Thread by @garius

Spare some love for Collingwood. Legit brilliant commander in his own right. First into battle on Royal Sovereign. Took charge after Nelson got sniped by the French lad using bot hax.

Hated flogging. Loved by his men. Walked his dog and planted acorns for fun. #TrafalgarDay2021

It was 100% Nelson's plan behind Trafalgar, but he couldn't have pulled it off without Collingwood.

His plan was to break with existing strategy and attack in TWO columns, splitting the enemy line.

In gaming terms, that meant he needed TWO tanks out front. Not one.

TWO ships would have to draw all the fire from the enemy ships around them on the way in.

TWO commanders were going to have hold their nerve, lead those lines and punch through:

Nelson led the first in Victory.

He trusted Collingwood with the other in Royal Sovereign.

Indeed as the two columns advanced, Collingwood in Royal Sovereign actually pulled ahead.

As Fougueux, Indomptable, San Justo, and San Leandro all pounded her, Nelson shouted out on Victory:

"SEE! See how that noble fellow Collingwood carries his ship into action!"

HERESY SIDEBAR: Royal Sovereign was a better ship, better crewed and better led than Victory. Victory was good, Royal Sovereign was better.

Don't @ me haters.

"HA!" Laughs Collingwood on Royal Sovereign as she draws the first enemy fire. "What would Nelson give to be here now!"

Victory is now in range of the French guns. She begins to draw fire too, but it's still Royal Sovereign powering on ahead leading her own line, surrounded by shot and smoke.

She reaches the line and... THERE! In front of her! The Santa Ana! Flagship of the Spanish fleet!

Collingwood gives the order and Royal Sovereign smashes through the line, hunting down Santa Ana.

FIRE!

Royal Sovereign rakes the pride of the Spanish navy with a full broadside.

RELOAD.

FIRE.

RELOAD.

FIRE.

Royal Sovereign pours broadside after swift broadside into Santa Ana.

Following behind in column, all the rest of Collingwood's ships just see her disappear into a cloud of smoke and flame as the nearest Spanish ships surround her, firing, trying to save the Spanish Flagship.

What they don't realise is this was Nelson's plan. He was doing the same thing (and dying) on the other side of the battle right now in Victory.

But it would be for nothing if Collingwood couldn't cause chaos here too, and that's EXACTLY what he was doing.

One by one, the rest of Collingwood's squadron caught up, breaking through the smoke and picking out their own targets in the now-broken enemy line.

What they each saw was Royal Sovereign, smashed but still firing on the ships surrounding her...

And Santa Ana dead in the water.

Because seriously: Royal Sovereign was that fucking good.

Collingwood hated flogging. He hated impressment. He cared about his crews. They called him 'Father'. He INSPIRED them. They loved him. They fought for him. They were prepared to die for him.

Demasted, immobile, barely afloat, Royal Sovereign fought on as the rest of the squadron arrived and drew off the pressure. The plan was working!

Then DISASTER! News reaches Collingwood. Nelson is shot. Impossible sniper shot. French are using Call of Duty Bot Hax. Bastards.

That means Collingwood's now Commander in Chief. But he can't run this battle from Royal Sovereign now. He casts her a pained glance then takes to a boat. He needs better vantage and the ability to manoeuvre.

Luckily there's a PERFECT ship for him to move to nearby: HMS Euryalus

Euryalus is a nippy little 36-gun frigate. Nelson had toyed with commanding the whole battle from her until he'd worked out his plan, and decided he needed to be leading from the front in Victory

She'd been in Nelson's column, but had ended up nearer Royal Sovereign in the chaos

But just because she didn't have a lot of guns, didn't mean Euryalus hadn't taken a pop at the big bois. She'd just been smart about it:

When Royal Sovereign couldn't move anymore, Euryalus took her under tow and kept rotating her to face the enemy. 😁

Anyway, Collingwood is now aboard her, and it's from here that he commands the rest of the battle as Nelson lies dying, but still in nominal command, within Victory.

And then Nelson gives his last order, as it becomes clear the British are winning:

When it's over, anchor up.

Nelson's logic is sound. He knows the British ships are likely in an absolute state. He also knows the French and Spanish ones are worse. If they anchor, they can do quick repairs AND capture more French/Spanish ships as prizes.

It's smart. But Nelson is also absolutely wrong.

Collingwood, now fully in command, realises this. He's on the deck of HMS Euryalus. He can see the weather is turning and is an old enough sea dog to feel it:

A BIG storm is coming.

And so Collingwood does something very brave: He orders the fleet to ignore Nelson's last order.

And, because he does, not a single British ship is lost as the storm descends. Collingwood's final gift to his beloved Commander-in-Chief is to save his fleet.

That was why Nelson trusted Collingwood. It was why Collingwood trusted Nelson. Both knew when to disobey, not obey.

Ironically, by helping Nelson win at Trafalgar, Collingwood essentially robs himself of his own opportunity to stake a claim as one of the finest naval commanders of his age. There are no more big battles after it

But he was also EXACTLY what the navy needed after Nelson's death

Collingwood would spend the rest of his life commanding the fleet. He would become a critical force in the Mediterranean wielding the navy as a big stick in a soft glove.

His combination of command ability, logistical skills and diplomacy were exactly what the British needed.

For Collingwood, this was a burden now. He was a tired man. He hadn't been home since 1803 when he had agreed to return to the fleet to fight the French from his beloved North-East.

Collingwood was a proud Geordie lad. He just wanted to walk his dog and plant acorns.

Multiple times he asked, privately, to be relieved of command. His requests were refused by both government and navy, even as his health began to clearly decline.

He was just too good at what he did. Britain couldn't afford to lose him. Collingwood nodded and did his duty.

Collingwood struggled on, even when it became clear he wasn't just ill, but dying of cancer. He missed his wife, and he missed the north east, but he did his duty.

"Whenever I think how I am to be happy again," he wrote, sadly. "My thoughts carry me back to Morpeth."

And then finally, in 1809 the cancer finally began to win. As his health began to totally fail he asked one final time to be recalled. His request was accepted.

Finally, Cuthbert Collingwood was going home.

Baron Collingwood, of Caldburne and Hethpool, quiet hero of Trafalgar, bastion of the navy post-Nelson, died at sea on HMS Ville de Paris on his way back to England.

He never got to see home again.

So yeah. Every Trafalgar day I like to spend a few minutes thinking about Admiral Collingwood.

Nelson got the headlines, and indeed Collingwood (incorrectly IMO) always graciously refused any attempt to give him some of the credit for the victory.

But without Collingwood, Nelson maybe doesn't win. Without Collingwood, the fleet doesn't survive. NO ONE else would have been brave enough to countermand Nelson's final order.

And without Collingwood the war goes far worse in the Peninsular and beyond.

And if you don't believe me about that. Because yeah, I know: Twitter. Then realise that Collingwood's sailors, fellow admirals and the politicians he worked for knew.

Because Nelson isn't the ONLY Admiral from Trafalgar buried in St Paul's cathedral.

Just as in the battle itself, there is another Admiral buried there alongside him:

Collingwood.

It's just that nobody ever really notices.

And I think Collingwood wouldn't mind that.

Like this? Want do something nice rather than weeping uncontrollably? Then...

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