1805 - Battle of Trafalgar


 
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Naval history of Great Britain - Vol. IV
by
William James
1805 Battle of Trafalgar 49

while the Fougueux made off to the northward in the direction of the T�m�raire, the Pluton stood away to the south-east to join Admiral Gravina.*

The Mars had her main topmast and spankerboom shot away, and her three lower masts, fore and main yards, and fore topmast, very badly wounded : her foremast, indeed, was left in so shattered a state that it subsequently fell overboard. The main piece of her rudder was badly wounded, her stern and quarters much cut, and nine of the poop-beams, besides sundry knees, &c., shot to pieces. The ship had also some guns disabled, and had received several shot between wind and water. The loss on board the Mars was proportionably severe : she had her captain, one master's mate (Alexander Duff), two midshipmen (Edward Corbyn and Henry Morgan), 17 seamen, and eight marines killed, and two lieutenants (Edward William Garrett and James Black), her master (Thomas Cook), one captain of marines (Thomas Norman), five midshipmen (John Young, George Guiren, William John Cook, John Jenkins, and Alfred Luckraft), 44 seamen, and sixteen marines wounded.

With respect to the injuries sustained by the Pluton, the ship is represented to have been unable, after the action, to muster more than 400 effective men out of a complement of about 700 : consequently, her loss must have been severe. It appears, also, that the Pluton made three feet water an hour from the shot she had received in the hull.

Having, as already stated, fired at the ships that were pressing upon the Mars, the Tonnant steered straight for the larboard bow of the Alg�siras, then moving slowly onwards the same as her companions in the line, and very near to her present leader, the Monarca. As the Tonnant advanced, the Alg�siras, having already her main topsail to the mast, backed her mizen topsail, and thus enabled the former, at about 45 minutes past noon, to run close under the Spanish ship's stern. Pouring in a raking fire, the Tonnant hauled up, and engaged the Monarca alongside but, dreading to encounter so large and powerful a ship, the latter fired a few ineffective shot, dropped astern, and struck her colours, although she afterwards rehoisted them. The Tonnant's people believed, although they were not certain, that the Monarca struck ; but the Spartiate, who, not being engaged until late, had leisure for observation, saw the flag hauled down, and in her log says accordingly : " At 1 h. 7 m. a Spanish two-decker struck to the Tonnant."

Filling her main and mizen topsails, the Alg�siras now evinced an intention to cross the stern of the Tonnant, who, by this time, had had her fore topmast and main yard shot away; but, the Tonnant, putting her helm hard-a-port, ran the Alg�siras on board, and defeated the manoeuvre, The bowsprit and anchors

*  See second set of figures in diagram on p 50.

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