Thread by @RMGreenwich

#TrafalgarDay Cannons at the ready! Today we’ll be livetweeting the Battle of Trafalgar (almost) as it happened in 1805: bit.ly/TrafalgarDayRMG ⛵

#TrafalgarDay Nelson’s fleet is in commanding position to attack. At dawn, they’re 34km northwest 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’

#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’ 🚩

#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 final 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 have killed 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 Unconfirmed breaking news: Nelson's last words to Captain Hardy - ‘Kiss me, Hardy!’

#TrafalgarDay According to reports, Nelson has asked Hardy to 'take care of my dear Lady Hamilton, Hardy; take care of poor Lady Hamilton'

#TrafalgarDay Spanish ‘San Juan Nepomuceno’ and French ‘L'Aigle’ look like they are about to surrender!

#TrafalgarDay We are hearing reports that Spanish ‘Santisima Trinidad’ has surrendered. By our count, 14 of the allied fleet have surrendered so far!

#TrafalgarDay Spanish ‘San Idelfonso’ (fighting ‘Defence’) surrenders!

#TrafalgarDay The Battle of Trafalgar seems to be drawing to a close

#TrafalgarDay Admiral Lord Nelson has died. His last coherent words, according to accounts: ‘Thank God, I have done my duty’

#TrafalgarDay French Rear-Admiral Dumanoir’s division escapes with 4 ships

#TrafalgarDay Firing has finally ceased at Trafalgar

#TrafalgarDay According to reports from the scene, the cost of British victory is high: about 1,690 British casualties 🇬🇧 and around 6,000 French 🇫🇷 and Spanish 🇪🇸 casualties

#TrafalgarDay The end of the battle is marked by a massive explosion as the French ‘Achille’ blows up when fire reaches the magazine

Thanks for joining us on #TrafalgarDay! We've had a lot of fun 'reporting from the scene'. Got questions? Here's a longread of the battle: bit.ly/TrafalgarDayRMG

And here's Nelson's coat - the very same he wore when he was mortally wounded - which you can see at our Museum.