TRAFALGAR DAY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 21 October 1942, Page 4

TRAFALGAR DAY

137th ANNIVERSARY OF BATTLE WHIN MI.SON S.YI \ S 111 I > I III; I 1.l I I <)I N \IM>I.I ON Tu-dav , 'l'r;; I;•I.*; i r D;iv. nr Ncl on Day. as il i omrlniir. calico i,.»w One hundred and Ihirty-'-cx eu year ng". when Napoleon Botiapnifc \\ a m m hoy-day. (lie Bnii. h .\;ivy droll him o blow from which lie never recover'd though lie fought "ii b; lonti Ini P n more voai- in meet In Waterloo in 181:') Villenruvr wo.- the* I'rritch admiral. iI. pi uI ami i eon and that 1.l - Hitler if In- invasion of Britain was to have a ehanrr was how to chair the blockading British ships and obtain command of tiie Channel lor sufficient time to enable the French tlotilla to cm to Eii land A Napoleon bram spun plan alter plan they were foiled by the ability ot the Admiralty and the admiral- alloat. After a fruitless chan to the West Indies and bark in search nf the French and Spanish Meet Nelson found it had returned to Cadiz harbour in Spain. It was watched closely by Nelson. Spurred on by Napoleon, who had withdrawn his army from Boulogne to attack Austria. Vindictive ventured to leave Cadiz to chock British operations against Naples His 33 slops were in a slighily curved line some five mile- long when Nelson came upon them on 21st October off Cape Trafalgar at the western entrance to the Strait. of Gibraltar. Nelson had previously determined ’o make an attack upon the centre m l rear of the enemy Heel, with Ins. own 27 ships arranged in two columns. Of one of these columns Collingwood wain command with orders to attack the rear ships, while Nelson led the other with the object of fighting the centre and keeping oil the van ships of the enemy. The action began at noon. Collingwood. m the Royal Sovereign, outdistanced the ships in his own column and for a quarter of an hour fought the enemy single-handed. "See how that fellow Collingwood carries his ship into action!” was Nelson's comment and almost at the same time Collingwood exclaimed. "What would Nelson give to he here!” It was just before Collingwood began his attack that Nelson issued his famous signal. "England expects every man to do his duty.” Somewhat later Nelson's column got into action. Nelson's ship, the Victory, led. and her fir-t broadside dismounted twenty guns and killed or w ounded some 400 men of the enemy. The lighting was carried on with tierce determination by both sides: but the British gunnery proved 'ts superiority, and eventually, out of 33 enemy ships, the British captured 19 In the course of the battle, however. Nelson was wounded in the spine by a musket ball and died in the hour of victory. Just before Ins death Nelson was told that 14 or 15 of the enemy ships had surrendered. "That is well.” he answered, "but I bargained for 20.” "It does not become me to make comparisons.” Lord St. Vincent had written previously, "there is but one Nelson.” And later generations have endorsed this verdict. The city and province <>f Nelson are named after the victor of Trafalgar.