Admiral Nelson England. Horatio Nelson

Horatio Nelson (Nelson, Horatio) (born September 29, 1758 - October 21, 1805) - an outstanding British naval commander, vice admiral (1801), viscount (1801).

Since 1798 - commander of the squadron in the Mediterranean Sea, won a number of victories over the French fleet, including at Aboukir (1798), and in 1805 - over the Franco-Spanish fleet in the Battle of Trafalgar (Admiral Nelson himself was mortally wounded during this battle ). Buried in London.

Origin. early years

Horatio Nelson was born in Norfolk to the parish priest Edmund Nelson (1722-1802) and Catherine Suckling (1725-1767), a family of 11 children. The future admiral grew up as a sickly child, was short stature, with a lively character.

At the age of 12 he entered the naval service. 1773 - took part in an expedition equipped to open the northern passage off the coast of America from Atlantic Ocean in Quiet. During the expedition, 15-year-old Nelson discovered such character traits that he was repeatedly placed at the head of detachments sent on dangerous reconnaissance missions. 1777 - Horatio was sent to the West Indies to guard the Gulf of Honduras from attacks by American privateers. After 2 years, he, not yet reaching adulthood (!), received command of a frigate of the Royal Navy. Commanding him, he took Fort San Juan in Nicaragua, and later took part in the war with America.

Military career

Nelson continued to command various ships, but in 1787 he was forced to resign. He discovered and proved many abuses in the English fleet, which allowed him to make many influential enemies.

With the outbreak of war with the French, Horatio returned to the fleet, receiving command of the battleship Agamemnon and was able to distinguish himself in many naval battles under the flag of Admiral Samuel Hood. 1794 - participated in the conquest of Corsica and lost an eye during one of the attacks on the besieged city of Calvi. In the war with France, he achieved only successes and victories, largely thanks to his courage, rich naval training and command experience.

During his time commanding the fleet, Admiral Ushakov did not lose a single ship...

Rear Admiral Nelson

1797 - contributed brilliant victory the British over the Spanish fleet near Cape Saint Vincent, capturing three enemy battleships, one of which included a Spanish admiral. For this he received the rank of rear admiral and the Order of the Bath.

On next year Admiral Nelson, commanding the Cadiz squadron, made a bold but unsuccessful attack on the island of Tenerife. There the city of Santa Cruz was taken, but the winner lost his right arm. Returning to England, he received a pension of 1000 pounds sterling as a reward.

Napoleonic Wars

1798 - was appointed commander of a squadron in the Mediterranean with a special assignment to monitor the preparations of the French in Toulon: there the general was preparing for the Egyptian expedition. Due to inclement weather, the French were able to leave Toulon harbor undetected. The admiral chased after them, but caught up with the enemy fleet only in Abukir Bay, when Napoleon’s army had already descended on Egyptian soil.

1798, August 1 - the famous Battle of Abukir began in the evening, which ended at 12 o'clock the next day. The French lost 11 battleships, 2 frigates, and more than 6,000 people killed, wounded and captured. The losses of the winners were estimated at 900 people; Horatio Nelson himself was wounded in the head.

With the victory at Abukir, the admiral was able to cut off the Napoleonic army in Egypt from France. He was literally bombarded with awards. He received the peerage, the title of Lord of the Nile and Birnham-Thorne, and the British Parliament approved a pension of 2,000 pounds sterling for him and his immediate heirs. Turkish Sultan sent him his turban with a precious agraph and the Order of the Moon as a gift, and the Russian sent him his portrait with rich decorations.

Emma Hamilton. Resignation

In Naples, where Horatio Nelson was greeted with royal honors, he entered into a relationship with his wife English Ambassador Nickname Emma Hamilton. With her help, it was possible to convince the Neapolitan court to start a war with France. However, the French went on the offensive and won, and the naval commander had to take the Neapolitan king on board and take him and his courtiers to Palermo, Sicily.

When the French garrison surrendered to the king's viceroy, Cardinal Ruffo, the admiral who returned to Naples declared Ruffo to have exceeded his authority and the capitulation to be invalid. The British captured unarmed French and Italian republican revolutionaries, carrying out a bloody reprisal against them. Admiral Nelson in those days became an instrument of personal revenge on Lady Hamilton and Queen Caroline.

1800 - the English envoy Hamilton was recalled from Naples. Offended by this, the admiral, whose connection with Emma did not prevent him from remaining in friendly relations with her husband, also resigned and went to London with the Hamilton couple. However, there he soon changed his mind and returned to the fleet again.

Return to the Navy

Commanding the British fleet together with Admirals Hyde and Parker, he took military action against the Union of Northern Sea Powers. Having successfully passed through the Sound, the naval commander approached Copenhagen and with a two-day cannonade (April 2 and 3, 1801) turned a significant part of Copenhagen into ruins. In the autumn of the same year he made an unsuccessful attack on Boulogne.

