Battle of Trafalgar

Don't recall one ship ever being surrounded by 5-6 others during the battle. The animation was good but a bit grainy on my screen. Also a bit "pro-Spanish" for my taste, but seeing where it comes from I suppose that's to be expected. 

Okay, the opening shot of the Spanish fleet [the Royal Navy would never anchor it's ships like that! ] All the officers depicted are in either French or Spanish naval uniform and there's the Spanish Man o' War sailing into the sunrise/sunset.

British appear, battle, etc.

Cut to shot of Spanish ship [red hull as far as I could see] circled by five British ships, getting shot up [wouldn't need that many RN ships to take on a Spaniard! ]. The hulk then sinks in a heavy swell.

Seriously, it's a good bit of animation. I liked it. As regards Trafalgar itself, that's more Napoleon's fault than anything else. He virtually forced  Villeneuve into sailing into an unnecessary fight.

Originally posted by Challenger2 Okay, the opening shot of the Spanish fleet [the Royal Navy would never anchor it's ships like that! ] All the officers depicted are in either French or Spanish naval uniform and there's the Spanish Man o' War sailing into the sunrise/sunset. British appear, battle, etc. Cut to shot of Spanish ship [red hull as far as I could see] circled by five British ships, getting shot up [wouldn't need that many RN ships to take on a Spaniard! ]. The hulk then sinks in a heavy swell. Seriously, it's a good bit of animation. I liked it. As regards Trafalgar itself, that's more Napoleon's fault than anything else. He virtually forced  Villeneuve into sailing into an unnecessary fight.

Sorry, but I understand that you can describe as "pro-spanish" the video if it would have a different final of the battle or so, but not including that details you mention.

About the uniforms, that's not "pro-spanish". Simply the author of the video, a spanish guy, took the pictures he knew, which are in spanish books or museums. That's natural.

As I see, you don't know about the battle itself. It is probably that the spanish-french fleet, "anchored" in front of C�diz like in the video (the Royal Navy is the one which attacks in two columns, nor the one "anchored") began to shot the ships ahead them.

About the spanish ship rounded by several english ships, that's totally true. The stories of the battle shows that at least the spanish ships "Sant�sima Trinidad" and the "San Juan Nepomuceno" were rounded by several english ships and pestered of shots. They were practically destroyed. The "Sant�sima Trinidad" were the biggest ship over the seas in their time. It had four floors, 140 cannons and was known as the "Fortress of the seas" by the english and "El Escorial de los Mares" by the spanish. They were anxious to hunt it. With his commander, the captain Francisco Javier de Uriarte y Borja, sunk two english ships in Trafalgar and obligated to surrender one, but it was practically destroyed with 700 dead by the english ships. The english tried to transport it to Gibraltar as a war trophy, but it sunk itself due to its flaws.

The ship that appears at the beginning of the battle shooting is the "Sant�sima Trinidad", with four floors of cannons. Here is a 3D reconstruction of the ship (and here) and a simulator for Virtual Sailor 6.5. Today it exist a reconstruction in M�laga that is a popular restaurant.

The other practically destroyed ship was the "San Juan Nepomuceno", with the Commander Cosme Dami�n de Churruca. It was captured and towed to Gibraltar by the english. In the moment of its capture, there were probably five or six english ships shooting it.

The episode of this two ships was due because many spanish and french ships left the battle very soon in direction to C�diz. So a very few number of ships remained to fight against the english.

Another thing: It was unusual that english boarded enemy boats. They usually cannonade them until surrender or destruction.

About the battle, I agree that Napoleon failed in his obsession to fight England. The Admiral Villeneuve never knew how to fight against the english.

Originally posted by Peteratwar I'm unaware that any British ships were sunk at Trafalgar. Which ones were they ?