Trafalgar

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Royal Navy Rank Insignia, 1795-1810
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Trafalgar, 21 Oct 1805: 210th Anniversary

The Battle of Trafalgar was a naval engagement fought by the Royal Navy against the combined fleets of the French andSpanish Navies, during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815).

The battle was the most decisive naval victory of the war. Twenty-seven British ships of the line led by Admiral Lord Nelson aboardHMS Victory defeated thirty-three French and Spanish ships of the line under French Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve in the Atlantic off the southwest coast of Spain, just west of Cape Trafalgar, in Caños de Meca. The Franco-Spanish fleet lost twenty-two ships, without a single British vessel being lost.

The British victory spectacularly confirmed the naval supremacy that Britain had established during the eighteenth century and was achieved in part through Nelson's departure from the prevailing naval tactical orthodoxy, which involved engaging an enemy fleet in a single line of battle parallel to the enemy to facilitate signalling in battle and disengagement, and to maximise fields of fire and target areas. Nelson instead divided his smaller force into two columns directed perpendicularly against the larger enemy fleet, with decisive results.

Nelson was shot by a French musketeer during the battle and died shortly after, becoming one of Britain's greatest war heroes. Admiral Villeneuve was captured along with his ship Bucentaure. Spanish Admiral Federico Gravina escaped with the remnant of the fleet and succumbed months later to wounds sustained during the battle. Villeneuve attended Nelson's funeral while a captive on parole in Britain.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Trafalgar

Royal Navy Vice-Admiral's and Captain's insignia: Naval gild buttons, epaulettes and lower sleeves
of full-dress and undress coats (of Lord Nelson and Captain Hardy respectively).

Royal Navy Senior Officers Rank insignia as worn Epaulettes and lower sleeves of full-dress coats

Flag Rank Naval Button and Admiral's fringed epaulette (worn on both shoulders)

Admiral's sleeve-lace rank insignia as worn on full-dress coat

Flag Rank Naval Button and Vice-Admiral's fringed epaulette (worn on both shoulders)

Vice-Admiral's sleeve-lace rank insignia as worn on full-dress coat

Flag Rank Naval Button and Rear-Admiral's fringed epaulette (worn on both shoulders)

Rear-Admiral's sleeve-lace rank insignia as worn on full-dress coat

Executive Branch Naval Button and fringed epaulette for Commander (worn on left shoulder), Captain (worn on right shoulder) and Captain - 3Year Post (worn on both shoulders).