Trafalgar naval battle

1805 - Admiral Nelson again became commander of the squadron Mediterranean Sea, operating against the combined Franco-Spanish fleet, commanded by Admiral Villeneuve, his longtime acquaintance from Abukir. He acted extremely timidly, avoiding battle, but on December 21, 1805 he was forced to accept him at Cape Trafalgar.

The battle lasted 5 hours 30 minutes. The Allied fleet was completely destroyed, the Spanish commander was killed, and Admiral Villeneuve was captured. The naval power of France was undermined for a long time, and England's dominance at sea became undeniable.

Fatal wound

Admiral Nelson did not have the chance to see the finale of the Battle of Trafalgar and become its triumphant. Even before the end of the naval battle, he was mortally wounded in the back. Trafalgar's victory made his name one of the most popular in Britain and made him forget about his cruelty. Nelson's body was transported to London and buried in St. Paul's Church, where a monument was erected to him. Nelson's heirs - first his brother, then his sister's offspring - bear the title of Earls of Trafalgar.

England honors the name of Admiral Nelson as one of its great national heroes. 1843 - a 50-meter column with a huge (5-meter) statue of Horatio Nelson was erected in Trafalgar Square in London.

Admiral Nelson (1758-1805) is rightfully considered one of the best English naval commanders. No wonder his ashes were buried in St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Only the most famous and worthy citizens of Great Britain were awarded this honor. And Horatio (that was the admiral’s name) belonged precisely to this cohort. He was a crystal honest, deeply decent and fearless man. Thanks to such people, England for many centuries was considered the most powerful sea power peace.

Childhood

Horatio was born in the small village of Burnham Thorpe in Norfolk (eastern tip of England) on September 29, 1758. The baby was born into the family of a priest. The boy grew up weak and sickly, but had a lively and sociable character. He had 10 brothers and sisters. In 1767 big family grief befell. The mother died and the children remained with their father.

In 1771, Horatio was taken to his ship as a cabin boy by his uncle Maurice Suckling. The boy became noticeably stronger and more mature while serving on the ship. That's how it began maritime activities, which lasted until 1775. During this time, the young man received the basics of maritime education. He mastered the basics of navigation, learned to understand sea charts, and visited the Atlantic, Arctic and Indian oceans.

Naval service

Beginning of a naval career

In 1777, the young man passed very difficult exams in maritime science, and he was awarded the rank of lieutenant. After this, he was assigned to a warship and sailed to the West Indies (islands in the waters Gulf of Mexico). Here he showed himself to be an intelligent naval officer and was soon transferred to the flagship Bristol. Then the young man's service took place on the brig Badger. It consisted of protecting the east coast of America. The main task was to catch smugglers, which was a hectic and nervous task.

At the age of 20, the future famous naval commander was given command of the frigate Hinchinbrook. On it, the young officer continues to successfully catch smugglers. He develops a very good relationship with the squadron commander, Admiral Parker.

In 1780, Horatio fell ill with yellow fever and was sent to England for treatment. After recovery, he served in the North Sea, and then was again transferred to the West Indies and continued service on the frigate "Borey". Nelson was charged with strictly monitoring the implementation of the Navigation Act. According to it, goods could only be imported into the colonial ports of England on English ships. Thus, monopoly trade was observed.

In 1787, the already experienced naval officer married Frances Nisbet, a sweet and charming woman. These 2 people were united by love, which they carried through the rest of their lives. That same year, the happy married couple left for England. But the serene idyll was interrupted in 1793, when the war with France began. It was from this time that the star of a talented and brave naval commander, selflessly devoted to his homeland, began to rise.

British Navy

Military operations in the Mediterranean

Nelson was put in command of a battleship that was part of the Mediterranean Flotilla. He took part in the battles near Toulon and led the landing on Corsica. During the siege of the Calvi fortress, an enemy shell exploded near the brave captain. The fragments whistled past, but a lot of sand got into the right eye. After that, he began to see poorly, but Horatio did not wear any black bandage on his face.

In naval battles, the brave officer showed highest craftsmanship. In February 1797, a battle took place with the Spanish fleet at Cape St. Vincent. Victory over the enemy was ensured by the timely and competent actions of the talented captain. He performed a daring and brilliant maneuver not contemplated by naval combat science. He played crucial in battle. The Spanish fleet was completely defeated. But the Spanish sailors were not much inferior in their skill to the English ones. For this battle, Nelson was awarded the rank of rear admiral.

On July 22-25, 1797, the famous battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife took place. The purpose of this battle was to capture the Spanish archipelago for the further use of its islands as military naval bases. But here Admiral Nelson was defeated. He attempted to attack a heavily fortified city without having the means to do so. the necessary forces. Apparently the previous victories turned our hero’s head, and he lost his objectivity and cold calculation. Therefore, defeat for him was like a tub of cold water. To top it all off, Horatio lost his right arm during the battle.

