Existing comment:
Ships of the Fleets:
This diorama includes all the ships of the line for both fleets (twenty-seven British, thirty-three French/Spanish) as well as three non-ships of the line.
The Spanish first rate Santisima Trinidad (130 guns) was the largest ship in either fleet. The Spanish also had a couple of 112 gun ships. Nelson's Flagship Victory was rated at 100 guns, while Villeneuve's Bucentaire was only 80 guns. Most ships in both fleets were third rate 74 gun ships. Both fleets also included third rate 64 gun ships (one Spanish, three British) including HMS Africa.
Modelers also included three non-ships of the line for perspective. The frigates and smaller ships served as scouts, stood by and relayed signals during the battle, and carried out various duties after the battle. Just to the east of the British line is the 36 gun frigate HMS Euryalis and 10 gun schooner HMS Pickle. After the battle and the death of Vice Admiral Nelson, Vice Admiral Collingwood assumed command of the British fleet and transferred his flag to the Euryalis. The other ships were too badly damaged. The fast schooner Pickle (similar to the Museum's ship, Californian) carried the news of the battle and Nelson's death back to England. Other smaller ships towed the ships that had been dismasted in battle.
Also represented is 24 fun replica frigate Surprise, the ship on which you are now standing. This allowed you to see how the ship are currently on "sizes up" to other ships that participated in the battle. Frigates were the cruisers of the 18th and 19th century. Ranging from 24 to 44 guns, frigates operated as scouts for the fleet or independently as commerce raiders. Dashing frigate captains were viewed with the same romantic aura as hotshot fighter pilots today. |