The Battle of Trafalgar saw the British decisively defeat a combined French and
Spanish fleet on 21st October 1805 in the most significant naval battle of the Napoleonic wars. A Royal Navy
Fleet of 27 ships of the line destroyed an allied French and Spanish fleet of 33 ships of the line
west of Cape Trafalgar in south-west Spain. The French and Spanish lost 22 ships, while the British lost none. The British
commander Admiral Lord Nelson died late in the battle, by which time he had ensured his place as Britain's greatest naval
hero. Indeed he came in the top 5 of the Greatest Britons on the BBC TV Series.
It was part of the War of the 3rd coalition and
a pivotal naval battle of the 19th Century. The British victory spectacularly confirmed the naval supremacy that Britain had
established during the 18th Century. However, by the time it was fought, Napoleon had abandoned his plans to invade southern
England and instead was defeating Britain's allies in Germany.
Although
I have never been to Cape Trafalgar, I visited Gibraltar where there is a British War Cemetery for some of the men who died
during the battle. Most of the men were buried at sea in the true traditional naval way, but some were buried at Gibraltar.
The
visit to the War grave site was whilst Steve was on Holiday in Spain. And sadly he felt ill as F**k when he was here,
Migraine and Spanish Belly. So very brave to get the pics!