Only at the beginning of August 1798, in the battle between the French and English squadrons at Abukir, the admiral managed to rehabilitate himself. The French fleet was completely defeated, and ground troops found themselves cut off from the Mediterranean Sea, which disrupted their supplies. During the battle, our hero was again wounded, in the head.

During the battles for Naples, Horatio met with the legendary Russian admiral Ushakov. Thanks to their joint efforts, the French garrison capitulated and the city was liberated. In 1801 our hero received another title Vice Admiral. He continued to courageously endure all the hardships of difficult naval service. He commanded the Mediterranean squadron, which acted against Spanish and French naval forces.

Wounded Admiral Nelson

On October 21 at 11:00 the Trafalgar naval battle began. The battle took place near the city of Cadiz, located on Atlantic coast. The Franco-Spanish fleet suffered crushing defeat. He lost 22 warships, and the British lost none. But it was during this battle that tragedy occurred.

Our hero was on deck during a close battle. The gunner on the mast of the enemy ship spotted the commander and shot at him with a musket. The distance was short, so the bullet pierced the shoulder and hit the spine. The wounded Admiral Nelson was taken to his cabin, but his condition was very serious. Until he lost consciousness, he demanded that he be given a full report on the battle. After 15 hours the commander died. At the time of his death he was 47 years old.

The body of the famous naval commander was delivered to the capital of England. On January 9, 1806, a solemn funeral took place. This is how it ended life path an outstanding man and sailor. He served his homeland honestly, received numerous and serious injuries, but did not resign, but continued to do his duty until death stopped him..

Alexander Arsentiev

Fleets, including at Abukir and Trafalgar (in this battle he was mortally wounded). Supporter of maneuverable tactics and decisive actions. A naval commander whose name became a symbol of England's naval power.

Childhood

Born into the family of parish priest Edmund Nelson (1722-1802) and Catherine Suckling (1725-1767). Edmund Nelson's family had eleven children, he raised them strictly, loved order in everything, believed Fresh air And physical exercise very important in the matter of education, sincerely believed in God, considered himself a true gentleman and partly even a scientist. Horatio grew up as a sickly child, short in stature, but with a lively character. He became especially close to his brother William, who would later follow in his father's footsteps and become a priest. Horatio studied at two schools: Downham Market Primary and Norwich Secondary, studied Shakespeare and the basics of Latin, but he had no inclination to study.

Carier start

In 1771, at the age of 12, he joined the ship of his uncle Captain Maurice Suckling, a hero, as a cabin boy. Seven Years' War. His uncle's reaction to Horatio's desire to join the navy was as follows:

Soon, his uncle's ship "Rezonable" was mothballed, and Horatio, at his uncle's request, was transferred to the battleship "Triumph". The captain of the Triumph was planning to go to the West Indies, and it was on this voyage that young Nelson acquired his first skills in naval service. Nelson subsequently recalled the first voyage:

He then worked as a messenger on another ship. After this, Suckling takes his nephew to join him on the Triumph as a midshipman. The ship was on patrol duty, and Captain Suckling was engaged maritime education nephew Under the guidance of his uncle, Horatio mastered the basics of navigation, learned to read a map and perform the duties of a gunner.

In the summer of 1773 it was organized polar expedition, which included fourteen-year-old Horatio, sent to serve on Carcass. The expedition was not successful and to this day is known only for the fact that the future hero took part in it. However, even there Horatio amazed everyone with his courage when he saw a polar bear at night, grabbed a musket and chased after it, to the horror of the ship’s captain. The bear, frightened by the cannon shot, disappeared, and upon returning to the ship Nelson took all the blame upon himself. The captain, scolding him, in his heart admired the courage of the young man. Polar adventures strengthened the hero, and he longed for new exploits.

In 1773, he became a 1st class sailor on the brig Seahorse. Nelson spent almost a year in Indian Ocean. In 1775, he fell down with an attack of fever, he was taken to the ship Dolphin and sent to the shores of England. The return voyage lasted more than six months. Much later, Nelson recalled a vision on his way from India:

Upon arrival at home, he was appointed to the ship "Worcester" as a fourth lieutenant, that is, he was already a watch commander, although he did not yet have officer rank. He carried out patrol duty and accompanied trade caravans.

Participation in the American Revolution

In the spring of 1777, Horatio Nelson took the exam for the rank of lieutenant (with the help of his “all-powerful uncle” Captain Suckling, who was the chairman of the examination committee). Immediately after successfully passing the exam, he is assigned to the frigate Lovestov, which sailed to the West Indies. The Lovestov crew treated the young lieutenant with respect and, when he left the frigate, gave him a box made of Ivory in the form of their frigate. Nelson transferred to the flagship Bristol under the command of Parker.

In 1778, Nelson became commander and was assigned to the brig Badger, guarding the eastern coast. Latin America. The coastal security service was restless, as they constantly had to chase after smugglers. One day during the Badger's stay in Montego Bay, the brig Glasgow suddenly caught fire. Thanks to Nelson's actions, the brig's crew was saved. In 1779, twenty-year-old Nelson became a full captain and was given command of the 28-gun frigate Hinchinbrook. On his first independent voyage off the coast of America, he captured several loaded ships, the prize amount was about 800 pounds, part of which he sent to his father.

