Cannons at the ready! Today we’ll be livetweeting the Battle of Trafalgar (almost) as it happened in 1805: http://rmg.co.uk/discover/explore/trafalgar-day #TrafalgarDay

#TrafalgarDay Nelson’s fleet is in commanding position to attack. At dawn, they’re 34km north-west of Cape Trafalgar, with the French and Spanish fleet between them

#TrafalgarDay Nelson signals ‘prepare for battle’ at 6.40am. The fleet is in two parallel columns, the first led by ‘Victory’, the second by Collingwood’s ‘Royal Sovereign’

[image: signals used by Nelson during the Battle]

#TrafalgarDay

Numbers:
British fleet
27 ships of the line
6 others
18,000 men

Franco-Spanish fleet
33 ships of the line
11 others
33,000 men

#TrafalgarDay Captain Blackwood of frigate ‘Euryalus’ notices the enemy ships turning and heading north to Cadiz

#TrafalgarDay British ships are cleared for action, heading to intercept the enemy, approaching from the west at nearly right angles

#TrafalgarDay Wind is light and Nelson’s fleet progresses at a slow 1.5–2 knots, with the Royal Marine Band playing

#TrafalgarDay Nelson pens pre-battle prayer in his diary: ‘May the Great God, whom I worship…’

#TrafalgarDay Men of the British fleet are given dinner and grog

#TrafalgarDay Nelson's whole fleet is now visible to Villeneuve. Franco-Spanish line is nearly 5 miles long. Villeneuve tries to form a closer line.

#TrafalgarDay Nelson hoists his famous signal: ‘England expects that every man will do his duty’

John Simmonds was part of the crew on the HMS Conqueror under the command of Captain Israel Pellew during the Battle. What did the battle feel like for an Ordinary Seaman?

#TrafalgarDay Nelson leads column into feint toward Franco-Spanish van. Later he will turn toward the more central point of attack

#TrafalgarDay Villeneuve signals ‘engage the enemy’. ‘Fougueux’ fires first shot at ‘Royal Sovereign’.

#TrafalgarDay Collingwood’s ‘Royal Sovereign’ is first to reach enemy line; it fires broadside at Spanish ‘Santa Ana’, causing heavy casualties.

#TrafalgarDay British ‘Mars’ under fire from ‘Pluton’ and ‘Fougueux’. British ‘Tonnant’ breaks through enemy line.

#TrafalgarDay Nelson orders signal to fleet ‘Engage the enemy more closely’. Close action follows

#TrafalgarDay ‘Belleisle’ enters fray close to ‘Royal Sovereign’; fires at the ‘Fougueux’. She's soon under heavy fire and dismasted

#TrafalgarDay ‘Victory’ starts to close in on enemy line; Captain Cooke of ‘Bellerophon’ gives order to open fire

#TrafalgarDay 'Victory' is also under heavy fire: she loses mizzen topmast and her wheel is shot away. She has to be steered from her tiller below decks

#TrafalgarDay ‘Bellerophon’ breaks through enemy line; collides with ‘L’Aigle’. French snipers kill Captain Cooke

#TrafalgarDay ‘Victory’ cuts enemy line and fires a devastating broadside at Villeneuve’s flagship ‘Bucentaure’

#TrafalgarDay ‘Victory’ is locked together with French ‘Redoutable’ in a bitter fight

#TrafalgarDay Nelson is hit! Shot from ‘Redoutable’ hits Nelson’s left shoulder, pierces his lung and lodges in his spine

#TrafalgarDay John Simmonds has just seen Villeneuve surrender to the captain of his ship the Conqueror!

#TrafalgarDay Breaking news: Nelson's last words to Captain Hardy - ‘Kiss me, Hardy!’