Overview
- On Oct. 21, 1805, Nelson’s 27 ships engaged Villeneuve’s 33 off Cape Trafalgar near Cádiz.
- Defying line-of-battle doctrine, he split the enemy with two attacking columns and signaled “England expects that every man will do his duty.”
- By late afternoon, roughly 20 Franco-Spanish ships were taken, about 14,000 allied casualties were recorded, British losses were about 1,500, and Villeneuve was captured.
- Nelson was fatally shot during the fighting and died after learning of the triumph.
- Anniversary coverage highlights that a violent storm afterward wrecked many prizes—reported as up to 14 captured ships—causing further heavy loss of life.