In 1780, on the orders of Admiral Parker, Nelson left Jamaica and landed troops at the mouth of the San Juan River in Honduras (now the border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica), the goal of which was to capture Fort San Juan. The fort was taken, but without Nelson, who was ordered to return to Jamaica, which saved his life, since most of the sailors died of severe dysentery.

French revolutionary wars

Waging a stubborn fight against smuggling, he more than once came into conflict with his superiors, demanding from them strict compliance with the laws. Having thus made many enemies among Admiralty officials, upon his return to England he was actually excommunicated from the fleet and, living in the village, waited for a new appointment for five whole years.

Only with the outbreak of the war against France (1793) Nelson received the position of captain battleship as part of Admiral Samuel Hood's Mediterranean Squadron. In the same year, he took an active part in the hostilities near Toulon, in July 1794 he commanded a landing party in Corsica, having received a wound to his right eye during the siege of the Calvi fortress, and on July 13, 1795, he distinguished himself in a naval battle, forcing the surrender of a French ship, which was much superior by the power of his own.

On February 14, 1797, he took part in the battle of Cape Saint Vincent (the extreme southwestern tip of Portugal). On his own initiative, he took his ship out of the squadron's line formation and carried out a maneuver that was decisive for the defeat of the Spanish fleet. Nelson alone attacked 18 ships and boarded 2 of them, receiving for this battle the Knight's Cross of the Order of the Bath and the rank of rear admiral of the blue flag (blue squadron).

In July 1797, under unsuccessful attempt capture the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife Nelson lost his right arm.

Napoleonic Wars

In May 1798, a storm that scattered his squadron did not allow the Egyptian expedition of Napoleon Bonaparte to be prevented from sailing from Toulon. Having set off in pursuit, Nelson discovered the enemy fleet in the Gulf of Abukir (the mouth of the Nile). Here he successfully applied the advanced tactics of naval combat for that time, which consisted in the desire to attack part of the enemy ships with superior forces, and then fall on the rest and destroy them. On August 1, at sunset, he threw 10 battleships against 13 French, anchored under the cover of coastal artillery, and in a battle that lasted all night, he captured and destroyed 11 of them, without losing a single one of his own. Nelson himself was wounded in the head. Bonaparte's army, blocked in Egypt, was doomed. As a reward, George III made Nelson Peer Baron of Neil and Burnham Thorpe.

In Naples, where Nelson brought the ships for repairs after Abukir, his famous affair with the wife of the English ambassador, Lady Emma Hamilton, began, which continued until the death of the admiral and was subsequently repeatedly described in fiction. In 1799, Nelson assisted King Ferdinand IV of the Two Sicilies in suppressing the Neapolitan Revolution, receiving the title Duke of Bronte in gratitude.

Upon returning to England, Nelson was promoted to vice admiral (1801) and assigned to the post of 2nd flagship of the Baltic squadron, heading against the powers of “armed neutrality”. On April 2, 1801, he burned the Danish fleet in a battle in Copenhagen harbor, for which Nelson received the title of Viscount.

Then he commanded a squadron in the English Channel, which was formed to counter the French Boulogne flotilla. In 1803-1805, commander of the Mediterranean squadron operating against France and Spain. For two years he chased the enemy, who was avoiding a general battle. Only on October 21, 1805, at Cape Trafalgar (north of Gibraltar) did he meet with the combined forces of the Spanish- French fleet and, again abandoning the outdated linear tactics, completely defeated them. In this battle, Nelson was mortally wounded by a French sniper on the first day of the battle, while advancing against the combined forces of the French and Spanish fleet.

Forty years later, Nelson's reports and letters first appeared in print (1845), and relatively recently - his last diary (1971).

Thanks to his courage, determination and unconventional perception of tactics, Horatio Nelson won many victories, confirming and ensuring Britain's unchallenged supremacy at sea.

Admiral Nelson's uniform, in which he received mortal wound at the Battle of Trafalgar. Exhibit at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich.

There is a common misconception that Admiral Nelson wore a patch over his right eye. However, it is not. Indeed, in the battles in Corsica he received a shrapnel wound to his right eye from sand and stone chips. He was immediately bandaged and returned to battle. He did not lose his eyes, but his vision with them became worse.

The admiral's corpse was transported to London in a barrel of brandy. This is where the myth arose that sailors allegedly drank from this barrel through straws, secretly from their superiors. This is unlikely, because the body of the deceased was guarded around the clock.

It is mentioned that the admiral had severe seasickness.

Perpetuation of memory

In the center of London on Trafalgar Square stands the Nelson's Column monument.

