Today is the 209th
anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, where the outnumbered British fleet, led by Admiral Lord Horatio
Nelson, defeated the combined
French and
Spanish fleets under the command of Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve.
the hardships suffered by the
men of the British navy during their endless blockades of the
French vessels at Toulon, Brest and Cadiz did serve to harden them to their duty, while the immobile
French navy wallowed in
port, unable to hone their battle skills. thus the necessarily superior sail handling and gunnery of the British became the determining factor in the battle off Cape Trafalgar. at around noon on the 21st of October 1805, the sea battle that would determine the
fate of
England began with
Nelson ordering the now famous flag signal
"England expects that every man will do his duty" to be flown from
his flagship
Victory.
Nelson himself did not survive the battle, but
his decisive
victory will never be forgotten.
what an appropriate day for the under-estimated
San Francisco Giants to kick the crap out of the Kansas City Royals in the first game of the 2014 World Series!
~
Peter
