TRAFALGAR DAY

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LII, Issue 84, 20 October 1931, Page 5

TRAFALGAR DAY

A GLORIOUS VICTORY.

BRITAIN'S NAVAL SUPREMACY.

ANNIVERSARY TO-MORROW.

For 126 years Britons everywhere have thrilled with pride at the story of Nelson's glorious victory over the French and Spanish fleets at Trafalgar. The anniversary falls again tomorrow. The French Admiral. Villeneuve had put into Cadiz for safety, but at a hint from Napoleon of disgrace he made up his mind at any risk to fight. Nelson was off Cadiz with a powerful fleet, but he actually weakened his force by four sail-of-the-line in order to lure his adversary out. On October 20, 1805, the allied fleet was in the open sea. It had been declared at a council of war that a lost battle was almost certain, so bad was the condition of many of the crews, but Villeneuve was bent on challenging fate and almost courted defeat in his despair.

On the morning of October'2l the allied fleet of 33 warships and a number of frigates was off Cape Trafalgar, making for the.Straits. Nelson advanced slowly against his doomed enemy with.27 ships apd their attendant frigates. The famous signal floated from his mast—"England expects that every man will do his duty"—and at about noon Collingwood pierced Villeneuve's centre, nearly destroying the Santa Anna with a single broadside. Ere long Nelson had broken Villeneuve's line with the Victory, causing frightful destruction; and as other British ships came up by degrees they relieved the leading ships from the pressure of their foes and completed the ruin already begun. Death of Nelson. At about one o'clock Nelson met his death wound, struck by a shot from the tops of the Redoubtable. Pierced through and through the shattered allied centre was soon a collection of captured wrecks. Only 11 ships out of 33 escaped, and the burning Achille added to the grandeur and horrors of an appalling scene. Villeneuve, who had fought most honourably in the Bucentaure, was compelled to strike his flag before the death of Nelson. The van 5 of the allies that had fled was soon afterwards captured by a British squadron. Although dearly bought by the death of Nelson, the victory blotted France out as a great power on the ocean. Napoelon never tried afterwards to meet England at sea, although- his wonderful successes on lapd enabled him to refer to the defeat as "the loss of a few ships at sea."