Image in art and media

Sydney Boots (Battle of Trafalgar, 1911)
Donald Kalthrup (Nelson, 1918)
Humberston Wright (Lady Hamilton's Romance, 1919)
Conrad Veidt (Lady Hamilton, 1921)
Cedric Hardwicke (Nelson, 1926)
Victor Varkoni (The Divine Lady, 1929)
John Barton and Douglas Scott (Lloyd's of London, 1936)
Laurence Olivier (That Hamilton Woman, 1941)
Stephen Haggard (Young Mister Pitt, 1942)
Lester Matthew (Tyrant of the Sea, 1950)
Andrew Osborne / Richard Longman (The Powder Monkey, 1951)
Ivan Solovyov (“Admiral Ushakov”, “Ships storm the bastions”, 1953)
Robert James (Triton, 1961)
Terry Scully (Triton, 1968, Pegasus, 1969)
Jimmy Thompson (Carry on Jack, 1963)
Richard Johnson (Le calde notti di Lady Hamilton, 1968)
Eric Idle (Monty Python's Flying Circus, 1970)
Peter Finch (Bequest to the Nation, 1973)
Alan Penn (The Duke of Wellington at Stratfield Saye, 1979)
Kenneth Colley (“I Remember Nelson (TV series)” / “I Remember Nelson”, 1982)
Nicholas Grace (“Napoleon and Josephine” / “Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story”, 1987)
Philip Pope (Blackadder's Christmas Carol, 1988)
Anthony Daniels (“Ghosts of Albion (TV series)” / Ghosts of Albion, 2003-2004)
Johannes Silberschneider (“Luisa Sanfelice” / Luisa Sanfelice, 2004)
Robert Ling (Trafalgar Battle Surgeon, 2005)

Horatio Nelson(Nelson Horatio) (September 29, 1758 - Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk - October 21, 1805, off Cape Trafalgar, Spain), a naval commander whose name became a symbol of England's naval power. Glory national hero came to Nelson after the battle on February 14, 1797 at Cape St. Vincent (the extreme southwestern tip of Portugal). On his own initiative, he took his ship out of the squadron's line formation and carried out a maneuver that was decisive for the defeat of the Spanish fleet. Two of the four Spanish ships captured by the British were boarded under the personal command of Nelson, who received the Knight's Cross of the Order of the Bath and the rank of rear admiral for this battle.

