What I didn't hear during the programme was the fact that Vice Admiral Lord Collingwood on
HMS Royal Soveriegn leading the rear, second column of the fleet was the first ship to go into action, after the French ships commenced fire on the British at about 1130 hours.
Royal Soveriegn was
the first RN ship to cut through the rear of the combined fleet at about 1200, targeting the huge 112 gun
Santa Ana, flagship of the Spanish Rear Admiral Alava as planned by Nelson. This caused the first heavy casualties within the combined fleet. Nelson in
HMS Victory was in action some 20 minutes after Collingwood commenced his fight, with the combined fleet firing on
Victory at 1221. The huge, 140 gun,
Santissima Trinidad, was the target that Nelson was aiming for, as Baza stated, but due to the light wind blowing the British fleet into battle, combined with the closing up of the ships to the flagships stern,
Victory was sent to the stern of the 80 gun
Bucentaure flagship of the French Admiral Villeneuve . As Baza stated, terrible carnage followed on
Bucentaure as
Victory fired full broadsides, that included 32 pounder cannons, not just the 18 pounders quoted in the programme, through the ship from stern to bow, taking out everything in between, cutting up hundreds of men and women (powder monkeys, and general helpers).
Indeed, it was not just
HMS Victory that won the battle; all men and ships of the Royal Navy present that day achieved the victory. However, one ship is outstanding on the day;
HMS Temeraire, now known as "The Fighting Temeraire", and the subject of a famous painting by Turner. She was of 98 guns and followed
Victory into battle, giving covering fire to the flagship and soaking up a great amount of shot intended for
Victory, whilst continually firing devasting broadsides into the enemy. Indeed, at one stage she had a French ship on one side of her and a Spanish ship on the other, but it was her who defeated both, striking their national colours.