The Battle of Trafalgar - 200th Anniversary

[Menydh]

Trafalgar: the day that Spain stopped being the first sea power

El Mundo
October 21, 2005

The battle of Trafalgar, which was fought 200 years ago today and which took place on the waters of Cape Trafalgar, right in front the city of Cadiz, saw the fight between the English squadron, under the command of Admiral Horace Nelson, and the combined Hispano-French fleet, under the command of the French Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve.

The defeat of the Hispano-French fleet in this battle, which ended with numerous casualties on both sides, is considered as the end of the hegemony on the seas that Spain had exercised during a period of over three centuries.

Then combat was intense and bloody, and it was fought for some five hours during the midday. On October 21, 1805, 27 ships of the Royal Navy met 18 French ships under the command of Villeneuve and 15 Spanish ships under the command of Admiral Federico Gravina.

The Spanish admiral was in favour of resisting in the Bay of Cadiz instead of coming out to the open sea to meet the English. However, Villeneuve didn't take notice and forced the clash. He placed his ships in a line of combat parallel to the coast of Cadiz.

A bold but badly organized manouvre against the enemy lines allowed the English fleet to fall over the Hispano-French ships and destroy them, losing the Hispano-French combo 17 ships and 4,400 fatal casualties (3,400 French and 1,000 Spanish) and around 2,500 wounded.

The English did not lose any ship and only had 450 dead casualties and 1,200 wounded, among them Admiral Horace Nelson, the hero of the British naval history. A bullet from the French ship Redoutable pierced one of his lungs, and provoked his death.

Before starting the assault, he had lectured his men with a phrase known to history: "England expects that every man will do his duty". In the harsh and bloody fight which followed the initial attack, the English sailors were better in the manouvres and the artillery was more accurate.

The Spanish and French troops contested to this "proffesionality" with an heroic resistance, like that of Captain Lucas of the Redoutable, who couldn't take over the Victory of Nelson, or Captain Infernet of L'Intrépide, the last in surrendering.

Despite the superiority of the English weapons and of the lack of preparation of the Hispano-French troops, historians at large attribute the defeat to the strategy of Admiral Villeneuve, because of the risky exit from the harbour of Cádiz and his bad tactics. Villeneuve committed suicide six months after the battle.

The Battle of Trafalgar confirmed the supremacy of the British Navy, and it shielded England against the even of a Napoleonic invasion. The war also served the French interests: Napoleon occupied Spain three years later.

The Spanish War of Independence marked the end to the historical enmity between Spain and England. Ever since then, and although the distrusts continue -it is still alive the conflict of Gibraltar-, Spain and England have not fought any other military conflict.


[source]

[Menydh]

Bloody liberal newspaper! The enmity between Spain and England will end the day that the island is swallowed by the hells of the deep seas!

[Menydh]

March of the Spanish Naval School (mp3)

Blowing serenes the breezes
Roaring threats the waves,
My Spanish Gallantry
Is crowned with smiles.

For you, Patria, for you only
My life I gave to the seas,
For you I offered to the danger
My works and my thoughts,
On the Rose of the Winds
I crucify my self for you!

For your sacred presence
That nothing disturbs nor tarnishes,
There are times for feats
And times for obedience.

The Empire will come to Spain
Through way of the sea

One must die or triumph,
What History teaches us
In Lepanto the Victory
And the death in Trafalgar.

Dreaming of victories, telling songs,
Sailors of Spain let us sail the seas,
In front of us the glory, after the legend,
Under us the voices of our fallen,
And over us the mandate of Spain and of God.

Of Spain and God, of Spain and God.


--
¡Por las Españas!
¡Gravina! ¡Churruca! ¡Galiano! ¡¡¡Presentes!!!
¡Honor y Gloria a los héroes del mar!

[Menydh]

Salve Marinera (Hail to Our Lady of El Carmen, patroness of sailors) (mp3)

Hail, Star of the Seas,
Of the rainbow seas of eternal venture
Hail phoenix of beauty
Mother of Divine Love.

To your people of the sorrows
Your clemency give solace.
Fervourous arrive to Heaven
And unto Thou, unto Thou our cry.

Hail! Hail Star of the Seas!
Hail Star of the Seas!
Yes! Fervorous arrive to Heaven
and unto Thou and unto Thou our cry.

Hail! Star of the Seas!
Star of the Seas!
Hail! Hail! Hail! Hail!



Night Prayer of the Spanish Navy (mp3)

Thou who dispose
Heaven and Sea,
Thou who art calm,
And tempest.
Have unto us Lord,
Mercy.
Mercy, Lord.
Lord, mercy.

[Ferran]

Old enemies come together: 200th anniversary of Battle of Trafalgar

Spain, Britain and France come together this time as allies to mark the anniversary of a battle which shaped European history for a century. Graham Keeley reports.

