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French Ship Bucentaure (1804)
''Bucentaure'' was an 86-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, and the lead ship of her class. She was the flagship of Vice-Admiral Latouche Tréville, who died on board on 18 August 1804, and later of Vice-Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve as the flagship of the Franco-Spanish fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar. ''Bucentaure'' was named after the Venetian state barge '' Bucintoro'' which was destroyed by Napoleon after the fall of the Republic of Venice in 1797. While the Venetian name is of uncertain etymology. (it may have originated in the bucinatores aboard who blew their instruments to herald the arrival of the Doge), the French ''Bucentaure''s figurehead depicted a : a mythical, centaur-like creature with the body of a bull and the head of a man. Vice-Admiral Villeneuve hoisted his flag on 6 November 1804. ''Bucentaure'' hosted the Franco-Spanish war council while sheltered from the British fleet at Cadiz. The vote was to remain in safe waters (a decision later o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battle Of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a naval engagement that took place on 21 October 1805 between the Royal Navy and a combined fleet of the French Navy, French and Spanish Navy, Spanish navies during the War of the Third Coalition. As part of Napoleon's planned invasion of the United Kingdom, the French and Spanish fleets combined to take control of the English Channel and provide the Grande Armée safe passage. The allied fleet, under the command of French admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve, sailed from the port of Cádiz in the south of Spain on 18 October 1805. They encountered a British fleet under Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, Lord Nelson, recently assembled to meet this threat, in the Atlantic Ocean along the southwest coast of Spain, off Cape Trafalgar. Nelson was outnumbered, with 27 British ships of the line to 33 Franco-Spanish ships, including the largest warship in either fleet, the Spanish ''Spanish ship Nuestra Señora de la Santísima Trinidad, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Raking Fire
In naval warfare during the Age of Sail, raking fire was Naval artillery in the Age of Sail, cannon fire directed parallel to the long axis of an enemy ship from ahead (in front of the ship) or astern (behind the ship). Although each shot was directed against a smaller profile compared to firing at the target ship's Broadside (naval), broadside and thus more likely to miss the target ship to one side or the other, an individual cannon shot that hit would pass through more of the ship, thereby increasing damage to the Hull (watercraft), hull, sails, Naval artillery, cannon and Ship's company, crew. In addition, the targeted ship would have fewer (if any) guns able to return fire. Historically, a stern rake tended to be more damaging than a Bow (watercraft), bow rake because the shots were less likely to be deflected by the curved and strengthened bow, and because disabling the exposed rudder at the stern would render the target unable to steer and thus manoeuvre. However, achievi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte ( – 21 October 1805) was a Royal Navy officer whose leadership, grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics brought about a number of decisive British naval victories during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest naval commanders in history. Nelson was born into a moderately prosperous Norfolk family and joined the navy through the influence of his uncle, Maurice Suckling, a high-ranking naval officer. Nelson rose rapidly through the ranks and served with leading naval commanders of the period before obtaining his own command at the age of 20, in 1778. He developed a reputation for personal valour and a firm grasp of tactics, but suffered periods of illness and unemployment after the end of the American War of Independence. The outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars allowed Nelson to return to service, where he was particularly active in the Mediterranean Sea. He f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jean-Jacques Magendie
Jean-Jacques Magendie (21 May 1766 in Bordeaux – 26 March 1835 in Paris) was a French Navy officer. He famously captained the flagship ''Bucentaure'' at the Battle of Trafalgar. Biography Early career Magendie joined the French Royal Navy in 1781 as an apprentice, and later sailed on merchant ships, raising to second captain and distinguishing himself to the point where he was mentioned in a June 1793 meeting of the National Convention. He was brought into Navy service with the rank of ensign and given command of a cutter patrolling off the coasts of England and Ireland.''Dictionnaire des capitaines de vaisseau de Napoléon'', Danielle & Bernard Quintin, SPM, 2003, In 1794, he captained the cutter ''Ranger'', and the corvette ''Espion''Quintin (p. 251) gives the name ''Espoir'' instead of ''Espion'', apparently in error as they state she was captured by in March 1795. A ''Hasard''-class brig ''Espoir'' was in commission at the time, but she was not captured on 2–3 Ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Federico Gravina
