Famous Sea Fights Part 12

Ships. Guns. Commanders.

_Victory_ 100 {Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson.

{Captain Hardy.

_Temeraire_ 98 " Harvey.

_Neptune_ 98 " Fremantle.

_Leviathan_ 74 " Bayntun.

_Conqueror_ 74 " Pellew.

_Britannia_ 100 {Rear-Admiral Lord Northesk.

{Captain Bullen.

_Agamemnon_ 64 " Sir E. Berry.

_Ajax_ 64 Lieutenant Pilfold.

_Orion_ 74 Captain Codrington.

_Minotaur_ 74 " Mansfield.

_Spartiate_ 74 " Sir F. Laforey.

_Africa_ 64 " Digby.

LEEWARD LINE.

Ships. Guns. Commanders.

_Royal Sovereign_ 100 {Vice-Admiral Collingwood.

{Captain Rotherham.

_Belleisle_ 74 " Hargood.

_Mars_ 74 " Duff.

_Tonnant_ 80 " Tyler.

_Bellerophon_ 74 " Cooke.

_Colossus_ 74 " Morris.

_Achille_ 74 " King.

_Dreadnought_ 98 " Conn.

_Polyphemus_ 64 " Redmill.

_Revenge_ 74 " Moorsom.

_Swiftsure_ 74 " Rutherford.

_Defiance_ 74 " Durham.

_Thunderer_ 74 Lieutenant Stockham.

_Defence_ 74 Captain Hope.

_Prince_ 98 " Grindall.

Besides one frigate of 38 guns, three of 36, and two brigs of 12 and 8 guns.

This was the fleet that lay off Cape Sta. Maria, some fifty miles from Cadiz, on Sat.u.r.day, 19 October, 1805, and received from the frigates watching the port the message, pa.s.sed on by connecting ships, that the enemy was at last coming out.

Villeneuve, like Nelson, had originally divided his fleet into three divisions. On the day of battle it fought in an order which was (as we shall see) partly the result of chance, arrayed in a long double line. He had deliberately mixed together in his array the French and Spanish units of his fleet, to avoid the dangers that might arise from mutual jealousies if they were drawn up in divisions apart. Instead of giving the list of his fleet according to the _ordre de bataille_ drawn up in Cadiz harbour long before the event, it will be more convenient to arrange the list as they actually lay in line from van to rear on the day of battle.

The following, then, is the list of the allied Franco-Spanish fleet:

Ships. Guns. Commanders.

[*] _Neptuno_ 80 _Scipion_ 74 Captain Bellanger.

_Intrepide_ 74 Commodore Infernet.

_Formidable_ 80 {Rear-Admiral Dumanoir le Pelley.

{Captain Letellier.

[*] _Rayo_ 100 Commodore Macdonel.

_Duguay-Trouin_ 74 Captain Touffet.

_Mont Blanc_ 74 Commodore La Villegris.

[*] _San Francisco de Asis_ 74 Captain de Flores.

[*] _San Agustino_ 74 " Cagigal.

_Heros_ 74 " Poulain.

[*] _Santisima Trinidad_ 130 {Rear-Admiral Cisneros.

{Commodore de Uriarte.

_Bucentaure_ 80 {Vice-Admiral Villeneuve.

{Captain Magendie.

_Neptune_ 80 Commodore Maistral.

_Redoutable_ 74 Captain Lucas.

[*] _San Leandro_ 64 " Quevedo.

[*] _San Justo_ 74 " Gaston.

_Indomptable_ 80 Commodore Hubert.

[*] _Santa Ana_ 112 Vice-Admiral de Alava.

_Fougueux_ 74 Captain Baudouin.

[*] _Monarca_ 74 " Argumosa.

_Pluton_ 74 Commodore Cosmao Kerjulien.

[+]_Algeciras_ 74 {Rear-Admiral Magon.

{Captain Letourneur.

[*][+]_Bahama_ 74 Commodore Galiano.

[+]_Aigle_ 74 Captain Gourrege.

[+]_Swiftsure_[#] 74 " Villemadrin.

[+]_Argonaute_ 74 " Ep.r.o.n.

[*][+]_Montanez_ 74 " Alcedo.

[*][+]_Argonauta_ 80 " Pareja.

[+]_Berwick_ 74 Commodore Filhol-Camas.

[+]_San Juan Nepomuceno_ 74 " de Churucca.

[+]_Ildefonso_ 74 " de Vargas.

[+]_Achille_ 74 Captain Denieport.

[+]_Principe de Asturias_ 112 {Admiral Gravina.

{Rear-Admiral Escano.

Besides five 40-gun frigates and two corvettes, one of 18, the other of 16 guns.

[*] Names of Spanish ships are distinguished by being marked with an asterisk.

[+] Ships of the "Squadron of Observation" originally intended to act independently under Gravina.

[#] Formerly British.

So far as mere figures can show it, the relative strength of the opposing fleets may be thus compared:--

Line of Battle. Lighter Ships.

|_______________| |___________________________________|