h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have put the signals in the ides is (I think) they will provide a framework for the text see what you think.

More applied the French and Spanish fleet has been added now Comments please.

Bob - it would be good if you could add the list of ships from post 37 after the other English ships:
_____________________________________________________________________

In addition to the two groups of Capital Ships, Nelson also had a number of smaller frigates and schooners under his control, sailing apart from the two lines. These were:


Africa 64 Capt Henry Digby.
Pickle (a schooner) 10 Lieut John Richards La Pentoiere.
Entreprenante 8 Lieut Robert Benjamin Young
Naiad 38 Capt Thomas Dundas
Phoebe 36 Capt Hon. Thomas Bladen Capell
Sirius 36 Capt William Peowse
Euryalus 36 Capt Hon Henry Blackwood

_____________________________________________________________________

Hi mate

Do you mean like this...
What aboutb the signals as headers idea the sub headers are reserved for the signals to the fleet, were as the others ar thoes between ships or people involved.

Comments please.


Bob...

Hmmm - there's an awful lot of signals and not much actual descriptive text. It would be good to use the signals as placeholders and then expand on the points of the battle not properly covered - in my opinion, a lot of text is needed to supplement what's already there, and the flow of the Entry should be a priority.

Agreed dont forget this the frame work each signal needs a few paragraphs of related text.
I hope thats clear.


Bob

Ok - I take it there will be more signals to come once the run-up to the battle has been sorted.

That is all the signals recorded we just need to fill in the gaps.

Hi Alex

I have put something into the next two sections please comment at your leisure.

A4267244

Just to stop us having to go search for the link...

Oops, wrong link...

Try this one instead...

A20737848

I accept the challenge On behalf of everyone I hope there are enough T shirts to go round

Right chaps I have roughed out everything bu the battle. Please check the work so far.

Have just been having a look at HMS Africa, as it did strike me as a bit odd that a 64-gunner would be out of the line of battle and lumped in with the Frigates... I'll get back to you this afternoon with more information and you can decide whether it's worth putting in as an aside.

Yes it looks strange but it looks like it was 1 big ship to back up the littke uns.

Ok, here's a brief bit - use what you like and scrap what you don't...

--------------

On the night of the 20th October, HMS Africa, the smallest capital ship in the fleet, under the command of Capt. Henry Digby, drifted away from the rest of Nelson's fleet, and, as dawn broke on the morning of the battle she found herself unsupported, to the north of the Franco-Spanish fleet.

Nelson signalled the Africa to rejoin the rest of the fleet, but Digby apparently decided to ignore the signal, and take on the whole enemy fleet single handed.

Whilst Nelson and Collingwood sailed their two columns of vessels in from the East towards the northward-sailing enemy line of battle, Africa, attacked alone from the North, sailing straight along the enemy's line of battle, swapping broadsides with one vessel after another (all of which had much heavier armorment), passing abeam of around a dozen enemy vessels before attempting to grapple with, and board, the Santissima Trinidad, a Spanish 130-gun ship, thought to be the largest warship in the world at the time.

This boarding manoeuvre was unsuccessful (with the Spanish captain politely refusing to surrender and ordering the British sailors off his ship, and the Africa continued southwards, eventually being so heavily damaged she was forced to disengage from the action with 18 killed and 44 wounded sailors onboard.

Nine days later she was towed into Gibraltar for a minimum repairs before sailing back to England, not getting home till early December...

The Africa went on to serve for a further 10 years, seeing action in the Baltic and off the coast of North America, she was finally paid-off and broken up in 1814.

-----------

Whisky

I will gat on this asap Thank you

Hi Whisky

All sorted hows it looking.


Bob...

Starting to look good...

Spelling mistakes etc. we'll sort out later


One thing that would be interesting to include, but I can't find any hard figures on, is that I believe that, as a direct result of Nelson's tactics, the Spanish fleet opened fire _long_ before any of his two columns could bring any weapons to bear - so, if memory serves me, the British sailors were taking incoming fire for around an hour before they could actually do anything about it.

(Don't quote me on the timings though).

I heard that as well I will try and find out.