Admiral Federico Carlos Gravina y Nápoli (born Federico Carlo Gravina Cruyllas; 12 August 1756 – 9 May 1806) was a Spanish Navy officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He died of wounds sustained during the Battle of Trafalgar. Explorer Jacinto Caamaño named the Gravina Island in Alaska in his honor. Origins and military career Gravina was born in Palermo, capital city of the Kingdom of Sicily. His father was Don Giovanni Gravina Cruyllas Moncada, Prince of Montevago, Duke of San Miguel and Grandee of Spain, and his mother was Donna Eleonora Napoli Montaperto, daughter of the Prince of Resuttano, also a Grandee of Spain. He was the third of five brothers: the eldest son, Girolamo, inherited the titles; two others became prelates, Pietro, cardinal archbishop of Palermo, and Gabriele (born Berengario), bishop of Catania. The Gravina Cruyllas were a prominent Sicilian aristocratic family of Catalan origins se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charles René Magon De Médine
Charles René Magon de Médine (; 12 November 1763 – 21 October 1805) was a French contre-amiral killed at the battle of Trafalgar whilst commanding the ship-of-the-line ''Algésiras'' - his conduct in the battle is seen by French historians as one of the few redeeming features of that disaster, and his name appears on the Arc de Triomphe. He is also notable as a Grand Officer of the Masonic Grand Orient de France. Life Ancien Régime From a noble family in Saint Malo, Magon became a garde marine in 1777. His father, the governor of the Mascarene Islands, died in 1778 and left his son his estate of Médine on Mauritius, from which Magon derived his full name. He fought at Battle of Ushant (1778), Ushant in 1778 on the ship of the line French ship Bretagne (1766), ''Bretagne'' before participating in the English Channel campaign on the French ship Saint-Esprit (1766), ''Saint Esprit''. Rising to enseigne de vaisseau in 1780, he served in the Antilles, on the Fren ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Antonio De Escaño
Antonio de Escaño y García de Cáceres ( Cartagena, Murcia, 1750 - Cádiz, 12 July 1814) was a Spanish military officer and government official. He served in several naval battles including the Battle of Trafalgar. He was Spain's Minister of the Navy and a member of the Council of Regency. A Spanish Navy school named for him states: "He is regarded as one of the best naval tacticians of the 18th century. An enlightened man, he devoted himself to the study of shipbuilding and other academic disciplines such as chemistry, botany and history, of which he was an academic." Biography Early career Escaño became a midshipman at the age of 17 and took part in almost every major Spanish naval operation of his time. These included the Battle of Cape Spartel (1782), which was an indecisive naval battle between a British fleet under Admiral Richard Howe and a Franco-Spanish fleet under Spanish Admiral Luis de Córdova; an expedition against Algiers (1783) to attack Barbary raiders; an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Doge (title)
A doge ( , ; plural dogi or doges; see #Usage, below) was an elected lord and head of state in several Italy, Italian city-states, notably Republic of Venice, Venice and Republic of Genoa, Genoa, during the medieval and Renaissance periods. Such states were referred to as crowned republics. Doges wore a special hat, the Corno ducale and usually ruled life-long. The office of the doge in English is termed a ''dogeship''. Etymology The word ''doge'' comes from Venetian language, Venetian Italian, and, like its standard Italian language , Italian cognate ''duce'' (as in Benito Mussolini , Mussolini's title "Il Duce"), is derived from the Latin ', meaning either "spiritual leader" or "military commander". The political term ''doge'' reached English language, English via French language, French, along with the related English derivation ''duke''. In standard Italian language, Italian, the two derivations from the Latin word ''dux'' – ' and ' (both masculine; feminine: ') – a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Buccina
A ''buccina'' () or ''bucina'' (; ), anglicized buccin or bucine, is a brass instrument that was used in the ancient Roman army, similar to the '' cornu''. An '' aeneator'' who blew a ''buccina'' was called a "''buccinator''" or "''bucinator''" (). Design It was originally designed as a tube made of either bronze or shells. However, as time went on more materials started to be used. It measured in length, of narrow cylindrical bore, and played by means of a cup-shaped mouthpiece. The tube is bent round upon itself from the mouthpiece to the bell in the shape of a broad C and is strengthened by means of a bar across the curve, which the performer grasps while playing to steady the instrument; the bell curves over his head or shoulder. Usage The ''buccina'' was used for the announcement of night watches, to summon soldiers by means of the special signal known as ''classicum'', and to give orders. Frontinus relates that a Roman general, who had been surrounded by the enemy, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fall Of The Republic Of Venice
The Republic of Venice was dissolved and dismembered by the French general Napoleon Bonaparte and the Habsburg monarchy on 12 May 1797, ending approximately 1,100 years of its existence. It was the final action of Napoleon's Italian campaign of 1796–1797 before the War of the First Coalition formally ended in October. In 1796, General Napoleon had been sent by the newly formed French Republic to confront Austria, as part of the Italian front of the French Revolutionary Wars. He chose to go through Venice, which was officially neutral. Reluctantly, the Venetians allowed the formidable French army to enter their country so that it might confront Austria. However, the French covertly began supporting Jacobin revolutionaries within Venice, and the Venetian Senate began quiet preparations for war. The Venetian armed forces were depleted and hardly a match for the battle-tested French or even a local uprising. After the capture of Mantua on 2 February 1797, the French dropped a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
