magnificent not only for the magnitude of its significance, but also in relation to the amount of ships involved. The British fleet was composed of twenty-seven ships of the line, the French flotilla numbered thirty-three (including numerous allied Spanish ships). The French ships were commanded by Admiral Pierre Villeneuve. At the end of the battle, it was clear the French had been massacred by the British. The combined French and Spanish fleet lost twenty-two ships, the British didn’t lose any.

One of the main reasons for the success of the British was the superiority of their tactics over that of the French. The French had more ships and they were heavier armed than the British. The French suffered from a distinct lack of tactical ability however, and this led directly to their demise. The French placed their ships in a single line of battle, assuming that the British would do the same. This was a standard formation utilized by most navies at the time. The two sides would then be in position to fire volleys into one another until one side decided to sail away. The single line formation allowed for ease of retreat because the line would not need to be broken in sailing away. Admiral Nelson decided that facing superior odds and with a strong desire to achieve a decisive victory, he would stray from the commonplace method of combat and chose rather to form his ships into two columns perpendicular to the formation of the French. Nelson then decided to drive his fleet directly into the middle of the French fleet, thereby forming a wedge that would force the French ships to disperse. It was a gamble on Nelson’s part because the British fleet would be subject to harrying fire from the French navy until it was able to strike their line, but once it made its way to the French ships, the French would be equally unprotected against the broadsides of the British ships.

Nelson’s decision was met with unparalleled success. Unfortunately however, Nelson’s brilliance could not save him from being mortally wounded during the battle. Despite his death, Nelson has always remained one of, if not the greatest British naval war hero. The French Admiral was captured at the battle, and the Spanish Admiral died a few months later from wounds he suffered during the struggle.

As a result of Nelson’s victory, the British Royal navy validated its position as the supreme naval power for the rest of the age of sail. Napoleon had already rejected the idea of an invasion of England, but the possibility of it resurfacing if the French had succeeded in destroying the British navy was very legitimate. One must wonder if history would have played out differently had Nelson’s gamble not paid off and the British lost the battle. If Villeneuve had been successful, would Napoleon have unleashed the Grand Armee upon the British instead of the Russians? Does Trafalgar have a legitimate claim to be placed amongst the greatest of British military successes?