Horatio Nelson (eng. Horatio Nelson; September 29, 1758, Burnham Thorpe (English), Norfolk County - October 21, 1805, Cape Trafalgar, Spain) - English naval commander, vice admiral (January 1, 1801), Baron of the Nile (1798) , viscount (1801).
Born into the family of parish priest Edmund Nelson (1722-1802) and Catherine Suckling (1725-1767). The Nelson family was theological. Three generations of men from this family served as priests. Edmund Nelson's family had eleven children, he raised them strictly, loved order in everything, considered fresh air and physical exercise very important in education, sincerely believed in God, considered himself a priest, a true gentleman, and partly even a scientist. Horatio grew up as a sickly child, short in stature, but with a lively character. In 1767, Horatio's mother, Katherine Nelson, died at the age of forty-two. Edmund Nelson never married after the death of his wife. Horatio became especially close to his brother William, who would later follow in his father's footsteps and become a priest. Horatio studied at two schools: Downham Market Primary and Norwich Secondary, studied Shakespeare and the basics of Latin, but he had no inclination to study.
In 1771, at the age of 12, he joined the ship of his uncle Captain Maurice Suckling, a hero of the Seven Years' War, as a cabin boy. The uncle’s reaction to Horatio’s desire to join the navy was as follows: “What has poor Horatio done wrong that it is he, the most fragile of all, who will have to do naval service? But let him come. Maybe in the very first battle a cannonball will blow his head off and relieve him of all his worries!” Soon, his uncle's ship "Rezonable" was mothballed, and Horatio, at his uncle's request, was transferred to the battleship "Triumph". The captain of the Triumph was planning to go to the West Indies, and it was on this voyage that young Nelson acquired his first skills in naval service. Subsequently, Nelson recalled about the first voyage: “If I did not succeed in my education, then, in any case, I acquired a lot of practical skills, an aversion to the Royal Navy and learned the motto of the sailors: “Forward in the struggle for rewards and glory, brave sailor!” " He then worked as a messenger on another ship. After this, Suckling takes his nephew to join him on the Triumph as a midshipman. The ship was on patrol duty, and Captain Suckling was engaged in the maritime education of his nephew. Under the guidance of his uncle, Horatio mastered the basics of navigation, learned to read a map and perform the duties of a gunner. Soon, young Nelson gets a longboat at his disposal and sails on it at the mouths of the Thames and Midway.
In the summer of 1773, a polar expedition was organized, which included fourteen-year-old Horatio, sent to serve on the Carcass. The expedition was not successful and to this day is known only for the fact that the future hero took part in it. However, even there Horatio amazed everyone with his courage when he saw a polar bear at night, grabbed a musket and chased after it, to the horror of the ship’s captain. The bear, frightened by the cannon shot, disappeared, and upon returning to the ship Nelson took all the blame upon himself. The captain, scolding him, in his heart admired the courage of the young man. Polar adventures strengthened the hero, and he longed for new exploits. In 1773, he became a 1st class sailor on the brig Seahorse. Nelson spent almost a year in the Indian Ocean. In 1775, he fell down with an attack of fever, he was taken to the ship Dolphin and sent to the shores of England. The return voyage lasted more than six months. Much later, Nelson recalled a certain vision on the way from India: “A certain light descending from the sky, a sparkling luminary calling to glory and triumph.” Upon arrival at home, he was appointed to the ship Worcester as a fourth lieutenant, that is, he was already a watch commander, although he did not yet have the rank of officer. He carried out patrol duty and accompanied trade caravans.
In the spring of 1777, Horatio Nelson took the exam for the rank of lieutenant, as they say, not without the help of his all-powerful uncle Captain Suckling, who was the chairman of the examination committee. Immediately after successfully passing the exam, he is assigned to the frigate Lovestov, which sailed to the West Indies. The officer's toast before sailing: “To a bloody war and a season that brings disease!” The Lovestov crew treated the young lieutenant with respect and, when he left the frigate, gave him an ivory box in the shape of their frigate as a souvenir. Nelson transferred to the flagship Bristol under the command of Parker. In 1778, Nelson became a commander and was assigned to the brig Badger, guarding the eastern coast of Latin America. The coastal security service was restless, as they constantly had to chase after smugglers. One day during the Badger's stay in Montego Bay, the brig Glasgow suddenly caught fire. Thanks to Nelson's actions, the brig's crew was saved. In 1779, twenty-year-old Nelson became a full captain and was given command of the 28-gun frigate Hinchinbrook. On his first independent voyage off the coast of America, he captured several loaded ships, the prize amount was about 800 pounds, part of which he sent to his father.
In 1780, on the orders of Admiral Parker, Nelson left Jamaica and landed troops at the mouth of the San Juan River, the goal being to capture Fort San Juan. The fort was taken, but without Nelson, who was ordered to return to Jamaica, which saved his life, since most of the sailors died of yellow fever. The patient was treated at the house of Admiral Parker, where he was received like a son. With the first ship he is sent to England for treatment. He arrives in the resort town of Bath, from where he writes: “I would give anything to be in Port Royal again. Lady Parker is not here, and the servants do not pay any attention to me, and I am lying around like a log.” Recovery was slow. He visits brother William in Norfolk and learns of his brother's desire to become a ship's chaplain. This terrifies Horatio; he, like no one else, knowing sea customs, realizes that this is an incredibly difficult and thankless task. However, the brother remains unconvinced.
An assignment to the Albemarle soon followed, he was sent to Denmark, then served in Quebec. Here Horatio met his first love - the 16-year-old daughter of the chief of military police, Mary Simpson. From his letters it is clear that he had never experienced such feelings and had no experience in love affairs. He dreamed that he would take Mary home and live quietly with her in rural Norfolk: “What is the navy to me and what is a career to me now that I have found true love! However, while indulging in dreams, the lover did not even bother to ask Mary about her feelings for him. Friends persuaded him not to propose yet and to test his feelings by going to New York, the new home port of the Albemarle. Here he met Prince William, the future King of England William IV. The prince recalled: “When Nelson arrived in his longboat, he seemed to me to be a boy in a captain’s uniform.”
In 1783, taking a vacation, he travels with a friend to France; he is unpleasantly surprised by this country - the eternal enemy of England. There Nelson falls in love with a certain Miss Andrews, but he never achieves reciprocity from her. He leaves for London and from there writes to his brother: “There are so many temptations in London that a man’s life is spent entirely on them.” To the surprise of many, Nelson wants to become a parliamentarian and lobby for the interests of the Admiralty in Parliament, however, when the First Lord of the Admiralty invites him to return to service, he immediately agrees, so politics was over. He was offered the frigate "Borey", which was supposed to carry out patrol service in the West Indies. Nelson had to include his brother William in the ship's staff, who never gave up the idea of carrying Good News sailors. At Port Deal, the captain learned that the Dutch had captured 16 English sailors, he sent an armed detachment on board the Dutch ship and opened cannon ports, the sailors were released and joined the crew of the Boreas. In 1784, the frigate entered the harbor of the island of Antigua, it was put in order and loaded with supplies. Meanwhile, the captain managed to meet and fall in love with Jane Moutray, the wife of the Admiralty representative in Antigua, and soon the official was recalled to England and his beautiful wife left with him. Brother William, disillusioned with the position of the ship's chaplain, began to drink and became seriously ill; he had to be sent home to England.