A painting of the Battle of Trafalgar

After the pageantry of a summer sailpast at Portsmouth, followed by a re-enactment of Nelson's funeral on the River Thames, British, Spanish and French vessels will gather on Spain's southwest coast on Friday for the 200th anniversary of Trafalgar.

All three countries involved in the epic battle, which shattered Napoleon Bonaparte's plans to invade Britain, have participated in a range of events in recent months as the anniversary has drawn ever closer and ships from all three nations will attend ceremonies off Cape Trafalgar. Trafalgar mania has spread worldwide, as far afield as Darling Harbour in Australia to Newport News, Virginia, which will host a museum celebration of British Vice-Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson.

The battle itself has thrilled professional and amateur historians alike across generations but Nelson's role has gripped the public imagination since Lieutenant John Richards Lapenotiere brought ashore the original dispatch of what had happened, bearing news of his demise at the hands of a French sniper on the first day of the conflict.

The Battle of Trafalgar ended the threat of invasion by France and established British naval supremacy for the next century. Britain did not lose a single one of its 27 battleships, though 449 of its 17,000-strong force were killed -- including Nelson himself -- and some 1,200 wounded, while 18 out of 33 opposing vessels were destroyed.

French fatalities topped 3,000 and Spanish losses more than 1,000 with combined injured of around 1,600.

In death Nelson became glorified as one of Britain's greatest national heroes and a giant column topped with his statue forms the centrepiece of London's central Trafalgar Square.

At Friday's commemoration, which will see wreaths laid at sea on the site of the battle, Spain will be represented by two vessels, including the Prince of Asturias battleship, while HMS Chatham will be there for the British contingent and the Montcalm frigate will give France a presence.

For the Spanish this week's events are a commemoration, rather than a celebration. "It's very good the French and the Spanish are very involved," senior British diplomatic sources said as the delegations headed for the port of Cadiz and on to the Cape.

Spanish defence minister Jose Bono will preside over a military parade prior to the wreath-laying some 12 miles off the shoreline. Descendents of the three leaders have been invited to the gathering of some 450 people.

HMS Victory was built in Chatham and Chatham is additionally twinned with Cadiz, British naval sources said, explaining the choice of British boat to attend.


Admiral Horatio Nelson in full uniform

An ecumenical service is to be held at Cadiz Cathedral with a naval sail past parade scheduled for Saturday.

"Spain has taken the lead in organising this event," British ambassador to Spain Stephen Wright revealed. "I am quite proud that the three navies of the three countries will be celebrating the commemoration of that great event.

"It will be a moving reaffirmation of fellowship at sea." Wright described Nelson, whose exploits paved the way for a century of British supremacy at sea, as "the epitome of everything good about a military commander.

He had bravery, humanity and leadership, as well as professional skill." The Spanish bitterly criticised the decision by French Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve to sail from Cadiz to engage the British in poor conditions with Napoleon impatient for battle to commence -- against the advice of Spanish commander Admiral Federico de Gravina.

In his work Cabo Trafalgar, novelist Arturo Perez-Reverte sees the Spanish bid to achieve reflected glory alongside the French as doomed from the outset.

"The Spanish knew it would be a defeat -- they made a hopeless, but defiant stand," wrote Reverte.

He said the political climate of the age did not favour the Spanish, who at least, in his words, won "a victory of character".

The Spanish bitterly criticised the decision by French Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve to sail from Cadiz to engage the British in poor conditions with Napoleon impatient for battle to commence -- against the advice of Spanish commander Admiral Federico de Gravina.

What followed was a defining moment in European history.

"The Battle of Trafalgar is one of those rare events in history about which everyone knows something, because -- almost instantly -- it became part of British heritage and assumed almost mythical status," British author Roy Adkins noted in "Trafalgar - The Biography of a Battle."

[Copyright Expatica]

[October 2005]

Subject: Spanish news; Battle of Trafalgar anniversary

Source: http://www.expatica.com/source/site_...gar+remembered

[Milesian]

"The Battle of Trafalgar is one of those rare events in history about which everyone knows something, because -- almost instantly -- it became part of British heritage and assumed almost mythical status," British author Roy Adkins noted in "Trafalgar - The Biography of a Battle."

I think it would be more truthful to say that it's something most people hear about all the time but know nothing of. Half the people in the UK probably think it was won by Wellington, and the rest think Trafalgar is off the Dorset coast.

[Alkman]

Originally Posted by Mynydd

Trafalgar: the day that Spain stopped being the first sea power

Actually Spain seızed beıng the fırst sea power after the destructıon of the Great Armada.

[Menydh]

That Armada was never called "Great" in first place. In second place the loss of much of it did not suppose a major setback to Spain's naval power as is wrongly assumed. There were other armadas and more vessels were build shortly after.

And, by the way, it was also not called "Invincible" which is a term used only later.