Battle of Trafalgar Nelson's Tactics Fail!!!

[Lyric]

Below is a video of the biggest fight I've had yet with 38 ships fighting it out at the Battle of Trafalgar.  I do swear a bit when I realize the English side employ Nelson's double column tactic [i get excited], but with a complete demast of their lead 1st rate and sheer effort, we french managed to rewrite history!!!

 

Key points: 

4.06 - I realize the English have employed Nelson's tactics.

6.45 - I take off the Santi's Mainmast

7:00 - I take off the Santi's Mizzen, leaving him completely demasted

16:30 - The enemy are regrouped and bring the fight to close quarters.

33.00 - A Frigate stops me coming to bear against an enemy Vic, ramming me in the process, leading to his own demise.

 

The three main reasons the English failed I believe is because:

1. They weren't fast or close enough to effectively split our french line

2. They took too long to come to bear, by which time we had demasted one of their 1st rates and sunk a lot of shot in their hulls.

3. Nelson cut split the french line so effectively that signals from the french flagships were also cut off [i believe].  Sadly even we had been split our communication would have still be extremely strong.

 

Edited May 3, 2015 by Richard Bolitho

[Snoopy]

In here we start roughly evenly matched so battles can go both ways and can be won with good coordination, skill, luck and all the rest of it like you did

 

.. in the actual Trafalgar battle the French had lost long before the battle even began; there was no tactical decision that day which Nelson needed doing (except signaling "engage") which - if countered - would have led to a British defeat.

[MacVaultDweller]

Perhaps implementing a system that makes it necessary to have a line of sight in order to receive  player transmitted chat messages would provide the key tactical aspect that visual communication played in Naval actions of the time period.

[Lyric]

It would be pointless Mac. It would just be countered by using voice com software like Ts3

[MacVaultDweller]

It would be pointless Mac. It would just be countered by using voice com software like Ts3

True TS3 would be an easy work around for clan communication but in open world encounters with others it would be a factor.

[Prater]

The French fleet didn't respond to Nelson's charge until it was way too late.  By then, the wind didn't allow the Van to fall back to the center and rear of the French line and the French forces were cut down piecemeal.

 

In this fight we sandwiched the British forces.  In the the actual Battle of Trafalgar, the French ships were sandwiched.

[Lyric]

Ah Prater! Our victorious leader! 

[Kaaru62]

I remember that battle. the mistake that was made by our side was to give chase to your zig zagging line that you kept together so well. I watched them get picked off one by one. classic example of what not to do.

[DeRuyter]

Also I am sure the French/Spanish gunnery was nowhere near as accurate as yours! Having said that it still takes great teamwork and skill to pull off a big win!

[Taki1980]

No Rolling Broadside while crossing the T and the "not so effective sternrake attacks" imho made the diffrence in that match and what Richard said.

I was the Second Leading Ship of the Line and watched that Santi loose all her masts

 

Epic Battle

[BusterGut]

Below is a video of the biggest fight I've had yet with 38 ships fighting it out at the Battle of Trafalgar.  I do swear a bit when I realize the English side employ Nelson's double column tactic [i get excited], but with a complete demast of their lead 1st rate and sheer effort, we french managed to rewrite history!!!

 

Key points: 

4.06 - I realize the English have employed Nelson's tactics.

6.45 - I take off the Santi's Mainmast

7:00 - I take off the Santi's Mizzen, leaving him completely demasted

16:30 - The enemy are regrouped and bring the fight to close quarters.

33.00 - A Frigate stops me coming to bear against an enemy Vic, ramming me in the process, leading to his own demise.

 

The three main reasons the English failed I believe is because:

1. They weren't fast or close enough to effectively split our french line

2. They took too long to come to bear, by which time we had demasted one of their 1st rates and sunk a lot of shot in their hulls.

3. Nelson cut split the french line so effectively that signals from the french flagships were also cut off [i believe].  Sadly even we had been split our communication would have still be extremely strong.

 

What were you doing shooting at the hulls, the French much preferred to shred sails! You'd have lost if you did it the French way LOL

[HMS Scatter]

which i could have seen this in real time

 

great stuff though

[Muinko]

Another big difference in RL vs game was the training and experience of the British fleet compared to the allied fleet. The French and Spanish couldn't even leave port in an orderly fashion let alone arrange a formation to counter Nelson's charge.

 

Having experience on your crew matter would be a great mechanic in OW. 

[HMS Scatter]

Another big difference in RL vs game was the training and experience of the British fleet compared to the allied fleet. The French and Spanish couldn't even leave port in an orderly fashion let alone arrange a formation to counter Nelson's charge.

 

Having experience on your crew matter would be a great mechanic in OW

 

yes i think that it would have a big effect on the game