Nelson’s relationship with the commander did not work out either. Nelson's main task in the West Indies was to monitor compliance with the Navigation Act, according to which goods could only be imported into English colonial ports on English ships, thus giving English merchants and shipowners a monopoly on trade and at the same time this act supported the British fleet.
After the United States won independence, American ships became foreign and could not trade on the same terms, but a market formed and the Americans continued to trade. Local English officials knew about this, but remained silent, since they received a significant percentage from the smuggling. Nelson believed that if American trade was harmful to England, it should be eradicated. He later recalled: “When they were colonists, the Americans owned almost all trade from America to the West Indian Islands, and when the war ended they forgot that having won, they became foreigners and now have no right to trade with British colonies. Our governors and customs officials pretend that under the Navigation Act they have the right to trade, and the people of the West Indian Islands want what is to their advantage. Having notified the governors, customs officers and Americans in advance of what I was going to do, I captured many ships, which turned all these groups against me. I was driven from one island to another, and for a long time I could not even get on land. But my unshakable moral rules helped me survive, and when this problem was better understood, I received support from my homeland. “I proved that the position of captain of a warship obliges him to comply with all maritime laws and carry out orders from the Admiralty, and not to be a customs officer.” Complaints were written against Nelson, but the king promised him his support in the event of a trial. The captain could not even imagine that not only the local governor-general and the squadron commander, but also a huge number of London officials were feeding from West Indian smuggling, so he acquired many high-ranking enemies in the capital.
New life stage began with Nelson being asked to bring John Herbert's niece, Miss Perry Herbert, to the island of Barbados. Upon arrival, he was invited to visit and there he first saw Herbert’s second niece, the young widow Frances Nisbet, in the home circle she was affectionately called Fanny, she had a son from her first marriage. Nelson fell in love immediately: “I don’t have the slightest doubt that we will be a happy couple, and if we are not, it will be my fault.” On March 11, 1787, their wedding took place. In 1787, Nelson left the West Indies, he went home, Fanny and her son left a little later. In 1793, with the outbreak of war against France, he received the position of captain of a battleship as part of the Mediterranean squadron of Admiral Samuel Hood. In the same year, he took an active part in the hostilities near Toulon, in July 1794 he commanded a landing party in Corsica, having received a wound to his right eye during the siege of the Calvi fortress, and on July 13, 1795, he distinguished himself in a naval battle, forcing the surrender of a French ship, which was much superior by the power of his own.
On February 14, 1797, he took part in the battle of Cape Saint Vincent (the extreme southwestern tip of Portugal). On his own initiative, he took his ship out of the squadron's line formation and carried out a maneuver that was decisive for the defeat of the Spanish fleet. Two of the four Spanish ships captured by the British were boarded under the personal command of Nelson, who received the Knight's Cross of the Order of the Bath and the rank of rear admiral of the blue flag (blue squadron) for this battle.
In July 1797, during an unsuccessful attempt to capture the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Nelson lost his right arm. Since 1798, he commanded a squadron sent to the Mediterranean Sea to counter the Egyptian expedition of 1798-1801 undertaken by France. The English squadron failed to prevent the landing French troops in Alexandria, however, on August 1-2, 1798, Nelson managed to defeat the French fleet at Aboukir, cutting off Napoleon Bonaparte's army in Egypt; Nelson himself was wounded in the head. As a reward, George III made Nelson Peer Baron of Neil and Burnham Thorpe. In August 1799, he was in favor of restoring Ottoman rule in Egypt. awarded by the Sultan Selim III with the Order of the Crescent and was awarded a chapel.
In Naples, where Nelson was sent to help the Kingdom of Naples in the fight against France, his affair began with the wife of the English ambassador, Lady Emma Hamilton, which lasted until the admiral’s death. Emma gave birth to his daughter Horatia Nelson. Nelson did not have time to help Naples, and the city fell into the hands of the French. After the liberation of Naples by the Russian squadron of Admiral F.F. Ushakov and the surrender of the French garrison, Nelson, despite the protests of the Russian allies, tarnished his name with brutal reprisals against French prisoners and Italian republicans. On February 12, 1799, he was promoted to the rank of rear admiral of the red flag.
In 1801, he was the 2nd flagship in Admiral Hyde Parker's squadron during operations in the Baltic Sea and the bombardment of Copenhagen, then commanded a squadron in the English Channel, which was formed to counter the French Boulogne flotilla. In 1803-1805, commander of the Mediterranean squadron operating against France and Spain. In September 1805, Nelson's squadron blocked the Franco-Spanish fleet at Cadiz, and on October 21 defeated it at the naval battle of Trafalgar, in which Nelson was mortally wounded by a French sniper on the first day of the battle, while advancing against the combined forces of the French and Spanish fleets.
Nelson's body was taken to London and on January 9, 1806, it was solemnly buried in St. Paul's Cathedral, in Westminster Abbey in London, where kings and the most prominent figures of England are buried.
In 1830, in the very center of London, according to the design of the builder of Buckingham Palace, architect J. Nash, a Trafalgar Square, and another 12 years later, in 1842, a monument to Admiral Lord Nelson was erected in the center of the square - a column three times tall on a pedestal 50 meters high, guarded by bronze lions - symbols of power British Empire. This column used 16 tons of copper from melted French cannons taken in the battle of Trafalgar. Nelson's flagship, HMS Victory, was also immortalized - she was laid up for eternity in Dry Dock 2 at Portsmouth Naval Station, where she initially remained the flagship of the Second Sea Lord and then became an exhibit at the Royal Navy Museum.
The United Kingdom still honors the memory of its heroes. And centuries later this memory lives on - Britain duly celebrated the anniversary of the triumph of its hero. In June-July 2005, large celebrations took place in ancient Portsmouth - at the historical base of the Royal Navy. Celebrations attended by 167 sea vessels and warships from 35 countries, began on June 28 with a large naval parade (the history of these parades goes back more than 600 years, and the last one took place in 1977). On the same day, a demonstration battle of wooden ships took place, designed to give a certain idea of naval battles sailing ships. On June 29, an international memorial ceremony was held to honor the sailors who died in the service of their homeland. From June 30 to July 3, the International Maritime Festival took place in Portsmouth. His goal was to increase public interest to the fleet, especially the military one, and its glorious history. The second part of the celebrations will take place on October 21-23 - then the Royal Navy and with it the whole country will honor the memory of their national hero - Admiral Nelson. The waters of the Canal will be crossed by a line of beacons, the first of which will be lit on October 21 at the side of the Victory. The radiance of these lights can be considered a symbol of some kind - the “wooden walls” that separated Britain from the continent under Nelson gave way to participation in a united Europe... In honor of the admiral, a gala dinner was organized on board his flagship, a church service in London's St. Paul's Cathedral and a number of events in Trafalgar Square.

