As the Battle of Trafalgar turned irrevocably in favour as the British, the combined fleet fragmenting under tremendous close artillery fire, Admiral Federico Carlos Gravina y Nápoli’s flagship Principe de Asturias was attacked by 3 British ships. #TrafalgarDay

Royal Navy gunnery inflicted immense damage to the Spanish flagship, her mizzen and main masts being shot through and her rigging was torn to pieces. The Admiral bravely kept the ship fighting, managing to gather together the remaining ten Spanish Men of War around him.

At around 3pm, Admiral Gravina’s left arm was shattered by British iron. Though weak he stayed in command as long as he could as the gallant little Spanish squadron now fought it’s way free of the disaster and limped back to Cadiz.

One of Gravina’s Lieutenants was Miguel Alava, a man who would later become the great friend of the Duke of Wellington and serve on his staff against the French in Spain and Waterloo. Alava was also wounded during the battle.

Gravina was well respected (even by Napoleon) and he lingered on until May 1806, when he began to fade. ‘I am a dying man,’ the gallant Admiral said ‘but I die happy; I am going, I hope and trust, to join Nelson, the greatest hero that the world perhaps has produced.’

Another famous face from the Spanish fleet at Trafalgar who later fought the French as a General during the Peninsular War was at the time a humble sergeant of Marines. Pablo Morillo was wounded and captured while serving on the San Idelfonso, which was taken by HMS Defence