There is an open goal there but I will studiously avoid it! (Unless I’m missing something...) The way to get your head round it is like this: Surprise. This was an unconventional manoeuvre in light winds with ships closing at walking pace at best. The expected parallel track was never taken. Differential movement. The French/Spanish line (while it existed) was kind of combed in the middle by all of the British. The two British columns didn’t go through at just two points as the French/Spanish sailed right to left but effectively combed the dozen biggest ships in the middle so that ships passing ahead and astern all raked the one in the middle by maybe 3:1 in numbers and 2:1 in rate of fire..... a 6:1 advantage. By the subsequent melee the odds had already been transformed in the British favour. If you take nothing else from Lanchester’s Laws remember this: light attack is a bad idea. It produces MORE casualties on your side. The more you maximise local force ratios the more you overwhelm a defence and spare yourself losses. Capeesh?
absolutely correct. Even if you are outnumbered, if you bring 100% of your firepower on 25% of them, you will remove that 25% from the equation very quickly, leaving you able to deal with reduced numbers thereafter. Looking at Trafalgar, the sailors in the French and Spanish fleets were already decimated by malnutrition because of the supplies blockade on Cadiz and Napoleon’s determination to supply his armies to the exclusion of his navy... while Nelson’s tactics were masterful they were further enabled by the incapacitation of the crews of the ships they were fighting! The victory (with a small V) at Trafalgar was a culmination of years of work decided in a decisive battle.
Not only were the crews in a poor state the vessels were also suffering, bad rigging, poor canvas, and fouled with weed. I remember seeing written somewhere that it was reckoned 1 British seaman was 'worth' 6 French, or 8 Spanish seamen, in a fight. Guess that was based on victories over the years, how many defeated by how many. Seemingly it frequently had a bearing on just how much a risk some officers, were prepared to take. "Oh, 60 French seamen? Our 10 tars can take 'em!"