Admiral Nelson, in command English fleet during famous battle with the Franco-Spanish squadron, died on October 21, 1805 in the final part of the battle. The battle took place at Cape Trafalgar, south-west of the Spanish coast. Two successive defeats of the French fleet (Aboukir and Trafalgar) finally broke the resistance of Napoleon and his allies at sea.

In the Battle of Trafalgar, the ideological and tactical leader of the British was Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson. Figure

extraordinary and known far beyond the borders of England. From the age of 12, Nelson was almost constantly on the ships of the British fleet and at the age of 19 he received his first rank of lieutenant. When he turned 42, he was promoted to vice admiral, which was far from common at that time. Before the Battle of Trafalgar, Nelson personally participated in 123 naval battles, and therefore in total 124. In the battles Nelson lost right hand and right eye, was wounded 40 times. Being very frail and sickly by nature, Nelson showed incredible energy, activity and endurance in all combat operations, infecting his subordinates with this and challenging them to similar actions. Distinguished by exceptional modesty and unpretentiousness in personal life Nelson showed great attention and care to his subordinates and their needs, which is why he enjoyed great authority among them.

Tactically, Nelson invariably adhered to the following (typical “Nelsonian”) principles: find the enemy, no matter where and in what composition he was, and destroy him. Being one of the most competent and experienced admirals of his era, Nelson, before any operation, carefully worked out his attack plans or other methods of active influence on the enemy he had planned and brought them to the full understanding of the commanders. During the battle itself, Nelson almost never directed it in detail. He was too confident in the will, determination and enterprise of his subordinates, and believed that everyone would certainly do everything in their power to inflict maximum damage on the enemy and brilliantly complete the job they started. It should be noted that at that time the personal initiative, resourcefulness or even courage of any individual ship commander was paralyzed by the letter of the regulations, which required, at all costs, the preservation of an outwardly impeccable formation in battle. The slightest proactive deviations from this letter, sometimes even for the purpose of causing obvious and possible damage to the enemy, as a rule, were punished by the court. Nelson's tactics produced a complete change in the psychological and administrative conclusions of the leadership. Nelson in every possible way encouraged the manifestation of resourcefulness and initiative in solving certain private tasks carried out by individual performers.

"Victoria"

At the Battle of Trafalgar, after cutting through the enemy formation, Nelson's flagship Victoria was subjected to fierce artillery and rifle fire simultaneously from several enemy ships that surrounded it. During the battle, Admiral Nelson was mortally wounded and died before the end of the battle. From that moment on, the ships' combat formations were completely disrupted. The commanders, at their discretion, selected enemy ships and engaged them in artillery combat at extremely short distances, measured in tens of meters, and sometimes several meters. Under these conditions, the superiority of the English gunners and the rate of fire of the artillery were decisive for the outcome of the battle. The results of the battle finally confirm the effectiveness of the legendary admiral’s tactics.

In his will, Nelson asked that his body not be thrown overboard, as he had ordered. maritime regulations England, and delivered to London. For these purposes, the admiral's body was placed in a wine barrel, which was filled to the brim with cognac. A box made from the planks of a wine barrel, in which the body of the famous Admiral Horace Nelson was delivered to London in 1806, was subsequently sold for 8 thousand 160 pounds sterling (about $16 thousand)