Editing Battle of Trafalgar (section)

===Departure===
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The Combined Fleet of French and Spanish warships anchored in Cádiz under the leadership of Admiral Villeneuve was in disarray. On 16 September 1805 Villeneuve received orders from Napoleon to sail the Combined Fleet from Cádiz to Naples. At first, Villeneuve was optimistic about returning to the Mediterranean, but soon had second thoughts. A war council was held aboard his flagship, {{ship|French ship|Bucentaure|1803|2}}, on 8&nbsp;October.{{sfnp|Best|2005|p=178}} While some of the French captains wished to obey Napoleon's orders, the Spanish captains and other French officers, including Villeneuve, thought it best to remain in Cádiz.{{sfnp|Best|2005|p=179}} Villeneuve changed his mind yet again on 18&nbsp;October 1805, ordering the Combined Fleet to sail immediately even though there were only very light winds.{{sfnp|Schom|1990|pp=301–06}}

The sudden change was prompted by a letter Villeneuve had received on 18&nbsp;October, informing him that Vice-Admiral [[François Rosily]] had arrived in [[Madrid]] with orders to take command of the Combined Fleet.{{sfnp|Lee|2005|pp=289–290}} Stung by the prospect of being disgraced before the fleet, Villeneuve resolved to go to sea before his successor could reach Cádiz.{{sfnp|Hannay|1911|p=153}} At the same time, he received intelligence that a detachment of six British ships (Admiral Louis' squadron), had docked at Gibraltar, thus weakening the British fleet. This was used as the pretext for sudden change.

The weather, however, suddenly turned calm following a week of gales. This slowed the progress of the fleet leaving the harbour, giving the British plenty of warning. Villeneuve had drawn up plans to form a force of four squadrons, each containing both French and Spanish ships. Following their earlier vote on 8&nbsp;October to stay put, some captains were reluctant to leave Cádiz, and as a result they failed to follow Villeneuve's orders closely and the fleet straggled out of the harbour in no particular formation.

It took most of 20&nbsp;October for Villeneuve to get his fleet organised; it eventually set sail in three columns for the Straits of Gibraltar to the southeast. That same evening, {{ship|French ship|Achille|1804|2}} spotted a force of 18 British ships of the line in pursuit. The fleet began to prepare for battle and during the night, they were ordered into a single line. The following  day, Nelson's fleet of 27&nbsp;ships of the line and four frigates was spotted in pursuit from the northwest with the wind behind it.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Naval Battle Of Trafalgar |publisher=[[Clube de Autores]] |year=2021}}</ref> Villeneuve again ordered his fleet into three columns, but soon changed his mind and restored a single line. The result was a sprawling, uneven formation.

At {{nobr|5:40 a.m.}} on 21&nbsp;October, the British were about 21&nbsp;miles <!-- nautical (which nautical?) or statute? --> (34&nbsp;km) to the northwest of Cape Trafalgar, with the Franco-Spanish fleet between the British and the Cape. About {{nobr|6 a.m.,}} Nelson gave the order to prepare for battle.<ref>Signal log of HMS ''Bellerophon'', 21&nbsp;October 1805{{original research inline|date=November 2023}}</ref> At {{nobr|8 a.m.,}} the British frigate ''Euryalus'', which had been keeping watch on the Combined Fleet overnight, observed the British fleet still "forming the lines" in which it would attack.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Battle of Trafalgar: The logbook of the ''Euryalus'', 21st&nbsp;October 1805 |url=http://chasingnelson.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/the-battle-of-trafalgar-logbook-of_22.html |website=chasingnelson.blogspot.co.uk |access-date=11 June 2017 |date=22 October 2013 |archive-date=29 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929135216/http://chasingnelson.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/the-battle-of-trafalgar-logbook-of_22.html |url-status=live }}</ref>{{self-published inline|certain=y|date=July 2024}}

At {{nobr|8 a.m.,}} Villeneuve ordered the fleet to ''wear together'' (turn about) and return to Cádiz. This reversed the order of the allied line, placing the rear division under Rear-Admiral [[Pierre Dumanoir le Pelley]] in the vanguard. The wind became contrary at this point, often shifting direction. The very light wind rendered manoeuvring virtually impossible for all but the most expert seamen. The inexperienced crews had difficulty with the changing conditions, and it took nearly an hour and a half for Villeneuve's order to be completed. The French and Spanish fleet now formed an uneven, angular crescent, with the slower ships generally to [[leeward]] and closer to the shore.

By {{nobr|11 a.m.,}} Nelson's entire fleet was visible to Villeneuve, drawn up in two parallel columns. The two fleets would be within range of each other within an hour. Villeneuve was concerned at this point about forming up a line, as his ships were unevenly spaced in an irregular formation drawn out nearly 5&nbsp;miles <!-- nautical (which nautical?) or statute? -->(8&nbsp;km) long as Nelson's fleet approached.

As the British drew closer, they could see that the combined French and Spanish fleet was not sailing in a tight order, but in irregular groups. Nelson could not immediately make out the French flagship as the French and Spanish were not flying command pennants.

Nelson was outnumbered and outgunned, with the opposing fleet totalling nearly {{nobr|{{gaps|30|000}} men}} and {{nobr|{{gaps|2|568}} guns}} to Nelson's {{nobr|{{gaps|17|000}} men}} and {{nobr|{{gaps|2|148}} guns.}} The Franco-Spanish fleet also had six more ships of the line, and so could more readily combine their fire. There was no way for some of Nelson's ships to avoid being "doubled on" or even "trebled on".

As the two fleets drew closer, anxiety began to build among officers and sailors; one British sailor described the approach thus:

{{blockquote|During this momentous preparation, the human mind had ample time for meditation, for it was evident that the fate of England rested on this battle.{{sfnp|Adkins|2004a|p={{page needed|date=February 2012}}}}}}