Off Cape St Vincent, Admiral Sir John Jervis’ British squadron engaged a superior Spanish fleet. During the battle and without orders Nelson pulled his ship out of line and blocked the path of enemy vessels trying to escape. His genius helped win a brilliant victory and brought him his first real public acclaim. For his decisive part in the action Nelson was made a Knight of the Bath.

After an epic chase, Nelson’s squadron tracked down the French fleet to Egypt and Aboukir Bay. As dusk fell, Nelson attacked at once and caught the enemy by surprise. At the height of the battle the French flagship ‘L’Orient’ blew up in a deafening explosion heard 15 miles away in Alexandria. This decisive action totally destroyed the French fleet and left Napoleon’s army stranded in Egypt.

Second in Command to Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, at the height of the battle Nelson refused to acknowledge his Commanding Officer’s signal to ‘Disengage the Action’. Placing his telescope to his blind eye he exclaimed ‘I have the right to be blind sometimes – I really do not see the signal’ and fought on. His actions turned possible defeat into a hard-earned victory.

Off Cape Trafalgar, having tracked down the Combined Fleets of France and Spain, Nelson’s plan was to cut the enemy line in two places, thus causing the ‘pell-mell’ battle he desired. Although mortally wounded at the height of the battle by a sniper’s bullet, Nelson lived long enough to learn that he had won a great victory and destroyed Napoleon’s dream of invading Britain.