1805 - Battle of Trafalgar


 
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Naval history of Great Britain - Vol. IV
by
William James
1805 Battle of Trafalgar 47

the Aigle, having replaced the San-Juan, was distantly cannonading the British ship on he starboard side; and the San-Justo and San-Leandro, as they stood athwart the bows of the Belleisle to join Admiral Gravina in the rear, opened a passing fire.

Thus in a manner surrounded, the Belleisle soon had her rigging and sails cut to pieces, and at 2 h. 10 m. P.M. lost her mainmast about four feet above the deck ; the wreck of which fell upon the break of the poop, while the topmast, with the yards, sails, and shrouds, hung over upon the larboard side, where already lay the wreck of the mizenmast. Her larboard guns thus completely covered by wreck, the Belleisle was prevented from returning by a single shot the Achille's animated and destructive fire. At 2 h. 30 m. P.M., driven from her capital station upon the bows of the Victory and Temeraire, by the approach of the Leviathan, the French Neptune placed herself across the starboard bow of the Belleisle ; and at 2 h. 45 m. the foremast and bowsprit of the latter, still engaged by two other ships, were shot away by the board.

At 3 h. 15 m. P.M. the Polyphemus interposed herself between the Belleisle and Neptune. In five minutes more the Defiance took off the fire of the Aigle ; and at 3 h. 25 m. P.m. the Swiftsure, passing astern of the Belleisle, commenced engaging the Achille, who about this time lost her main and mizen topmasts. As the Swiftsure passed close under the Belleisle's stern the two ships cheered each other ; and to signify that, notwithstanding her dismasted and shattered state, the Belleisle still remained unconquered, a Union Jack was suspended at the end of a pike and held up to view, while an ensign was being made fast to the stump of her mizenmast. Thus, by the timely arrival of her friends, saved from being crushed by the overwhelming force around her, the Belleisle ceased firing. Observing soon afterwards on his larboard beam a Spanish two-decker that had already surrendered, Captain Hargood sent the master, Mr. William Hudson, and Lieutenant Owen of the marines (who volunteered although wounded), in the only remaining boat, the pinnace, and took possession of the 80-gun ship Argonauta. The position of the Belleisle, at the time she was so fortunately relieved, we have endeavoured to illustrate by the following diagram

The Belleisle's hull was knocked almost to pieces: both sides of it were about equally damaged. Ports, port-timbers, channels, chain-plates, all exhibited unequivocal marks of the terrible mauling she had received. Her three masts and bowsprit, as we have seen, were shot away and so was her figure-head. Her boats and anchors shared he same fate. If the Belleisle's damages were severe, her loss of men was not less so : she had two lieutenants (Ebenezer Geall and John Woodin), one midshipman (George Nind), 22 seamen, and eight marines killed, one

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